Trees for Life (Scotland)

Trees for Life is a registered charity working to rewild the Scottish Highlands.

The Caledonian Forest once covered a large area of the Highlands of Scotland as extensive stands of majestic Scots pine, interspersed with birch, rowan, juniper and aspen trees, but is now reduced to about 2% of its former extent. Through planting native species of trees, removing non-native species and fencing seedlings to protect them from overgrazing by deer and sheep, Trees for Life aims to help the natural regeneration of the forest. Its long-term goal is to create a fully restored, healthy ecosystem, with the reintroduction of missing species of wildlife, such as the beaver, red squirrel, and lynx.

Trees for Life work across the following key areas:

• Supporting landscape restoration.
• Reintroducing and protecting native animals.
• Helping to connect communities and people with nature.
• Enabling rewilding at scale through advocacy and partnership work.^[2]

Volunteers have helped to support Trees for Life’s work by growing and planting trees, and monitoring wildlife through their volunteering programmes. By engaging people from diverse backgrounds, Trees for Life aims to achieve a powerful and educational experience that will promote the work of nature restoration to wider audiences and lead to increased support for the return of the forest and its species.

Trees for Life value collaboration, and are engaging with communities, landowners, and businesses to ensure that people thrive alongside the expanding wild forest. Nature restoration helps to combat the challenges of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis as nature-rich landscapes are more diverse and resilient, and help to store carbon, and reduce flooding and erosion.