Voices from the rainforest
We asked people to tell us what they thought about Scotland’s rainforest and the work of the ASR. Here’s what they said…
Gus Routledge
“Last year, stood by a waterfall getting totally drenched by a downpour, looking out over one of Scotland’s most westerly native Scots pine forests as more veils of rain came up the sea loch from the west, a huge smile came over me. I was reminded I was working, actually being paid, to be part of the process of saving and restoring some of the most incredible, enchanting, fantastically awe-inspiring forests the world has to offer. Just to play a small part in this amazing, wet, lush, green system is an absolute honour.”
“Being part of the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest has been really beneficial for our project, particularly the opportunities to meet and hear from other individuals and organisations and share learning experiences. It has helped give a sense that what we are doing locally is connected to nature restoration on a much wider regional scale, across Scotland’s rainforest. I feel there has been a major upshift in effort, focus and delivery of rainforest restoration in the last five years. This is evident from the creation of the Scottish Government’s rainforest report, and also on the ground. What gives us hope for the future is that we have shown that there is massive potential for regeneration and our vision is that these woods will once more be thriving and alive with nature.”
Alasdair Firth
“I’ve been working in the woods of the Morvern peninsula for the last 15 years, These are some of Scotland’s last remnants of old growth temperate rainforest. Conservation efforts are now proving successful in expanding native woodland locally, but rapid change, particularly from non-native invasive species destroys the habitat that many rainforest specialists depend on. We need to move fast to clear rhododendron from the best rainforest areas, so the plants and animals in them can thrive and spread to new areas. It takes dedication, planning, and hard work. Really, there is nothing other than a few hundred words on a website, a boatload of sharpened mattocks and a supply of Tunnock’s tea cakes preventing us from changing the narrative of decline – so let’s get on with it!”
“I’ve been volunteering for the woodland trust for 4 years now, everything from maintenance and rehabilitation to education and photography. It amazes me how little some folk know about the temperate rainforest, even when they live right next to it. Of course the more time I spend in the woods the more I see, the more I fall in love with it and all its wondrous inhabitants. It’s so important to share with others how important these woods are, not just for nature but for our own well being. And it just feels great to know I’m part of the wider rainforest team working to protect this rare & vulnerable habitat.”
Anthony Glover and Amanda Matthews
“We are relatively new landowners having bought 130 acres of woodland when we moved to the Appin area in 2020. Our woodland has all been conifer plantation in the past and has been felled at various times over the last 30 years and either re-planted or left to regenerate naturally. Full regeneration will be a project well beyond our lifetime but we are keen to do what we can over the coming decades. Some areas are already rich in rainforest species and we are keen to see this extend to the whole woodland in due course. Two major challenges are deer pressure and invasive species, especially Rhododendron ponticum. It is great that we have local community level projects on both of these which have the potential for much greater impact compared to each landowner working independently.”
“My two exhibitions in Kilmartin Glen linked modern day social and political issues with prehistoric archaeology, the climate crisis and Scotland’s rainforest. They responded to the past and connected us to current issues and future actions. People were invited to reflect on an oak tree, contemplating lifespans so much greater than their own. After the exhibition closed, two oak circles were planted nearby, a collaborative action of gathering and intentional ceremony which created living monuments.”
John MacPherson
“The rainforests along Scotland’s moist Atlantic coast certainly dominate. You can’t help but be impressed by them: by their lushness, vibrancy and the myriad species they sustain. I know I’m impressed, having been born and grown up amidst them. And I’m fortunate enough to be able to work amongst them too from time to time, photographing their riches to share with others. ASR’s work to maintain and enhance this amazing natural and National treasure is vital. By engaging visitors and communities and empowering and educating them to act as custodians, successive generations may enjoy these special places and the many benefits they bring. Rainforests? Long may they reign!”
