Rewilding the Highlands and return of lynx in spotlight in Exeter and Plymouth

Eurasian lynx © Peter Cairns

Rewilding the Highlands – from restored forests to the return of predators such as the lynx – will be in the spotlight in Exeter and Plymouth today (14 January) and tomorrow at topical lectures featuring acclaimed writer George Monbiot and leading conservationist Alan Watson Featherstone, Founder of award-winning charity Trees for Life.

The sold-out events at the University of Exeter today and the University of Plymouth tomorrow will highlight the benefits of rewilding – the restoration of damaged natural ecosystems, and

New eco-designed office in Findhorn for conservation charity Trees for Life

Alex Walker, Managing Director of Ekopia (left) with
Alan Watson Featherstone,
Executive Director of Trees for Life, at the new
eco-designed office in Findhorn

Conservation charity Trees for Life is this week moving into a new environmentally friendly office based at the Findhorn Community near Forres in Moray.

After more than 20 years at its current premises in Findhorn, on Friday 24 July the award-winning charity is moving to a brand new building that has been constructed to high ecological standards, thanks to financial assistance from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund.

“This is a very important development for us. We are delighted to be moving into this new eco-friendly office, which will provide a warm, welcoming and modern space for our staff and volunteers to work in,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s

Rewilding Scotland and return of lynx in spotlight in Edinburgh

Alan Watson Featherstone

Rewilding Scotland – from restored forests to the return of predators such as the lynx – was in the spotlight at a topical lecture by leading conservationist Alan Watson Featherstone, founder and Executive Director of award-winning charity Trees for Life, at Edinburgh Zoo today (24 March).

The event highlighted the benefits of rewilding – the restoration of damaged natural ecosystems – for Scotland. This includes putting Scotland on the map as a wildlife tourism global hotspot and as a world leader in the international drive to tackle global forest loss.

The lecture was the final one in a special eight-week series that has been running at Edinburgh Zoo this year, focussing on Scottish species diversity and conservation.

Mr. Watson Featherstone said: “In the Highlands we have an opportunity to reverse environmental degradation and create a world-class wilderness region – offering a lifeline to wildlife including beavers, capercaillie, wood ants and pine martens, and restoring natural forests and wild spaces for our

Rewilding creates jobs and training at Loch Ness conservation estate

Pictured left-right: Alan Watson Featherstone,
Emma Beckinsale and Doug Gilbert from Trees for Life
at the charity’s Native Tree Nursery, Dundreggan

An acclaimed forest restoration project near Loch Ness is demonstrating how conservation can create employment opportunities in the Highlands, says award-winning charity Trees for Life.

 

This week Trees for Life introduced two new seasonal staff roles at its Dundreggan Conservation Estate in Glenmoriston, bringing the number of employees at the biodiversity hotspot to six – a substantial increase on the single employee under the site’s previous ownership, when it was managed as a traditional sporting estate.

 

With concerns about employment in much of the country, and across the Highlands in particular, Trees for Life says that the steady growth in

Rewilding Scotland and return of lynx and wolf in spotlight in Edinburgh

Eurasian lynx © Peter Cairns www.northshots.com

Visions of a rewilded Scotland – from restored forests to the return of predators such as the lynx and wolf – was in the spotlight on Monday 6th October at a topical lecture featuring acclaimed writer George Monbiot and award-winning conservationist Alan Watson Featherstone of Trees for Life, at the University of Edinburgh’s George Square Lecture Theatre.

With enthusiasm for rewilding – the large-scale restoration of damaged natural ecosystems – spreading quickly in the UK, the Rewilding the World event highlighted the significant benefits that this could bring to Scotland, together with a discussion on its global and ethical implications.

George Monbiot said: “Rewilding offers us a big chance to reverse destruction of the natural world. Letting trees return to bare and barren uplands, allowing the seabed to recover from trawling, and bringing back missing species would help hundreds of species that might otherwise struggle to survive – while rekindling wonder and enchantment that often seems missing in modern-day Britain.”

Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director, said: “Rewilding offers an exciting vision of hope, through the positive and practical work of renewing and revitalising ecosystems. In the Highlands we

Double boost for conservation charity offers hope for Caledonian Forest

Alan Watson Featherstone (centre) with Stuart Housden, Director,
 RSPB Scotland (left), and Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary
 for Rural Affairs and the Environment (right) after his receipt of the
'Outstanding Contribution to Nature' Award at the RSPB
Nature of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh on 30th October

Trees for Life received a double boost on Wednesday 30 October, when the conservation charity was announced as a finalist for the People’s Millions televised vote to win up to £50,000 of Lottery funding, and its founder won the Outstanding Contribution to Nature category at the RSPB’s Nature of Scotland Awards 2013.

The People’s Millions is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV, in which the public decide which local community projects will each receive up to £50,000 of Lottery funding.

Trees for Life has been chosen as a finalist for its plan to establish its acclaimed Dundreggan Conservation Estate – a 10,000-acre forest regeneration site and biodiversity hotspot to the west of Loch Ness – as a leading conservation volunteer training centre. 

The public vote will take place by phone all day on 27 November, and STV North will broadcast a televised feature that evening.

Trees for Life’s project aims to specifically benefit people from diverse backgrounds – including 

Scots pine National Tree for Scotland call gathers momentum

Mature Scots Pine - RB
Glen Affric NNR

As Scotland’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse, today formally launches a consultation on whether Scotland should have a National Tree, conservation charity Trees for Life welcomes growing calls for the Scottish Government and Parliament to establish a National Tree of Scotland, and to adopt the Scots pine for this.

 

The consultation on Scotland’s National Tree, requested by the Scottish Government, was launched by Forestry Commission Scotland in Edinburgh on the 3rd September 2013. ( Sorry I'm a bit late posting this. RB )

 

Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director, said: “The growing campaign for the Scots pine to be proclaimed Scotland’s National Tree is inspiring. The Scots pine is one of the world’s most beautiful trees, a powerful symbol of Scotland and a keystone species of the Caledonian Forest, which in turn is one of the country’s greatest national treasures.

 

“Declaring this remarkable and important species as our national tree in 2013, the year of Natural Scotland, would send a much-

Buckingham Palace reception for Trees for Life celebrates Jubilee Wood

Right to left at Buckingham Palace
Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone;
 Trees for Life patron Gordon Buchanan,
Rosalind Grant-Robertson, who generously supported
Trees for Life’s purchase of Dundreggan;
Steve Morris, Operations Manager for Dundreggan

Trees for Life’s creation of a Diamond Wood in Inverness-shire to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 has been recognised at a Buckingham Palace reception this week (27 March), hosted by HRH The Princess Royal.

 

The event recognised the creation of 60 new Diamond Woods across the UK, each at least 60 acres in size, to symbolise the Queen’s 60-year reign. As part of this tree planting campaign, Trees for Life planted a new 60-acre Jubilee woodland of native trees at its Dundreggan Estate, to the west of Loch Ness in Glen Moriston.

 

Two million trees have been planted across Scotland in a range of locations during this project, which was organised by The Woodland Trust.

Gordon Buchanan Announced as New Patron for Trees For Life

Gordon planting Trees for Life’s
Millionth Tree, accompanied by
Alan Watson Featherstone,
Trees for Life’s Executive Director

Conservation charity Trees for Life has begun 2013, the Year of Natural Scotland, with the welcome news that acclaimed wildlife cameraman and filmmaker Gordon Buchanan has agreed to become its new patron.

Through the role, the well-known Scottish broadcaster will raise awareness of Trees for Life’s award-winning restoration of the Caledonian Forest – Scotland’s equivalent of a rainforest – and its unique range of wildlife.

Gordon’s inspiring work – including on Big Cat Diary, the Lost Land series, and the hugely popular Springwatch and Autumnwatch – has seen him become a household name. His career has taken him across the world, memorably including a year spent with a family of black bears in Minnesota, USA, for the documentary ‘The Bear Family & Me’.

"I am proud to be a patron of Trees for Life, as they are the spearhead of native woodland restoration and conservation in Scotland. Their tireless efforts over the last two decades have created an expanding home for thousands of important species, breathing new life

Trees For Life Founder Wins Spirit of Scotland Environment Award

Journalist Lesley Riddoch presents
Alan Watson Featherstone
with the Spirit of Scotland Environment Award

Alan Watson Featherstone, founder and executive director of conservation charity Trees for Life, has won The Environment category of the prestigious Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards 2012. The accolade was announced at a special ceremony held in Edinburgh on 29^th November.

“As the winners of these awards are decided by public vote in the UK, this is inspiring, national recognition of Trees for Life’s restoration of the Caledonian Forest. I’m very grateful to everyone who voted – it’s an honour that shows how deeply people care about conserving Scotland’s world-class wild

Princess Anne presents Jubilee Diamond Wood Plaque to Trees for Life

Alan Watson Featherstone of Trees for Life receives the
Diamond Wood commemorative plaque from
HRH The Princess Royal.
Photo: Woodland Trust Scotland.

Trees for Life has been honoured with a commemorative plaque from HRH The Princess Royal to mark its creation of a Diamond Wood in Inverness-shire to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

The conservation charity is planting the 60-acre Jubilee woodland of native trees at its Dundreggan Estate, to the west of Loch Ness in Glen Moriston.

The initiative is part of a Woodland Trust project to create 60 new Diamond Woods across the UK, each at least 60 acres in size, to symbolise the 60 years of The Queen’s reign.

The commemorative plaque was presented to Trees

ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER PLANTS MILLIONTH TREE IN CALEDONIAN FOREST – ONE OF WORLD’S GREATEST WOODLAND HABITATS

A symbolically important moment in the restoration of one of the “world’s greatest woodland habitats” was celebrated on Sunday 20 May 2012 when acclaimed wildlife cameraman and filmmaker Gordon Buchanan planted Trees for Life’s Millionth Tree in Scotland’s Caledonian Forest.

The event took place at a celebration event held at the award-winning conservation charity’s Dundreggan Estate near Loch Ness, in Glen Moriston, Inverness-shire.

"Magnificent and magical, the Caledonian Forest is a wild place at its most wonderful. Every single tree planted helps to restore one of the world's greatest woodland habitats. One tree will be used by a thousand species in a forest that will stand for 10,000 years, which in that time can be enjoyed by a million people. Great forests are established one tree at a time. I am honoured to plant the millionth tree on behalf of Trees for Life," said Gordon Buchanan.

Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s founder and executive director, said:

Trees for Life Lecture Tour during March and April 2012

LECTURE TOUR CELEBRATES PLANTING OF A MILLION TREES IN CALEDONIAN FOREST

Celebrations for the planting of the Millionth Tree by conservation
charity Trees for Life in Scotland’s Caledonian Forest will be launched in
March with a two-month lecture tour across Britain by the charity’s
founder and executive director, Alan Watson Featherstone.

From Ullapool to Devon, Alan will travel the length and breadth of the
country throughout March and April to inform and inspire audiences with
The Millionth Tree lecture tour. Trees for Life will plant its Millionth