THOUSANDS of trees have been planted on a Scottish nature reserve to create and expand important habitats.
More than 15,000 trees have been planted at Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve (NNR) in a bid to restore and expand crucial habitats, supporting local wildlife and enhancing biodiversity.
Since 2020, NatureScot staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly each year to plant around 3000 native trees and hedgerow plants.
Their efforts focus on linking the reserve's existing pockets of upland oak woodland in the old In-Bye area, providing a vital ecological corridor for wildlife.
The planting efforts are just one part of a broader restoration initiative, which also includes blocking and creating a variety of ditches to help retain water and encourage a wider range of species. The aim is to re-establish a natural and thriving environment that supports both plant and animal life.
Suzanne McIntyre, NatureScot’s nature reserve manager for south Scotland, said: “The In-Bye is one of the most accessible parts of the reserve for visitors, and our team have really been focussing efforts on improving biodiversity here over the past few years, with help from the Fleet Valley Volunteer Group.
“We’ve been planting in a naturalistic low-density pattern to allow room to develop a varied undergrowth. We’ve planted a range of species such as oak, hazel, rowan, holly, hawthorn and birch which help with soil formation and provide shelter but not too much shade.
“We haven’t needed to plant up the ponds, which have colonised rapidly naturally. We have been delighted to find a whole range of species using the new ponds already, from common frogs and toads, to newts, great diving beetles, mayflies, damselflies and dragonflies.
“We hope that in years to come visitors will be able to enjoy thriving woodland and wetland habitats in this area, supporting a much wider range of plants and animals.”
Cairnsmore of Fleet is predominantly a blanket bog or peatland. Historically, it has suffered damage such as drainage ditches, as well as from the impact of climate change with increased rainfall speeding up the erosion of existing gullies.
Restoration work is in progress and aims at halting this water loss, including using the peat itself to create dams across the drains and ditches, slowing the flow off the bog and raising the water table across a wide area.
