Category: Press Release

Pictured:Trees for Life’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Micklewright (left) and Paul Thomas, Superdry’s Energy and Environment Manager, with native tree saplings at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate

Trees for Life’s work to save Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest and its rare wildlife has been given a welcome boost thanks to a £12,500 donation from fashion brand and retailer Superdry.

The donation was raised through sales of carrier bags from the company’s stores across Scotland, with its staff members voting for the funds to benefit award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life. Superdry’s Energy and Environment Manager Paul Thomas recently spent a day at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate in Glenmoriston near Loch Ness, to present the donation and to see some of the practical conservation action being carried out there – including the charity’s tree nursery where 60,000 native trees are grown each year. 

Paul said: “We are really proud to be supporting Trees for Life’s restoration of the Caledonian Forest, one of the country’s most iconic but endangered habitats. A healthy environment benefits everyone, and it’s inspiring to support this project which is bringing new life to the wild landscapes of the Highlands.”

“We are really proud to be supporting Trees for Life’s restoration of the Caledonian Forest, one of the country’s most iconic but endangered habitats. A healthy environment benefits everyone, and it’s inspiring to support this project which is bringing new life to the wild landscapes of the Highlands.”

Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Initiatives like this make a real difference, with every £5 allowing us to plant a tree and every £50 enabling us to restore 50 square metres of native woodland. So this donation from Superdry is very good news for Scotland’s equivalent of a rainforest, and it will generate long-lasting benefits for woodlands, wildlife and people.”

Scotland’s 5p charge on carrier bags in stores aims to reduce plastic bag use. Superdry has gone one step further for the environment by ensuring that its bags are made of easily biodegradable paper rather than plastic.

Today only a fraction of the former Caledonian Forest survives, but Trees for Life has planted more than one million trees at dozens of locations, and has created 10,000 acres of new forest. It has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018. 

People can support Trees for Life by becoming members and by funding dedicated trees and groves. Volunteers carry out almost all of the charity’s practical conservation work, including through Conservation Weeks in beautiful locations. Superdry is a contemporary brand focusing on high-quality products that fuse vintage Americana and Japanese-inspired graphics with a British style. It has gained an international celebrity following, and has a growing worldwide presence, operating through 515 Superdry branded locations in 46 countries. Superdry prides itself on great customer service and a hassle-free returns policy.