We watched Sir David Attenborough’s call to action from the Glasgow #COP26 conference for climate change.  He is an inspiration. He was the catalyst for us to ask ourselves…

• What proactive part will we play in preventing the decline of the stable environment that we need to survive?

• What will we start doing that makes a difference?

Sir David talked about the climate challenge “coming down to a single number – the concentration of carbon in our atmosphere”.  It’s the measure that determines global temperature.  It is currently 414ppm.  To prevent more than a 1.5°C rise in global temperature we need to reduce carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and re-capture billions of tons of carbon from the air. He said “Nature is a key ally.  Wherever we restore the wild it will recapture carbon and help us bring back the balance to our planet.”

We’re partnering with The Future Forest Company who plant native trees in Scotland, home to one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe.  Much of Scotland used to be covered in trees but the Caledonian forest has been reduced to a tiny percentage of its former self, in part due to human interference and the grazing effect of sheep and deer.  Scotland now has just 18% tree coverage compared to a European average of 37%, and only 4% of that is native species.

By planting trees, not only is carbon captured, flooding is also reduced through the absorption of water and the anchoring of top soil.  Native tree species create the best environment for the survival of local wildlife; such as the red squirrel, capercaillie, black grouse, otters, osprey, golden eagle and the Scottish crossbill. Finally, forest habitats offer food, shelter and shade for a vast array of wildlife and plants and the greater the forested area the more freedom to roam wildlife has.