Tag Archives: trees

Conservation, Countryside, experience, Perthshire, Trees

2025 Changing Times

Winter will soon roll into Spring and a time of growth and renewal in nature. The snowdrops are great heralds of this and it is always a pleasure to see them. I am lucky to have some great displays of them nearby – and particularly Friar’s Den at Scone Palace Estate is always a good display. However, snowdrops are not native to the UK, having been introduced from Europe 300 years or so ago.

The snowdrop is not only a welcome sight but has medicinal properties too. It does raise the question for nature in general, do we value it more for aesthetics? for what it can do for us? what it can be sold for / economic value? And in today’s world does economic value out-Trump 🙂 the other ways of appreciating and valuing nature? The ‘environmental or ecosystem-services‘ provided by nature are largely under-valued and this impact’s decisions made on approving change of land use, eg in the past planting commercial forest on land that is important grassland or peat bog habitat and now huge solar-farm developments on agricultural land instead of on buildings and brown-field sites.

The winter in Scotland has also seen illegal wildlife release, lynx and some wild boar, widely covered in the news. This was undoubtedly irresponsible and unhelpful and can particularly entrench views and make it more difficult to discuss options with those opposed. Scare-mongering on possible negative impact, and the occasional actual negative event, is common with any reintroduction of a predator – there are continuing issues with birds of prey poisoning for example.

Going back to the snowdrops…. at the time they first appeared in the UK what many today photograph and think are the ‘beautiful Scottish hills’ were largely covered in trees and looked very different. There are places on a smallish scale that ‘rewilding’ is now occurring. The question that often arises is how will it be paid for? If the ecosystem services were given true value – including for example, holding water, limiting flooding and soil degradation – then there is a payback but its not the get rich quick that exploiting the environment brings. Ultimately act for today and tomorrow will pay the price, so act for tomorrow and all can benefit (but more equitably) and the billionaires won’t expand their fortunes on the same scale!

To this end, in a very small but effective way, I have been delighted to get involved in some tree-planting this year, as part of our Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust ‘Tree For Every Child’ project. Nearly 1,000 trees have been planted by school children and the community with us, on a site by the Dunkeld House Hotel Land Rover experience, as well as more trees around St Magdalene’s Hill, Perth, the Bunkhouse at Glassie Farm, Aberfeldy and school grounds.

The year ahead is going to be challenging for many of us, not least because of political change elsewhere. I hope that both Gaza and Ukraine get the chance to peacefully rebuild – not just the homes for people but also for nature. It’s known that engagement with the environment, nature and wildlife is good for mental health and well-being. So the more the better.

Conservation, Network and Sharing, Qualification, Training & Development

Just one tree…

As the beautiful Autumn season arrives the felling of one tree – the Sycamore Gap at Hadrian’s Wall – filled news headlines and sparked anger, outrage and outcry. This senseless act should be a reminder that people are disconnected with nature and natural systems. At the same time many people care… but perhaps the sentimental affection for one tree is misplaced or needs some additional focus?

The Sycamore was ‘special’ because it stood alone as a feature of the landscape (possibly deliberately planted as such). There are many ‘special trees’. For me, and associated with the Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust ‘Perthshire big tree country’, the ancient Birnham Oak is special (and incidentally has some ancient sycamores near by). However, it is not alone, it exists in woodland on the banks of the River Tay, and further along is Neil Gow’s oak revered as the place the 18th century fiddler composed and played.

A tree is a ‘unit’ of a woodland or forest, a habitat. The outcry should be levelled at destruction of these habitats for human development (roads, rail eg HS2, building development, monoculture etc). Connection to nature can be ’emotional’ and ‘spiritual’, at the same time there is need for a regard to ecology and what is appropriate planting and management. However, encouraging more people to enjoy and access the countryside responsibly, hopefully re-builds connection and support for trees and ‘added value’ they give us.

Our connection to nature can also be promoted and enhanced through well designed and carefully thought out ‘experiences’ in wildlife parks. At Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park near Ipswich there is a new ‘rare breeds farm’ area, through the native woodland – where some pigs can be seen – and to the fields (with rare breed pigs, goats, sheep, Suffolk punch horses, Highland cattle).

It was an honour to be asked to speak at the UK’s first KEEPERFEST event held at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in early September. The event included talks from Jim Doherty, Adam Henson, Nick Baker and a host of ‘industry experts’, as well as practical workshops and stands.

The event nicely complimented the work that ABWAK have been doing for many years in helping keepers to network and develop their skills.

Over the summer I also wrote a short-course on Environmental Education for learndirect and this is available for people to study online as a validated 3 module short-course: https://www.learndirect.com/course/level-3-award-environmental-educator

experience, Network and Sharing, Training & Development, Workshop

Plant a Tree & Sow a Seed for Conservation

Happy New Year.

Bookings now being taken for all my talks and workshops in 2023 – see Talks and Services section of the website for a range of options. (Available across the UK and abroad).

Another year has passed and we look forward to the next. 2022 was one of many contrasts, from heat wave to big freeze, the passing of the Queen, and prime minister to prime minister (and again). Of course the dreadful invasion of Ukraine by Putin will scar the year’s memory.

Thankfully there were some good things in 2022 – some reported in previous blogs. I was very happy to return to Durrell Conservation Academy, Jersey, in November to work with a new group of Diploma in Endangered Species Management (DESMAN) students from around the world. Participants this time were from Brazil, Montserrat, St Lucia, Indonesia, Colombia, South Africa, Costa Rica, Seychelles, Philippines, Tanzania and Papua New Guinea.

The 2nd DESMAN group in Jersey this year

The enthusiasm and commitment of these students is always great and we had fun exploring theory and practice of conservation education. The weather (for me) was good, some rain showers, but generally mild, whereas the DESMAN group said it was too cold 🙂 Back in their home countries they will make a difference in a wide diversity of projects and conservation initiatives.

PKCT Patron Cameron McNeish & Discovery, Learning & Engagement Officer, Catherine Leatherland demonstrate the ground prep for tree-planting with Kinloch Rannoch Primary pupils

In December I had the honour of becoming the Chair of the Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust and was delighted to take part in a tree-planting with pupils from Kinloch Rannoch Primary School. The young trees (whips) donated by the Woodland Trust and also marking the celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee and now in her memory as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, are part of our ‘Tree for Every Child in Perthshire‘ project. It was great to see the pupils enthusiasm as they all planted a tree in their local park. Great to think these trees will be there for their children to play around in years to come.

We are often faced with ‘negative’ and bad news stories, so the simple act of planting a tree is a positive conservation action that can make a difference, help in mitigation of climate change, encourage biodiversity and wildlife, as well as contribute to the community. Sowing wildflower meadows, having areas set aside in gardens etc are also to be encouraged.

With PKCT we are particularly focused upon people’s access and enjoyment of trees and the countryside, and Perthshire is a great area to get out and explore. I look forward to many days out and about across the county, the rest of Scotland and further afield in 2023.