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Members News July 2019

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Members News July 2019 MEMBERS’ NEWS JULY 2019 Chair’s welcome Jim Crumley, the renowned nature writer, recently welcomed Peter Pearson visits members to the Trust’s AGM and Members’ Gathering in East Schiehallion Birnam, Highland Perthshire. Speaking about Robert Burns’ influence on John Muir, Jim reminded us that the poet was among the first to recognise the social union between nature and man. By apologising to an animal in poems like To a Mouse, Burns communicated that humans are a part of nature, not apart from nature. Jim’s view is that such writing must have helped crystallize Muir’s own thoughts. Many years later, we are still fighting to make the importance of protecting wild land for the benefit of people and nature universally accepted, and it was heartening to meet and talk with so many like-minded colleagues and friends across the AGM weekend. Many of the conversations I had with those in attendance reminded me of the importance of balancing our founding principles and ethos with making sure we inspire more people to work in partnership with us to protect wild land and the very concept of wildness in ways that make the Trust relevant in today’s society. Being in Highland Perthshire for the weekend, we got to hear and visit with those involved in the Heart of Scotland Forest Partnership. The Trust has been integral to this project that connects six areas of land with the aim of creating a linked LELLAND KEVIN PHOTOGRAPH: woodland corridor stretching across more than 3,000 hectares, from the Keltneyburn Special Area of Conservation all the way to danger of disappearing completely. The Trust looks after seven Loch Tummel. We learnt more about how that partnership is properties with the highest conservation importance within the supporting diverse projects that are training young people in Atlantic Woodland zone, including three on Skye, two in rural skills; planting trees and giving disabled people access to Sutherland and one each in Knoydart and Lochaber and as a wild places. Eight of the members of the Heart of Scotland result we’ve also signed-up and become a major partner in a new Partnership recently committed time to visit the Trondheim area Atlantic Woodland Alliance aiming to protect Scotland’s rainforest. of Norway to participate in a training course hosted by Duncan Finally, I want to send best wishes to Andrew Bachell. After 39 Halley of the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research and kindly years in conservation, the Trust’s chief executive has decided to funded by the Erasmus+ programme. That’s inspiring them to retire later this year. Over the past two years he’s worked with think further about the future of the initiative. myself, trustees and staff to draft a new strategy, build an You’ll have noticed with the recent launch of our Wild Woods effective staff team and support several new initiatives. There will appeal that we’ve given woodlands a renewed focus. On behalf of be further opportunities to thank him for his contribution and he the staff team, sincere thanks to everyone who has supported our will hand over the Trust to a successor in as healthy a position as aim to plant 50,000 trees at our Knoydart and Skye properties this we’ve been in for some time. year. The oceanic woodlands of the west coast often show little or My thanks to him and my fellow trustees for their tireless work no regeneration due to over-grazing, invasive rhododendron, in service of the Trust during his tenure, and once again thank and commercial conifer plantation, while ash woods are under you to all our members and supporters - without whom we specific threat of dieback disease. With evidence of accelerating cannot move forward in the spirit of John Muir. climate change, these precious and fragile habitats are in real Peter Pearson For all the latest news from the Trust, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter at johnmuirtrust.org/newsletter 02 MEMBERS’ NEWS Phoenix Forest, News in brief Glenlude • Trust rejoins LINK The Trust has reinstated its membership of the national umbrella organisation, Scottish Environment LINK where we will be involved in a number of working groups and be part of a wider coalition campaigning for a world-class Scottish Environment Act. 5-point plan for • Himalayan tragedy Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Martin Moran and the climbing group he was leading, who disappeared making an attempt on an unclimbed, net-zero carbon unnamed summit in the Himalaya – CLARK DAISY PHOTOGRAPH: Peak 6477m – in early June 2019. The John Muir Trust has joined that new tree planting does not forces with nine other expert result in major disturbance of soil • Honour for ex-trustee organisations in Scotland to propose that could trigger large fluxes of Congratulations to Trust member number a five-point plan to deliver net-zero greenhouse gases. six and former trustee Rob Collister who carbon emissions by 2045 through • Reducing deer numbers to has been awarded an MBE for services woodland expansion and other sustainable levels to allow natural to mountaineering and conservation. nature-based programmes. regeneration of trees to occur. This In a letter to Scotland’s First would reduce greenhouse gas • Taller turbines for Shetland Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the group emissions from organic soils and In our spring Journal we reported on Viking of ten suggests that the government would result in tree establishment Energy’s application to increase the height of could make dramatic progress and planting at lower public and the 103 turbines planned for its wind farm on towards meeting its ambitious private cost. Shetland by 10m, taking them to 155m tall. carbon reduction targets by taking • Supporting small-scale forest In May 2019 Scottish Government Ministers the following actions: businesses, agroforestry and approved the application – the scheme has • Significantly increasing the productive mixed woodlands, with never been subject to the scrutiny of a Public proportions of new native woodland more timber being processed closer Local Inquiry in spite of its scale. and productive broadleaved to the timber source, and woodland. This woodland should be commensurate reductions in • Wind farms rulings approximately equal to new areas of emissions from timber transport. Following Public Local Inquiries, the Scottish predominantly Sitka plantations. Along with the John Muir Trust, Government has refused two wind farm • Encouraging community the letter has also been signed by applications at Upper Sonachan in Argyll and participation in afforestation representatives of the Community Dulater on the edge of the River Tay National through policies and levers such as Woodland Association; the Crichton Scenic Area, both of which the Trust had land reform, the Land Use Strategy Carbon Centre; the Forest Policy expressed some concern over. and Rural Development grants. Group; Reforesting Scotland; the A further application at Navidale near • Ensuring afforestation does not Royal Scottish Forestry Society; RSPB Helmsdale in Sutherland was rejected by impact negatively on species which Scotland; the Scottish Wildlife Trust; Highland Council’s North Planning Applications depend on open ground habitats Trees for Life; and Woodland Committee due to adverse impacts on such as peatlands and wetlands; and Trust Scotland. landscape, peatlands and the Causeymire and Knockfin Wild Land Area 36. The Trust has submitted objections to three applications for wind farms in the Highlands – Scotland’s Landscape Alliance launched one near Lairg and two near Loch Glascarnoch The John Muir Trust was among 60 organisations that attended the – due to wild land and cumulative impact. launch of an initiative that aims to bring together a diverse range of groups with an interest in Scotland’s landscapes, from engineers to • Hilltracks mountaineers, from community landowners to health professionals. A big thanks to everyone who wrote to their Led by the National Trust for Scotland (represented by former John MSPs ahead of an important debate in the Muir Trust chief executive Stuart Brooks) and the Landscape Institute Scottish Parliament at which changes could Scotland, the Scottish Landscape Alliance (SLA) event marks the start have been made to the Planning Bill to of a concerted effort to understand and maximise the economic, tighten control over bulldozed vehicle tracks. environmental, social, cultural, or health benefits of landscape. Sadly, the changes proposed by Andy Stuart Brooks said: “We are all well aware of how important Scotland’s Wightman MSP were voted down. The Scottish landscape is. It remains the top motivator for visitors to Scotland and is Environment LINK Hilltracks campaign, in of high economic, social, environmental and emotional value.” which the Trust actively participates, says “The SLA does not aim to stop progress, our landscapes are constantly there’s still a compelling case for action – to evolving, but to collectively agree what we want from our landscapes. boost local democracy, improve construction “As a country we should work towards a planned approach that standards and protect precious environments. balances different needs but benefits everyone.” 03 Bryophyte-rich ravine at Beinnn Eighe Joint effort to save fragile rainforests PHOTOGRAPH: STAN PHILLIPS STAN PHOTOGRAPH: The Trust signs up to a new alliance to protect and The State of Scotland’s Rainforests, which sets out the scale of the expand the remnants of Scotland’s rainforests challenge and calls for joint action to reduce grazing pressures, control invasive species, expand and connect the remaining A new coalition of conservation organisations – the Atlantic fragmented rainforest sites and restore those that have been Woodland Alliance – has been founded to help save and revitalise damaged by detrimental land management practices. the ancient temperate rainforests of Scotland’s west coast. Mike Daniels, the Trust’s head of land management, said: This unique habitat of native oak, birch, ash, pine and hazel “Saving our rainforests is a global conservation priority.
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