Introduction

Trees for life is an award-winning Scottish charity working to restore the Caledonian Forest to 600 square miles of the Highlands west of Inverness.

The distinctive Caledonian Forest community, dominated by Scots pine, is substantially depleted and fragmented. Only 1% of the original forest remains and overgrazing by sheep and deer prevents most natural regeneration. These remnants need special care and protection; beyond this, the forest needs to be allowed to expand in area to secure this rich ecosystem for the future.

Such restoration work is not a passive process - we have to roll our sleeves up and help Nature do its work. To date we have planted over 700,000 trees, and we have fostered the growth of many thousands more naturally regenerating seedlings.

Working on our estate at Dundreggan and in effective partnerships with organisations such as the RSPB and Forestry Commission Scotland, we invite volunteers to help us deliver our programme of practical work on the ground.

Removing a deer fence

The Caledonian Forest needs you!

Work Weeks

Our Work Weeks provide an opportunity for people from all around the world, of all ages and backgrounds to help restore Scotland’s natural environment.

The quotes in this brochure from our volunteers show that our Work Weeks are a source of enjoyment and inspiration. We believe that the following four key elements contribute to the quality of our volunteers’ experience.

Helping the planet: The weeks provide participants with the chance to do something positive to help the planet. For many people, this is an empowering experience at a time when so much environmental news is negative.

Contact with Nature: Spending a week working amidst the forests, rivers and mountains of the Scottish Highlands provides an opportunity to observe and learn from the land itself, something that often touches people profoundly.

Sharing with others: For a week we live as a community, working together in the forest and sharing domestic tasks such as cleaning and cooking the evening meal. We seek to live in a spirit of harmony and cooperation. We begin each day’s work together with an attunement – a moment’s quiet reflection; also, the group will meet on occasion to have a sharing, where we talk about how the week is going.

Education: Volunteers on a Work Week will learn various aspects of ecological restoration through practical work, discussions with group leaders and brief meetings with local rangers or land managers. There will also be opportunities to learn about local flora and fauna, hopefully getting to see many of them in their natural habitat.

What are the weeks like?
Each Work Week consists of ten volunteers. Volunteers must be aged 18 and over to participate. There’s no upper age limit but the work can be physically challenging. Reaching some work sites can require long walks over rough terrain so you will need to have a reasonable level of fitness to take part. However, volunteers usually find a pace of work they can cope with. We also run gentler Nursery Weeks, located at our field base, for those who feel the regular weeks may be too much for them.

Each week has two leaders, who may be Trees for Life staff members or Work Week volunteers who have been trained to lead weeks themselves.

We provide transport to and from Inverness at the start and end of the week; we also provide accommodation and food for vegetarian or vegan meals only. Cooking and other chores are done on a voluntary rota basis. The week starts with a walk to introduce the volunteers to the forest and then on Sunday the work begins. Wednesday is a day off – the group may choose to do something together or this might be an opportunity to spend some time on your own. Most working days run from around 9 am to 5 pm. In the evening, you’ll have time to relax, eat, read, play games, sing or tell stories – whatever you feel moved to do!

A group of volunteers

Trees for Life Volunteer Website

You can discuss work weeks and read what other volunteers have to say on the independent website, http://www.tflvolunteer.org/.

Keep in touch, share photos, talk to other volunteers if you're thinking of getting involved...