One of the UK’s largest reforestation projects is already showing signs of major progress. And we’ve got the pictures to prove it.
Native woodland is now taking root around Loch Katrine thanks to a once-in-a-generation-scale effort by Scottish Water and Forestry and Land Scotland. By 2040, the area will be home to more than 4,000 hectares of trees and foliage, which will help safeguard water quality for around 1 million people across Glasgow.
Two years since its launch, the reforestation project has already grown to 600 hectares of hillsides across the loch itself, in addition to 100 hectares of new tree panting and 25km of deer and seed island fencing. By the end of this decade, over 1 million trees will be in place, setting the groundwork for the second phase of the undertaking.
‘The woodland creation project at Loch Katrine is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and is already one of the most ambitious programmes of its kind in Scotland,’ said Stephen Garbett, Woodland Project Manager at Scottish Water. ‘By combining targeted planting with natural regeneration, we are creating the conditions for woodland to expand naturally over time, ultimately restoring more than 4,300 hectares across the catchment.’
‘We’re seeing natural regeneration already beginning to spread from existing native seed sources along the loch shore, although this process takes time,’ added James Hand, Operations Forester at Forestry and Land Scotland. ‘Using locally sourced species is key to long-term resilience, and our approach combines larger deer-fenced planting areas with smaller ‘seed islands’ to encourage woodland to establish and spread naturally.’
Take a look at the progress so far below.
All images: Scottish Water / Forestry and Land Scotland
