Six weeks in Strathfarrar

With winter edging away and spring now coming towards us in full force, the last six weeks have kicked off what will hopefully be a successful year. It’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of the cold weather yet, but as the days get longer, our Highland habitat becomes more hospitable and work can really get underway!

February started off snowy, in fact, so snowy that our first days out had to be postponed! Once we did get out though, great progress was made. A good relationship has been formed with Culligran Estate and as a result a second smaller exclosure was fenced at Strathfarrar. The landowner seems pleased and interested to be working with us, not least because of all the fascinating focalisers and volunteers he’s met!

Strathfarrar is a stunningly beautiful glen. Our tree planting here will help to link existing areas of woodland.

 

The first Conservation Days of the year proved fruitful with the planting of Scots pine within the newly fenced exclosure, removal of old fencing and aspen root collection in Strathglass for propagation in our tree nursery at Dundreggan. Our local volunteer programme goes from strength to strength, with a regular core of experienced folk coming out. Last year we ran 44 days, a total resource of 379 volunteer days. This year should be no exception, with seven new volunteers on the first day, including Liam, our first 17 year-old!

Inside our newly fenced exclosure at Strathfarrar.

​
On the final day of February, we continued with aspen root collection in Strathfarrar. The glen is particularly rich for aspen stands, and while there were some snow showers threatening to interrupt a productive day, the sun shone through and progress was made.

More recently we’ve had days out collecting roots in Glen Cannich, with blue skies and spring-like conditions allowing a picnic by the river; and around the dramatic gorge of the Corrimony Falls when winter returned on the final day of March with snowy blizzards keeping us on our toes.

An aspen root that we collected from Glen Cannich, for propagation in our tree nursery. 

 

My focus over the next few weeks will be on site surveys and drawing up plans for forthcoming larger scale planting projects at several sites in Glen Affric and at Corrimony. I will also be investigating possibilities for tree planting in some new areas, to do all we can to meet our Million More Trees planting target!