Building capacity to save Scotland’s rainforest
Project summary
Inspiring local communities to hunt for rare rainforest lichens. Credit John MacPherson
Background
The aim of the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest (ASR) is that by 2045, all of Scotland’s rainforest is restored, and its size doubled, so it becomes a better functioning and more resilient ecosystem.
One of the key challenges facing the ASR in its work to restore Scotland’s rainforest is the lack of capacity to deliver long-term habitat restoration work in the rainforest communities of Scotland’s west coast. This project seeks to help address that challenge and at the same time demonstrate to policy and decision makers in government the economic and social benefits that restoring and expanding Scotland’s rainforests can bring.
There is a chronic skills shortage in these fragile rural communities which could severely limit the ability to restore Scotland’s rainforest at the scale required. This issue is compounded further in the rainforest zone due to its remoteness, limited infrastructure (including a lack of affordable housing) and small, isolated communities. But if we work to expand, upskill and diversify the workforce, there is the potential for local people and new recruits to make a real difference in the restoration of rainforest on their doorsteps.
ASR is delighted that the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has awarded funding for the development phase for this project.
Project partners
The project will be delivered by a partnership of Woodland Trust (lead partner), RSPB Scotland, Plantlife, Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT), Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), The Community Woodlands Association (CWA), and the Scottish Rainforest Centre (SRC).
Project aims and objectives
The project aim is to develop the skills and capacity needed to sustainably restore rainforest landscapes, working with interested parties in the rainforest to address skills gaps and create a movement of future rainforest custodians.
There are three key themes:
Rainforest Action - a critical mass of people in rainforest communities have the necessary skills and training to enable full-scale rainforest restoration.
Rainforest Futures - existing rainforest restoration projects have a long-term sustainable legacy, and more rainforest restoration projects can establish, through community empowerment.
Rainforest Connections - to enable shared learning between rainforest restoration projects within Scotland’s rainforest and beyond.
Development Stage Activity
Rainforest Action
Scoping work to establish focus and activity strands viable at each of the three rainforest hubs – Morvern, Argyll and Torridon – including rationale for area Rainforest Squads, based on lessons learned from Argyll development work.
Wide ranging audience/community engagement activity and consultation via a series of events across the three hub areas to inform the development of the NLHF Activity Plan and ensure that a wide range of audiences are engaged throughout the project.
Development of a volunteering plan, scoping out the needs, demands and opportunities including assessment of potential accommodation and travel requirements/solutions.
Trial of three micro-volunteering events and one pilot two-week working holiday – to reach at least 150 participants.
Scoping out potential mechanisms for an online volunteering hub – proposal developed and costed.
Testing and refinement of ASR Rainforest Management Guidelines, including consultation with landowners and identification of new landowners, to ensure that a cohort of landowners has been identified to take forward implementation of the standards in the delivery phase.
Development of a menu of management activity for capital grants, including criteria, application process, terms and conditions, supported by the findings of the current ACT/ASR FIRNS-funded project – ‘Saving Scotland’s Rainforest with Natural Capital’.
Identification of sites of highest importance for lichen and bryophyte diversity – agree and test survey methodologies.
Development and testing of Rainforest Stewardship Scheme – a recognition scheme for rainforest managers.
Scoping study to explore the needs and options to provide accommodation for key audiences – from spare room schemes to setting up woodland crofts.
Rainforest Futures
Scoping study to assess the need and demand for internships/traineeships as well as training needs/gaps across the three hub areas.
Development of a hierarchy of training options that meets the needs of a range of audiences and skills levels, including community training.
Development and trial of one pilot SRUC accredited training course.
Production of a delivery stage training plan to include costings, delivery mechanisms and resource requirements for all levels of training options.
Development of a pilot project to bring disadvantaged and youth groups to gain experience and help preserve the rainforest – up to 25 people engaged.
Research into public, philanthropic and private finance models that are available to communities and development of training, advice and online-resources to help them access funding.
Scoping study and feasibility report to identify potential community enterprise opportunities (feeding into need for community grants pot).
Scoping and trialling potential community grants pot activities - feasibility report produced and, if appropriate, mechanisms for delivery identified.
Development of a community growing/nursery project to enable local people to grow trees/fresh produce for the local market – project plan produced with financial projections.
Rainforest Connections
Delivery of PR media launch event.
Establishment of links with other rainforest projects throughout the UK (build on the UK Rainforest Forum) to build relationships – at least 4 meetings/webinars held during development phase.
Delivery of a field trip between projects to inform a bigger programme of field trips in the delivery phase – up to 15 partner representatives engaged.
Scoping work to identify opportunities to network specific aspects of rainforest restoration within Scotland’s rainforest zone to increase capacity and support - e.g. tree nurseries, community deer larders etc – initial networks scoped and established.
Scoping and recommendations made for potential for an online repository of information - e.g. costs for rhododendron control etc; lists of contractors, templates, tender specs.
Scoping study to identify appetite and opportunity for an events and speaker programme, to feed into delivery stage activity.
This work will inform the key documents that will be produced by the team for the delivery phase - Activity Plan, Action Plan, Communications Plan, Evaluation Plan, Management and Maintenance Plan.
Timeframes
Estimated timeframes are as follows:
Development stage commences - May 2024
End of development activity – August 2025
Stage 2 (delivery) application submitted – November 2025
Stage 2 (delivery) funding decision – March 2026
Delivery stage commences – May 2026
Project delivery ends – March 2031
Estimated cost
Overall expenditure is likely to be around £8.9 million over seven years (two years of development/five years of delivery), split between:
Development stage £816k (£763k actual costs, £52k in kind) – NLHF grant of £686k (now confirmed)
Delivery stage £8.1 million – potential NLHF grant of £5.98 million. Match funding need - £1.6 million. Volunteer time/in-kind £500k.
Outcomes
As a result of this seven-year programme of activity (2 years of development/5 years of delivery) we anticipate:
Scotland’s rainforest will be better managed and in better condition as agreed rainforest management standards have been disseminated across landowning audiences.
Restoration activity is supported by an upskilled workforce, increased contractor capacity and enhanced volunteering opportunities.
Best practice will have been disseminated across Scotland’s rainforest and with other rainforest areas around the UK.
Awareness of the importance and value of Scotland’s rainforest will have been raised within those local communities, and the actions those communities can take to support rainforest restoration. A wide range of audiences will be inspired to want to live and work in the rainforest.
The local economy will be boosted through the development of new community enterprises.
The development of new landscape-scale initiatives across the rainforest will have been supported, creating a longer-term legacy.
