Scottish Native Woods is Scotland's own woodland conservation charity dedicated to the restoration and expansion of our native woods for all to enjoy. We have a number of projects across Scotland details of which can be found on our website www.scottishnativewoods.org.uk
In prehistoric times up to 80% of our land area was natural woodland. Now less than 3% remains. Beautiful woods will continue to die unless we work together to bring these remaining woods back into responsible management.
One or our project involves restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodlands Sites or PAWS. These are woods where the original native woodland cover has largely been replaced by trees which cast more shade, typically conifer. The change in tree species and the increased shade can threaten wildlife that depends upon native woodlands for their home. However, PAWS often contain small areas where the original woodland inhabitants survive.
During the second half of the twentieth century about a third of our native woodlands were converted into PAWS, as Britain sought to develop a forest that could provide us with timber during future wars.. However forestry policy has now changed. There has also been an increasing appreciation of the importance of the world's natural forests, and a feeling that Britain can hardly lecture other countries on the destruction of their forests while failing to take action to help to restore our own natural woodlands.
Scottish Native Woods are developing a project which will allow for the gradual restoration of over 1,000 acres of PAWS in Central Scotland. We will take a slow but sure approach. This means removing the introduced trees over a period of time, so that the wood remains a wood. If all of the undesirable trees were removed at once, this could prove a fatal blow to the native trees and wildlife that has survived.
We will be working with land occupiers and community groups on a number of different sites from Lanarkshire to the Lothians and Fife and much of the work can be undertaken by volunteers. We will have a series of open volunteering days details of which can be found on our Events page of the website or by contacting us.
E: enquiries@scottishnativewoods.org.uk
T: 01887 820392.