Rainforest volunteer shortlisted for award

Last October, Ben Mitchell shot to global fame with his discovery of a spooky fungus that turns spiders into zombies. Now, Ben, a volunteer recorder at Argyll Countryside Trust’s West Cowal Habitat Regeneration Project, has been shortlisted for the National Biodiversity Network ‘Newcomer of the Year’ Award 2025. These awards are aimed at shining a light on the importance of recording nature, and celebrating the contribution of those who dedicate their time to finding, identifying, and sharing information about wildlife.

> Shining a light on rare wildlife

The lost elms

Tree diseases can be devastating for our woodlands, and one of the most notorious of recent years is Dutch elm disease. Elms were once common across the UK, but over 25 million are thought to have been killed in the last few decades, altering our landscapes forever. Yet in the far reaches of Scotland’s rainforest, there is a glimmer of hope. Resilient wych elms are clinging on, and these woodlands are some of the last places in the UK where mature elms can now be seen.

> Meet the grand elms of Assynt

MSP visit to the rainforest

Jenni Minto MSP, Nature Champion for Scotland's Rainforest, visited Argyll Countryside Trust in Kilmory this summer to see the range of their work. She met their rainforest squad, and found out about projects including Our Rainforest Futures, a rainforest-wide project to help restoration work, and bring jobs, skills and other benefits into communities. She also heard about ongoing removal of non-native invasive species like Rhododendron ponticum, and plans for a native tree nursery.

> Under our umbrella

Fire in the rainforest

Scotland’s rainforest grows in a zone where it’s wet for most of the year. But with wildfire warnings becoming more common, and areas of rainforest already lost, how much of a threat do fires pose to this already vulnerable habitat?

> A hot topic

Rainforest areas recognised as Nature30 sites

NatureScot recently announced that Knapdale and Loch Arkaig have become two of its first Nature30 sites. This recognises areas that deliver positive, sustained, and long-term outcomes for biodiversity as a result of land management. The Knapdale area, managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, was submitted specifically because of the work that’s taking place there for the Saving Scotland’s Rainforest Programme.

> The Nature30 pioneers

The tree seed collection project

While most restoration work in Scotland’s rainforest takes place through encouraging natural regeneration, there are places where this isn’t possible. Certain native species are also missing from some woodlands due to how the trees have been managed in the past. Trees for Life and Woodland Trust Scotland are working together on a project to gather native tree seeds with the assistance of brilliant volunteers. And you can help!

> How to volunteer

Find out more at www.savingscotlandsrainforest.org.uk
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