First trees planted on hillsides as major climate project takes root

Work to plant 570,000 trees has begun as part of a Scottish university’s nature-based solution to tackle climate change.

The extensive tree planting is taking place across the University of Edinburgh’s land in Stirlingshire and the Pentland Hills Regional Park.

Over the course of the long-term project, experts predict around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere.

Around half of the 431-hectare site on Dumyat Hill near Stirling and almost a third of a 26-hectare site at Rullion Green south of Edinburgh is being planted on.

Hundreds of native trees will also be planted at Dumyat by community volunteers in April for a plant recovery project led by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The initiative involves collecting and propagating native plant species to improve their survival prospects once planted in habitats across Scotland.

The University’s two sites are part of a large-scale project to combat climate change and yield significant benefits for local habitats by expanding forests and restoring peatlands in Scotland.

Working with a range of partners and landowners across Scotland, approximately 5,600 hectares of land – of which 4,800 hectares is owned by partners – will be regenerated.

In proposals approved by Scottish Forestry, the project’s foresters, ecologists and consultants have designed woodland and habitats to fit with local landscapes and existing habitats.

At both sites, areas not used for tree planting will remain as open habitats, preserving viewpoints across the local area and keeping public access to popular walking routes.

Project leaders also hope the land will serve as a valuable educational resource for researchers and students, as well as visitors and schools in the local communities.

Carbon and biodiversity monitoring will be carried out throughout the project to ensure each site meets its objectives to capture carbon and benefit nature.

David Bruce, Forest Peat and Rural Land Manager at the University of Edinburgh said: “This is a hugely important milestone for our project and we are looking forward to watching these valuable green spaces become havens for nature. While we’re just at the beginning of this project, our efforts will ensure that the benefits of our woodlands last for centuries.”

Dr Aline Finger, Scottish Plant Recovery Project lead at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “Many of Scotland’s plant species are at risk of extinction from biodiversity loss and climate change, but the Scottish Plant Recovery project provides real hope for recovery. At the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, we are working to improve the survival prospects of 10 native plants, by nurturing and then propagating each species until we have a large, invigorated and genetically diverse population, ready to be returned to habitats across Scotland. Our partnership with the University of Edinburgh is a vital next stage in the project. Four hundred young wych elm and crab apple saplings are now ready to be planted, and the University’s land will provide safe new sites to give these important native species the chance to survive.”

For further information, please contact: Geri Dick, Press and PR Office, geraldine.dick@ed.ac.uk