A project to return “special wee trees” to a rural part of the Highlands has received a funding boost.
Trees for Life’s West Affric Woodland Habitat Expansion has been awarded £125,000 from the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund.
It aims to reverse the loss of the tough, waist-high trees such as dwarf birch and downy willow, which were once widespread in Scotland but have now almost vanished following centuries of overgrazing by sheep and deer.
Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s chief executive, said: “With this funding we can begin to ensure the return of these special wee trees to their mountaintop homes in western Glen Affric.
“Now sadly missing from much of the Scottish Highlands, these precious high-altitude trees are a vital part of the Caledonian Forest. They provide a natural and biologically-rich link between glens, and offer a fantastic source of food, shade and shelter for wildlife.”
Working in partnership with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Trees for Life will plant clusters of the trees within deer-proof enclosures to secure a seed source for the future, and which will provide a habitat for species such as golden eagle, ring ouzel and mountain hare.
Willie Fraser, NTS property manager for West Affric and Kintail, added: “There’s a real urgency to bringing these precious ‘wee trees’ back from the brink. They’re sadly all too rare now, but they form a wonderful habitat on which a wide range of wildlife depends.”
