"I’ve loved every minute, this week has made me think about all the small changes I could make to help do my bit for the environment." Rachel, Hants.

The Work

No previous experience of conservation work is necessary to participate in our Work Weeks, but you do need to have a reasonable level of fitness. Each task begins with an explanation and demonstration by the leaders, who will also cover the safety aspects volunteers will need to bear in mind. We provide tools and safety equipment, such as hard hats and goggles, where necessary. All the work bears directly upon some aspect of forest restoration.

Collecting seeds and berries

We collect pine cones for their seed in spring, while most other seeds and berries are collected in autumn. This is a leisurely activity that will take you into beautiful mature forest.

Tree nursery work

At our nursery at Plodda Lodge we grow some of the trees that are then planted out into the forest. Most weeks staying at Plodda will spend a day in the nursery, helping to propagate trees, weeding beds, making compost and so on.

Planting trees

We plant trees in areas where the forest is unlikely to be able to regenerate itself because of the remoteness of the nearest seed sources. Planting usually takes place in exclosures, that is, within fences that prevent overgrazing by sheep and deer. Please note that not all weeks include tree planting.

Stock fencing and tree guards

Some sites we work at do have resident, though controlled, deer populations. Here we put up small stock fences and individual tree guards to protect both the planted trees and safeguard the naturally occurring seedlings.

Felling non-native trees

Many sites that are now designated for Caledonian Forest restoration were formerly plantations of spruce and lodge pole pine, which spread seed and grow more quickly than Scots pine. Left to their own devices, the plantation trees out-compete the native trees and it is this regeneration that we tackle, using bow saws and loppers. We do not tackle large trees or blocks of plantations. Nearly all Work Weeks involve some non-native tree removal. Occasionally, we remove rhododendron where this invasive non-native shrub is endangering the native vegetation.

Removing fences

Where fences are no longer needed we remove them because they are an unnatural element in the landscape and pose a serious threat to birds such as the black grouse and capercaillie, which sometimes fly into them. Fence removal is a great team activity and it's very satisfying to look back along the fence line and see how much you've achieved.

Wetland restoration

We have been using rocks and turf at some sites to dam the drainage ditches which were ploughed in for plantations. Encouraging bog to re-establish returns the area to a more natural state and helps restore the lost biodiversity.

Surveying & monitoring

An important element of our work is monitoring various aspects of the forest habitat. This can include wildlife and vegetation surveys.

Tree fertilising

As some of the land we plant on is lacking in nutrients we supplement the planted trees with natural rock phosphate to encourage good root growth and aid the establishment of the young trees.