Saturday 15 th June was a milestone for the Glaisters Bridge Community Woodland Site, near Corsock. New paths have been cut enabling access around the site and 250 trees were planted by a band of volunteers. These were the first steps in the creation of a local landmark, with ambitions for signs, seating, wildlife scrapes and a wide range of public and biodiversity benefits.
The Glaisters Bridge Community Site is part of an innovative partnership between Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company (FSFC) and Upper Urr Environment Trust (UUET), with the land leased to the local community.
A groundbreaking 20-year lease between FSFC and UUET has been signed, giving the local community the chance to influence activity on the site. All work on the site is being funded thanks to support from a variety of sources, including a generous contribution from FSFC, EJD Forestry, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Glenkens & District Trust.
On Saturday 15 th June, approximately 15 people met on the site to plant the first 250 trees – a mixture of Oak, Birch Hazel and Alder. Earlier in the week new pathways had been cut around the site by Brian Pringle Services, a local firm, with the paths already receiving use. The Trees will be closely monitored for watering requirements after planting.
Robert Guest, Managing Director, Foresight Sustainable Forestry, commented:
“We are delighted with the progress made at the Glaisters Bridge Community Site. This firstround planting of 250 native broadleaf trees and completion of pathways is a real milestone for the project, improving accessibility and laying the groundwork to enhance biodiversity overall whilst delivering a publicly accessible recreation and educational site. We are excited to see the next stage of work beginning on this project and hope to see more schemes like this one appear at forestry projects across Scotland and the rest of the UK, providing a template for sustainable timber production to operate alongside local communities and environmental charities for the benefit of all.”
McNabb Laurie, from Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, and a Trustee of Upper Urr
Environment Trust, said:
“We are so grateful to everyone that attended on Saturday and all of this is only possible thanks to the support from landowners FSFC and partners EJD Forestry. It was great to build on what has been two years of discussion with the first tangible signs of activity – the new paths are fantastic, and the first of the trees are now in place.
This 20-year lease is thought to be the first of its kind, giving the local community a real partnership role on the site.”
Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands is a new initiative seeking to support trees, habitats and the people that depend upon them across the region. Partners include Borders Forest Trust, Woodland Trust Scotland, Dumfries & Galloway Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. For more information about Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, follow the facebook or twitter pages, visit the website www.dgwoodlands.org.uk or sign up for the newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/iAlL6k. Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands is registered in Scotland as a SCIO, number 052525.
The Upper Urr Environmental Trust is itself also registered as a SCIO (051592), with a focus on the Upper Urr catchment. More information: https://www.uuet.co.uk/.
