Trees for Life

Rewilding the Scottish Highlands. Hopeful and bold, we are committed to creating nature-rich landscapes that include and support people.

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[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Trees for Life is rewilding the Scottish Highlands. Hopeful and bold, we are committed to creating nature-rich landscapes that include and support people. https://t.co/9bQELrCypX

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Introducing the lesser twayblade, a tiny #orchid of pinewoods and heathlands 🌸 This delicate #wildflower has two heart-shaped leaves, which sit opposite one another on a reddish stem. 💚 Peak flowering time is from mid-May to mid-July.

This one was spotted during a Wild Pine #survey. 🌲

📷 Thanks to James Rainey, our Senior Ecologist, for the photo

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Getting hands on in the tree nursery 🌱 Jilly first joined us as a Rewilding Week volunteer before returning year after year to support the work in our #treenursery. 🌳 Drawing on her experience with community orchards and pruning, Jilly has contributed to everything from tending to our twinflower bed to sharing knowledge that has helped our understanding of pruning in the aspen seed stand.

“What’s not to love? Joining in the valuable work at Trees for Life nursery is deeply rewarding. It’s great to know you’re helping directly with reforesting the Highlands, and on the way learning new skills, learning about the environment and all in a relaxed and beautiful setting. Volunteering at Trees for Life has enriched my life. “ - Jilly

Volunteers like Jilly are helping grow the next generation of native trees, while becoming part of a community working to restore nature in the #Highlands. Thank you so much!🌳#VolunteersWeek

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

For more than 25 years, Rob has volunteered as a #RewildingWeek guide. His incredible contribution has been felt across Trees for Life - by staff, fellow volunteers, and the landscapes he has helped #restore.
Thank you! 🌳🌲#VolunteersWeek

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Did you know Scotland contains around 13% of the world's #blanketbog? 💦 Healthy peatlands are excellent carbon stores. They also filter water, help reduce flood and wildfire risk, and provide vital habitats for a wide range of plants and animals including mosses, lichens, birds, water voles, frogs and insects. 🐝

Over many years, drainage, peat extraction, wildfires, overgrazing and trampling have all contributed to peatland damage.

Restoration work - like the work we’ve been carrying out at Dundreggan - includes reprofiling peat hags and gullies, blocking old drains, and creating dams to rewet the landscape and help plants re-establish. 🌿

By restoring natural processes, we can help peatlands begin to heal themselves. 🙌 #WorldPeatlandsDay

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Wondering what goes on behind the scenes of a beaver reintroduction project? 🦫Dedicated volunteers are helping welcome and monitor #beavers as they return to the landscape. Today, we’re highlighting two incredible local volunteers 👇

"Thanks to Malcolm and Ron for all of their tireless work supporting the beaver reintroduction project. From setting up trail cameras and tracking beavers across their new landscape, to giving local talks and speaking to people out on the water, they have contributed so much. Thank you." - Tobias, Beaver Project Officer

Find out more about our beaver #reintroduction work 👉 https://t.co/FXAsTcCt8o

#VolunteersWeek

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

The @GlobalRewilding Alliance have shared the 12 Principles of #Rewilding - a global framework for restoring ecosystems by working with #nature and #communities. 🌳🤝 Dive into the principles 👉 https://t.co/mQXoD7yyDl

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

The green hairstreak butterfly is the UK’s only green butterfly. 🦋 A small and shy butterfly that keeps its wings closed except in flight, revealing a metallic green underside with a faint white streak.

Adults can be seen between April and June, and this one was spotted on the edge of a burn at Dundreggan during a plant survey. 🌿

📷 Thanks to James Rainey, our Senior Ecologist, for the photo

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Sponsor a tree 🌳 Your support helps us expand and restore native #woodlands by growing saplings from local seed, planting trees, and supporting #naturalregeneration so that the forest can renew itself over time. 🌿Help bring Scotland’s Caledonian forest back to life 👉 https://t.co/InRgzxVORI

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

For the first time in over 400 years, there is a beaver dam in #GlenAffric! 🦫 The ultimate example of their ecosystem engineering, #beaver dams create deeper pools, slow the flow of water, improve water quality, and provide rich habitats for #wildlife such as fish, frogs, otters and birds.

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Scotland’s rainforest is a rare and precious habitat. 🌧️🌳 Home to lush mosses, lichens and ancient trees that thrive in mild temperatures, clean air and high rainfall. It’s a haven for wildlife and rich in biodiversity.

In just one corner of #ScotlandsRainforest, more than 1,100 species - including glow worms, slime moulds and rare lichens - were recently discovered on the West Cowal peninsula. 🌿

It’s a wonderful example of citizen science helping to reveal just how rich and magical Scotland’s rainforest really is. Read here 👉 https://t.co/1mT88qikNx

📷 John MacPherson / @ASRainforest
@ACTinArgyll

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Scotland needs a Nature Minister 🌳 Last week, the First Minister announced Scotland's new Cabinet but we’re lacking a Nature, Environment or Biodiversity Minister.

Nature needs to be a headline priority, not just one item on a crowded agenda.

Give nature a voice in the #ScottishGovernment. Please sign and share @ScotRewilding open letter 👉 https://t.co/oTyKVRbuXi

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Red #squirrels at our Drimnin release site on Scotland’s west coast are thriving 🐿️ This week, they’ve been spotted darting through the trees, building nests known as ‘dreys’, and even gnawing on an antlers.

Did you know that deer antlers provide a great source of nutrients, including calcium, for red squirrels?

The #ScottishHighlands remain the largest stronghold for red squirrels in the UK. Our Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project is helping reds return to areas of their former range. Find out more 👉 https://t.co/xbbHe0iP1z

📷 Thanks to Rhonda Newsham for the photos

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Biodiversity is the rich variety of life that makes our world healthy, resilient and full of wonder. 🌍

Watch to learn more about why biodiversity is so important and how rewilding helps support it.

When nature thrives, we all thrive. 🌱

#WorldBiodiversityDay

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Lynx to Scotland update 🐆 Earlier this year, the Lynx to Scotland partnership engaged with 1,640 people at 42 information sessions across Highland and Moray.

Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts and provided feedback. We’re currently analysing over 1,000 questionnaires completed during and after these sessions.

Many people also requested 1:1 conversations which our Engagement Officers are carrying out this summer to understand local concerns and potential benefits that a potential lynx reintroduction could bring.

Once the individual conversations are complete, the Lynx to Scotland partnership has a Community Feedback phase planned for later this year.

For more information, visit 👉 https://t.co/TuHSqegRZs

📷 @ScotlandTBP
#LynxToScotland @LifescapeProj

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Clinging on in small, isolated pockets, remnants of Caledonian #pinewood - one of our richest and rarest habitats - still survive. 🌲

Our Wild Pine Project, in collaboration with Woodland Trust Scotland, is uncovering these forgotten fragments using old maps, Gaelic place names, and field surveys. 🗺️

By identifying and mapping these #ancient trees, we’re working to protect and restore Scotland’s wild forests before they vanish forever.

Discover more about the project 👉 https://t.co/1HdeLMsiqY

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Rewilding renews and rejuvenates #nature. It encourages the natural processes that sustain life in Scotland's #ancientwoodlands. And it relies on the support of people - like you.

Make a donation today. It only takes a minute to make a difference. 💚 https://t.co/NMhoWpPIse

📷 James Shooter / ScotlandTBP

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Scotland is home to remarkable wildlife, but many species are struggling. From the elusive Scottish wildcat to the rare aspen hoverfly, these species all depend on healthy, connected habitats to survive. 🌳

Climate change, habitat loss, pollution and disturbance continue to put pressure on nature. By protecting and restoring native forests, rivers, and habitats, we can help give wildlife the space it needs to thrive once again. 🐟🪰🦅

#WorldEndangeredSpeciesDay

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Often associated with ancient woodland, bluebells spend most of the year underground as bulbs before emerging to carpet the forest floor in rich violet-blue blooms.

This beautiful native #wildflower is still common across Britain, but bluebells are vulnerable to habitat loss, trampling and hybridisation with non-native species. Unlike Spanish bluebells, our native British #bluebells have delicate flowers that droop to one side.

🦋 Woodland butterflies, bees and hoverflies feed on their nectar, while folklore links bluebells with fairies and enchantment. Bluebells certainly bring a touch of magic to our woods each spring. ✨

📷 Alan Watson Featherstone

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

Join us to stand up for Scotland’s nature! 🐝🌳🦫 Earlier this year, Scotland passed the Natural Environment Act - a landmark new law that will bring in legally binding targets to restore nature.

We need to make sure good intentions become actions that protect and restore Scotland’s nature for generations to come.

Join the demo at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh on 4 June. The more of us there are, the louder our call for real change will be. Sign up 👉 https://t.co/tQrNZuiMF5

[Trees for Life @treesforlifeuk]

The #ScottishHighlands are part of migratory birds' vast seasonal journeys that stretch across continents. 🗺 From the call of the cuckoo to the return of the willow warbler, every sighting helps tell the story of these remarkable movements.

You can help by recording what you see - building a clearer picture of migratory birds and the places they depend on. Platforms like iNaturalist and BirdTrack are great tools for identifying and recording sightings.🔍

#WorldMigratoryBirdDay