We traded our screens for green scenes and our keyboards for cranberries and wildflowers, for an in-person team get-together!

Our entire team, including our commercial team, who usually support our mission remotely, met at our Leadloch site for a bit of fresh air and in-field work!

Leadloch is our 155 Ha site in the Central Belt of Scotland. The site consists of degraded peatland, improved grassland, fenland and conifer shelter belts. Our vision is to enhance biodiversity by restoring degraded farmland and landscapes, creating new woodlands, healthy peatland and wildlife-rich habitats.

Exploring the Peatland Restoration Work at Leadloch

As we strolled through the peatlands, our Peatland Project Manager, Matthew Cook highlighted the remarkable restoration work underway. 

Peatlands are overlooked ecosystems, which play a vital role in the fight against climate change. Additionally, peatlands also contribute to several significant ecological services, like flood prevention.

We are carrying out several peatland restoration projects across the UK to improve biodiversity and lock up carbon, you can learn more about them here. 

While exploring this wetland ecosystem, we picked fresh bog cranberries or Northern cranberries, a real treat!

"It was a great opportunity to get the whole team on site and show them around the peatland at Leadloch.  Working remotely has its benefits but it was wonderful to talk face to face. It was great to show colleagues what the restoration planned for this winter will achieve!  Everyone went home knowing a little more about the benefits of peatland restoration."  - Peatland Project Manager, Matthew Cook 

Planting Wildflowers at Leadloch

Lindsay, our Ecologist, guided us around the site and shared more about the wildflower enhancement and restoration work taking place.

Armed with shovels and wildflower seedlings, we rolled up our sleeves, and joined in on the planting efforts! 

Together with volunteers, our dedicated forestry team have planted an incredible 10,000 wildflowers over the past few weeks! These wildflower plants were expertly grown by Craignish Nursery, from Scottish seed supplied by Scotia Seeds.

Wildflower meadows are a lifeline for vital pollinator insects, like bees. We aim to create and restore wildflower meadows using only native wildflower seeds, without using peat.

"With over 2500 wildflower plug plants to plant in our new Leadloch meadow, our team gathered armed with trowels and enthusiasm, allowing us to finish the job started by our expert contractors! We were surprised by a torrential rain shower, but it did not dampen the mood of our budding gardeners who got down and dirty to complete the job!" - Ecologist, Lindsay Mackinlay

Creating and Safeguarding the Forests of Tomorrow

The unity of our team, hands in the dirt, planting side by side, was symbolic of our collective goal: to create a future in which nature thrives alongside people. 

The day at Leadloch was more than a team-building exercise; it was a reaffirmation of our values and a tangible stride towards achieving our mission! 

You can join our mission today and help us create and safeguard the forests of tomorrow for future generations.