As we celebrate Scotland’s Climate Week, we’re excited to highlight the incredible contributions of one of our community partners, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) in supporting nature restoration at our Dumyat site in Scotland. 

At The Future Forest Company, it's imperative to us that our restoration work benefits local communities and that communities can enjoy access to our sites. It's always incredibly rewarding to collaborate with passionate groups like the Conservation Volunteers who are playing an important role in helping to restore nature while helping connect people to take local action to restore nature and drive climate action.

Who Are The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)

The Conservation Volunteers are an organisation dedicated to connecting people with green spaces to deliver lasting outcomes for both communities and the environment. Their mission is to bring people together to create, improve, and care for green spaces that form a vital part of healthier, happier communities. With projects spanning from local parks to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, TCV empowers people to protect the natural world while improving their own mental and physical health through various local environmental projects.

 

Making a Difference in Scotland

Over the past few years, The Conservation Volunteers have played an invaluable role in supporting various nature restoration efforts, helping to safeguard vital habitats and restore and protect biodiversity.

TCV have collaborated on a range of projects with our team from wildflower planting, surveying and site maintenance to hay cutting and monitoring trail cameras.

A few of our favourite projects have included:

h

Wildflower Planting for Pollinators:

Together with The Conservation Volunteers and other local community organisations, we planted over 12,000 native wildflowers across our sites last Autumn. These wildflower meadows are a lifeline for vital pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and other insects.

Species like Meadowsweet, Cuckooflower, Ragged Robin, and Wild Angelica now flourish, providing essential food sources for pollinators across our sites!

These meadows not only bring colour and life to the landscape but also serve as crucial habitats that support the overall health of our ecosystems. Wildflower meadows help improve soil health, increase resilience to climate impacts, and support a diverse range of wildlife.

Helping Rare Species Thrive

Earlier this year, at our Dumyat site in Stirling, The Conservation Volunteers assisted with the removal of invasive scrub and gorse that threatens to overshadow and degrade sensitive habitats.

Dumyat is home to the Common Rockrose, a plant that is vital to the survival of the rare Northern Brown Argus butterfly, which is threatened by the encroachment of these invasive plants.

Clearing these areas, especially on steep slopes is no small feat but this important work allows the Common Rockrose to thrive!

This has had a direct impact on the butterfly population, with evidence of Northern Brown Argus breeding recorded on our site for the first time in over 100 years. The work done by TCV is not only helping conserve rare species but also restoring the balance of the native ecosystem.

Dumyat is also home to one of the UK’s rarest plants, the Sticky Catchfly. TCV volunteers have been helping us support this species by managing its habitat and ensuring it has the right conditions to flourish. The plant is crucial to maintaining local biodiversity, and through careful management such as scrub removal, this rare species can continue to grow and thrive.

 

Habitat Surveys and Monitoring

Some TCVs also assist our Ecologists in carrying out regular biodiversity surveys to monitor the health and progress of the ecosystems we’re restoring. These surveys focus on plant species diversity, habitat conditions, and the presence of key indicator species.

Environmental Education

Our team are always thrilled to share their knowledge with passionate conservationists! Our Head of Ecology, Lindsay Mackinlay, also leads plant identification and habitat surveying courses That TCV host through Eventbrite. These are available for the public including TCV volunteers to sign up for and are a great way to gain hands-on experience. This kind of monitoring is critical in ensuring that our restoration efforts are effective and sustainable over time.

 

 

What Inspires TCV to Contribute to Nature Restoration and Fight the Climate Crisis?

 

"Volunteering is, and has always been, at the heart of TCV’s work and their goals can only be achieved through the engagement, commitment and expertise of their volunteers. Social, outdoor, physical volunteering in nature benefits the health, wellbeing, learning and skills of individuals, while improving the cohesion and resilience of communities and tackling the growing climate and ecological crises. By supporting different community groups in local areas TCV helps to bring like-minded people together to make a bigger impact on issues that matter to them."  - Clare Johnstone, TCV

 

How Have These Projects Encouraged Climate Action?

 

"A great example is how TCV has helped support a number of community groups to develop habitats for the rare Northern Brown Argus butterfly while also sharing the good news that others are also doing this. What started out a strong hold of butterfly population in Alva Glen has been able to expand to The Future Forest Company's Dumyat site thanks to the addition of the Common Rock rose in this area. 

Alva Glen Heritage Trust has also been encouraged by the news of the spread of the butterfly out of Alva Glen and local communities including schools and other volunteering groups now understand how they can take part in something to improve biodiversity locally that is of national importance. Reminding everyone that what conservationists do, does make a difference."  - Clare Johnstone, TCV

n

The Power of Everyday Action

 

Climate action is often thought of as monumental changes, but as we reflect on the theme of this year's Scotland Climate Week, "Stories for Change", often it's consistent, everyday actions that collectively have the greatest impact.

The Conservation Volunteers' commitment to restoring nature and fighting for a better future for all aligns strongly with our mission at The Future Forest Company and we're so grateful to be able to collaborate to help nature thrive!

If you feel inspired by the work TCV is doing and want to follow their lead, you can get involved by joining them! Whether through volunteering your time or fundraising, there are countless ways to take action! Checkout their website to see how you can help locally.