Tuesday, 28 November 2017
Photo: Prayer of The Woods by Charles Dawley (Creative Commons) Walking through the forests and national parks of North America, at some point you are bound to come across a version of the ‘Prayer of the Woods’. Usually carved on a plaque at the entrance to a forest trail, the ‘prayer’ takes the form of a short poem presented as an anonymous work. While its most common title is ‘Praye...
Monday, 27 November 2017
The Tree Council’s nation-wide celebration of National Tree Week (25 Nov- 3 Dec) is fast approaching. At the start of November, the Council and dozens of partner organisations and charities got together to create The Tree Charter, or to give it its full title, The Charter for Woods, Trees and People. A mini-manifesto of sorts, the Charter is intended to help communities, individuals and trees ...
Friday, 24 November 2017
Interested in learning forestry skills such as tree planting, felling and organising community recreation events? Forest Enterprise Scotland is looking for eight new Modern Apprentices to begin a career in forestry. Based in the south of Scotland, the successful apprentices will receive on the job experience and training with a Forest Enterprise Scotland team, backed with further skills provided ...
Wednesday, 08 November 2017
The Skye community are the first to acquire land under the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS). CATS was set up to implement the new rights for communities under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to purchase, lease or use National Forest Estate land if it provides benefits to the local community. Minginish Community Hall Association (MCHA) have purchased 12.3ha at the Fairy Pools C...
Tuesday, 07 November 2017
A Tay Raptor Study Group member has made the exciting discovery of a Hen Harrier’s nest on the National Forest Estate in Highland Perthshire. Tay Forest District’s environment team was delighted with the find and helped to coordinate the protection and monitoring of these raptors with the ringing and satellite tagging of the chicks when they hatched.
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
The Large Pine Beetle (Hylobius abietis) is the most significant pest in Scottish forestry, feeding on the stems of young trees on restock sites, often causing serious damage or death of the tree. Populations of Hylobius are large enough in some areas of Scotland to devastate a high proportion of a restock site. The management of Hylobius is a key thread running through the new Forest Enter...
Monday, 18 September 2017
One of our most challenging projects is the felling of nearly 100 year old trees on steep slopes high above the A82 between Glencoe and Inverness. The operations will help to improve the resilience of the A82 against unplanned road closures as a result of extreme weather or storm events.
Friday, 15 September 2017
We have a rich heritage of capturing the landscape in verse. From antiquity to the present, it’s been the sparking flint to a poet’s imagination. It fuels the pens that capture our fascination and communion with natural world. Whether you're stuck inside, or want inspiration for your next trip, cinematic nature poetry can bring the outside to you. Read on to discover ...
Thursday, 24 August 2017
John Muir was more than an explorer; the Scottish-American was a writer, inventor, botanist, shepherd, geologist and mountaineer, and more. He inspired the creation of national parks, had walking trails named in his honour, has been featured on two US commemorative postage stamps and is celebrated each year on 21 April. Credited for spearheading the conservation movement, Muir insp...
Monday, 21 August 2017
There’s no denying that autumn in Scotland is glorious. There's a nip in the air, the return of pumpkin spice, and the leaves start their spectacular show. To help you make the most of this special season, we've put together a list of some of our favourite budget-friendly things to do. Find out why we think autumn in the forest is so magical. 1. Colour chemistry explained Scotland has some of...
Wednesday, 16 August 2017
There’s plenty to see outdoors, especially in a country as glorious as Scotland. Summer is the perfect time to take on a challenge with the longer days and (mostly) good weather. Why not explore the lay of the land and burn some calories summiting some of Scotland’s best hills and mountains? From short steep hikes to longer winding roads, there’s plenty to choose from no matter where you li...
Thursday, 27 July 2017
A rare moss has been found in several new sites on the National Forest Estate. Buxbaumia viridis, or Green Shield-moss, is a nationally scarce moss and rated as endangered. The moss differs to almost every other moss in that its leaves are not visible – only the distinct bright green fruiting body can be seen over winter, from November until April. It prefers logs where there ar...
Thursday, 20 July 2017
To celebrate the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, we asked our archaeologist ‘Travelling’ Matt to send us postcards from his fieldwork around the country. Over the year, Matt has promised to send us a postcard from some of the amazing places he finds himself in, describing the archaeology and talking to the Forestry Rangers who care for it. Last time Matt was exploring the WWII arc...
Monday, 10 July 2017
Nowadays it feels like we never have a minute to stop and just relax. We’re so busy that there’s always something going on; whether it’s work, family, emotional, or other aspects of our lives. It can feel like there are always things to do or to worry about. Being active and getting outdoors regularly is a great way to keep healthy and fit physically. It can also play an important rol...