Caledonia Back to our Roots n early March, Adam and I led a group of 31 this year. As though to reflect this, the squall soon passed international students on the Findhorn Foundation’s and a beautiful rainbow appeared, directly above the old IEcovillage Training Programme on a two day trip to the pinewood remnant by the Liatrie Burn, on the north side Caledonian Forest. After an introductory walk to Coille of the glen. As I took in the beauty of the moment, I Ruigh in Glen Affric on the first day, we headed up into remembered that it was there, in the Liatrie Wood, that we Glen Cannich on the second morning, to plant Scots pines had carried out Trees for Life’s first practical work back in Carrying tubes to protect there in the northernmost part of the Glen Affric National 1989, when we protected Scots pine seedlings with plastic young pines at the Liatrie Nature Reserve. That area is known as the Liatrie Gap, tubes, prior to the area being fenced. Looking across the Wood in 1989. because it was left as open space when the Forestry glen now and seeing the healthy young pines flourishing Commission planted commercial there, I was struck by the Planting a Scots pine in plantations on either side of it in significance of going back to the Glen Cannich in early the 1970s. The plantations were roots of our project for the launch March. The Liatrie Wood subsequently felled, as part of the of our major planting commit- is visible in the distance, Commission’s programme to ment in 2007. behind the rainbow. restore the area to native forest, As we worked throughout but there was no evidence of any the morning, other squalls (and natural regeneration in the Liatrie rainbows) came and went, and I Gap, and I had suggested realised that we were going back planting trees there some years to our roots on another level too. previously. Now, I was delighted That is the primal contact with the to be able to help put the wild elements, which is lacking suggestion into practice. in so many of our modern day Just as we were getting out urban-based lives, that separate us of our minibuses at the site, an from the immediacy of Nature. intense squall blew down the No one complained about the glen, bringing fierce winds and weather that day, and in fact its black clouds. Almost immed- extreme variability made a iately, we were lashed by positive addition to everybody’s horizontally-blown hailstones experience. and bitter cold, and we had to turn By lunch time we had our backs to the west, in order to planted our target of 1,070 trees withstand the elemental barrage. for the day and everyone’s spirits Some of the students were from were soaring with the satisfaction These two young women, tropical countries such as Burma, Madagascar and Brazil, of what we had achieved. On the deepest level, that was not who work in a tree nursery and had never seen snow before, so they got a full on simply just the planting of those Scots pines, but rather it in Madagascar, were experience of the Highlands’wild weather! was a return to the roots of sustainable human living on the amongst those planting It was an auspicious day, though, as were going to plant planet – giving life back to the Earth that nourishes us. pines for us in March. the first of the 100,000 trees we’ve pledged to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign Alan Watson Featherstone In this Spring 2007 issue: An Appreciation of Rain . Deforestation . Earth Restoration Service Volunteers - A Forester’s Perspective . Eagle folklore . Wild boar species profile Spring forward! By Adam Powell I have a sense that this is going to be a big year for Trees for Life: Dundreggan Estate, the planting goal of 100,000 trees, new staff, new projects. We seem to go along fairly steadily for a while but all the time, like a living being, growth is quietly happening and every now and then we realise we are bursting at the seams! New office premises are currently being discussed to accommodate this growth as the spring energy rushes in: swelling buds, early flowers and bright and chirpy birds on the wing. The Snowy Corrie Great news!! After frustration and delays, this more species-rich and much diminished latter. However, project, on the Forestry Commission for SNH have their job to do and this, of necessity, has to take Scotland’s (FCS) Glen Affric National Nature in the wider perspective of other projects of a similar Reserve, is now back on track. In the spring 2006 nature which might be taking place in the area and what the Caledonia Wild! I was enthusing that fencing materials cumulative effect may be on changing habitats. There for this job were being flown in and shortly thereafter the were also some concerns that a small patch of herb-rich fence was being erected ... only to be called to a halt half grassland could be lost by being outcompeted by way round the new exclosure. The reason for putting the recovering vegetation if browsing animals were excluded. brakes on was that the site lies within the Strathglass In February this year I made a site visit with Globeflower is one of Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a representatives from FCS and SNH and after much the plants growing at European designation intended to protect areas where discussion and to-ing and fro-ing across the site we came the Snowy Corrie site. there are priority habitats. Because of this, Scottish up with a plan that suited everyone. By excluding the herb- Natural Heritage (SNH) were obliged to check out the rich grassland, the overall area of the site was reduced by situation and their permission was required as the about 25%, thus minimising the impact on wet heath proposed new woodland that would develop would mean habitat and satisfying two of the major concerns. the loss of some wet heath: the aforementioned priority Pleased to have reached habitat. It is somewhat ironic that another priority habitat a successful conclusion to is Caledonian pine forest! our deliberations, we When you compare the extent of heath to forest you trudged down the hill and would imagine that we could afford to sacrifice a little of scrambled over the section the vast extent of the former for the sake of a gain in the far of fence already installed and were met by some Helicopter delivering curious signs. A deer the fencing materials carcass had been flushed to the Snowy Corrie down a spate water course and had then apparently been site in February 2006. stripped of its flesh by something; it was not old enough to PHOTO BY ADAM POWELL. have just rotted away. Close by there were tell-tale scratchings in the grass and moss and it was not long before we spotted a hole excavated at the base of a boulder: we would need to install a badger gate in this new fence! It always amazes me that this enterprising creature can survive in such harsh and seemingly impoverished conditions. I think of it as a woodland animal but I have seen setts 13 kilometres (8 miles) further west in Glen Affric at a similar elevation of about 300 metres (1,000 feet) and its diet in these situations includes scavenging carrion, hunting for earthworms, beetles, frogs and even frog spawn. Given that you, our supporters, generously gave a total of over £5,000 in response to our appeal for this project in May 2004, I must thank you once again not only for helping to cover project costs but for your patience in bearing with us through this lengthy birthing process. I hope to include photographs of the finished fence in the next edition of Caledonia Wild! 2 Caledonia Wild! • Spring 2007 As with the Snowy Corrie site, this too lies within the Downy birch tree SAC and is subject to the same conditions regarding change beside a waterfall of habitat so here too a site inspection by a SNH on the Benula site in representative will be necessary. A detailed vegetation Glen Cannich, in survey of the site confirmed that it is indeed classified as wet December 2006. heath, despite there being a predominance of grasses. The nearby trees, although relatively few in number, the occurrence of rowan and willow on the site and the presence of extensive Caledonian pine woodland on the south shore of the loch may be sufficient to indicate that a natural progression would lead to re-establishment of woodland if browsing were in balance. This would bode well for getting permission to go ahead with our proposal to fence off about 10 hectares (25 acres) and plant several thousand trees. A site visit had been arranged in January but will have to be rescheduled as heavy rains caused quite widespread flooding in the Highlands at that time and the waters of Loch Mullardoch had risen so high as to destroy the road to the boat launch and overflow the dam. Attadale I mentioned in the summer 2006 issue of Caledonia Wild! the prospect of TFL undertaking a new native woodland project on the Attadale Estate which rises from the shores of Loch Carron on the west coast. These plans, which met with the enthusiastic support of the landowner and the estate’s woodland manager, are still on Benula hold, awaiting the activation of a new Over the hill to the north of the Snowy Corrie Project, lies Forestry Commission grant scheme.