Grants on offer to help plant trees across Dumfries and Galloway

Farmers, landowners and community groups could plant around 15,000 landscape trees across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders with funding help.

The South of Scotland Tree Planting project has just announced a new round of funding, with £120,000 available over the next 12 months.

Individual grants of up to £1,000 are now available through the initiative, which is supported by Woodland Trust Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Borders Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Forestry and private donations.

This year the project team are particularly encouraging applications for the planting of riverbank trees in the region.

The South of Scotland Tree-Planting project is administered by the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, Tweed Forum and Borders Forest Trust and since the scheme launched in April 2021, more than 34,000 individual trees have been planted.

As a result, the South of Scotland now has 25 new orchards, 120 small copses and 20 new parkland tree sites, as well as numerous riverbank, field margin and fence-line trees.

A dozen neglected small woodlands have also been restored – all enhancing the local landscape, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, capture carbon, shade rivers and help to reduce soil erosion.

Derek Robeson, conservation manager with Tweed Forum, said: “Trees are hugely important for the local environment, increasing soil and water quality, creating vital wildlife habitat, capturing carbon and improving the landscape for local people to enjoy. This year, we’re particularly keen to receive applications for riverside planting along the banks of the many streams and rivers that we are lucky enough to have across the South of Scotland.

“Planted in the right place and at the right scale, they offer multiple benefits including landscape enhancement, flood prevention and biodiversity improvement. We hope that farmers and communities will apply for grants from this latest round of funding so we can all work together to enhance the environment across the region.”

Jonathan Barrett of the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership, added: “The South of Scotland Tree Planting grant scheme has provided a huge boost to tree planting at community level across the South of Scotland.

“Small grants for individual riparian landowners have been particularly successful and will start to make a real impact on the quality of watercourses and the health of the region’s rivers in the future.”

To apply contact the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership on 07469 571806, Tweed Forum on 01896 849723 or Borders Forest Trust on 07399 275973.