Drones scout out rhododendron in Knapdale

Argyll Coast and Countryside Trust has been using new technology to map out the spread of invasive Rhododendron ponticum. They have now completed some 900ha of aerial surveys in Knapdale, which they are currently following up with ground surveys. Working with landowners, the information will be used to develop a plan for rhododendron clearance.

> Find out more

Deer and Scotland’s rainforest

Scottish Environment LINK’s latest report looks at how to manage deer in Scotland’s rainforest. It lays out the challenge of reducing their negative impact while also retaining their key role as a natural part of the rainforest ecosystem. The report was commissioned by Woodland Trust Scotland and puts forward a number of key recommendations.

> Read the report

Bringing back the rainforest

A team of scientists from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has led a trial to reintroduce specialist lichens and bryophytes to rainforest habitat. An area of oak woodland in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park had been so choked with invasive rhododendron, that many of the epiphytes on the trees had died out. Now Forestry and Land Scotland has cleared the rhododendron, the team are trialling methods to bring the rainforest back to its former glory.

> Read more

Wrapping rainforest around a mountain

Thanks to public funding worth more than £1 million, Woodland Trust Scotland will be able to expand the rainforest on its estate at Ben Shieldaig by more than 300ha. The team aim to plant more than half a million native trees grown from local seed on the slopes of the mountain. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Scotland’s rainforest is a hugely important habitat, full of biodiversity and home to some of the world’s rarest lichens and bryophytes. Protecting and enhancing this unique woodland area in Scotland is essential”.

> Read more

Measuring rainforest restoration

The Thriving Natural Capital Centre at SRUC has been working with RSPB Scotland at their new Glencripesdale nature reserve on Morvern to set up a way to measure, verify and report on how rainforest habitat is improving over time. The idea behind this isn’t just to show the results of habitat management, it aims to create trustable and high quality data that will attract investment into future nature restoration projects.

> Watch the film

Grants for ghost woodlands

Future Woodlands Scotland is currently offering grants to restore ‘ghost woodlands’ – relicts of old or ancient woodlands where less than 20% of the canopy cover remains. While these woods appear to be dying, they have a high ecological and conservation value, and this grant can help land managers to protect and regenerate these special sites.

> Find out more

Scotland’s rainforest in verse

Earlier this year, Katherine Jamie, Scotland’s Makar, visited an area of temperate rainforest with Alasdair Firth from Woodland Trust Scotland and Izzy Baker of RSPB Scotland. Inspired by the experience, she wrote a sequence of poems on water, trees and bryophytes titled The Green Room. You can find out more about her trip, and hear the poems, on BBC Sounds in: Secrets of the Scottish Rainforest.

> Listen here

Top five uses for Scotland’s Rainforest

These days, we know how important Scotland’s rainforest is for its biodiversity. But in the past, the rainforest was a rich resource for the people that lived there, and some of the ways it was used might surprise you. This fascinating blog tells you all.

> Read the blog

The Big (rainforest?) Butterfly Count

Looking for something to do this weekend? The Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey organised by Butterfly Conservation, which aims to help assess the health of our environment simply by counting the number and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) we see. Why not get involved by counting butterflies in the rainforest? You have until 6 August to take part.

> Find out more

Find out more at www.savingscotlandsrainforest.org.uk
Want to join the mailing list? Sign up here