West Cowal Habitat Regeneration Project
The West Cowal Habitat Regeneration Project area includes the peninsulas of Kilfinan and Colintraive, which encapsulate the Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area and Isle of Bute.
Bounded by Loch Striven and Loch Fyne, this area of over 45,000 hectares contains a mosaic of natural habitats that includes remnant and fragmented rainforest. This globally important habitat is facing significant threats from conflicting land-use objectives, over-browsing by herbivores, and invasive species such as Rhododendron ponticum.
Our ambitious project aims to take cooperative action at a landscape scale to protect, restore, expand, and reconnect the fragmented temperate rainforest and other natural habitats found in West Cowal. Engaging with communities and building the capacity to deliver habitat regeneration and maintain a resilient, diverse, natural environment that can contribute towards tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis
Project aims
To work cooperatively with local communities, community groups, contractors, landowners and managers – maximising the opportunity to regenerate and reconnect natural habitats across what is a complex pattern of land use, interest and existing management objectives.
Protect, restore, expand, and reconnect temperate rainforest across approx. 10,000 hectares of coastal and ravine opportunity.
Increase local deer management skills and infrastructure. Building the local capacity to reduce herbivore impact, which will enable the rainforest to naturally regenerate.
Eradicate Rhododendron ponticum from across approx. 1,500 hectares of the Kyles of Bute and Glendaruel catchment, alongside a further 1,500 hectares of predominantly coastal infestation.
Deliver rainforest regeneration interventions at R. ponticum eradication sites.
Carry out native woodland creation where temperate rainforest has been severely disrupted - establishing a diverse native seed source to enable natural expansion when herbivore impact has been reduced.
Identify opportunities to carry out PAWS restoration and reconnect temperate rainforest throughout the productive conifer landscape of West Cowal.
Identify opportunities to integrate temperate rainforest into livestock management via woodland pasture development and agroforestry practices.
Developing educational programs that include specialised training, qualifications, and job opportunities relating to rainforest regeneration.
Develop a citizen science West Cowal iNaturalist biological recording project – helping to develop our understanding and shape how the network of rainforest biodiversity can be reconnected across West Cowal. You can see some of the early photos from the project below.
Project partners
ACT – we work with the people of Argyll to make the most of our environment. ACT is a community-led SCIO established in 2014. We have a Board of up to 12 Trustees, 20 Advisors and over 400 members. Our charitable objectives are:
To care for and enhance our unique natural environment
To give people opportunities to experience, learn in, and be inspired by nature
To encourage investment in Argyll’s natural capital to support our economy
To increase opportunities for employment, skills development and volunteering in our environment.
We have an ACT Rainforest steering group comprising ACT board, advisors and staff, and work with partners on the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, including NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland.
In addition, ACT works alongside existing partnerships already established in West Cowal, including community woodlands such as Glenan, Bute and Stronafian; multiple private landholdings; and non-landowning organisations such as local development trusts and The Kyles Coastal Community group. We aim to build upon these relationships and develop further partnership opportunities as the project progresses.
If you are a landowner in the area who would like to discuss this with us, we would very much welcome your thoughts and insights.
West Cowal, Kyles of Bute. Credit Ian Dow
Funding requirement
ACT has secured funding via the Priceless Planet Coalition to delivery 60 hectares of native woodland creation at two West Cowal sites, alongside the development of a biodiversity gain project at Glenan Community Woodland in partnership with SSEN. Both projects are well underway. However, the estimated cost to deliver the project aims are expected to exceed £5m.
For more information contact: Ian Dow, Woodland Coordinator, ACT at ian@act-now.org.uk
