Wild Strathfillan received a £1.1m boost from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Countryside Trust is working with more than 30 land managers, local communities, non-governmental organisations, and statutory bodies as part of the initiative.
Long-term, the work of Wild Strathfillan aims to help increase resilience to climate change across the landscape and its communities.
Strathfillan is seen as a particularly important place for nature restoration because of its unique and diverse range of habitats, which include Atlantic rainforest, montane scrub and the most southerly remaining Caledonian pinewoods.
Volunteers have already given 480 hours of their time to the project collecting, processing and planting native tree seeds from local woodlands like here at Glenfalloch Pinewoods SSSI
Its geographic location also means this landscape is a vital strategic piece in a much wider network of nature restoration initiatives across the Central Scotland landscape.
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Countryside Trust’s project development manager for nature restoration, Ellie Mayhew said: “This funding will help kickstart nature across the landscape of the Wild Strathfillan area, with activities spanning a huge range of habitats, which gave rise to the project’s name: ‘From lochside to mountain-top’.
“We are delighted to have in place a dedicated team to drive this project along with our delivery partners to deliver a suite of practical conservation projects ranging from wetland and montane habitat restoration to trialling ‘conservation grazing’ using GPS cattle collars with local land managers.
“This is just the beginning of our restoration plans for Wild Strathfillan, and thanks to the enthusiasm of local land managers and groups we have a long list of projects which we would like to take forward.”
Rarer plants are being propagated at the plant nursery, including-montane-willows. The project will set up a second plant nursery to focus on smaller plants as well as native trees
Wild Strathfillan aims to deliver nature restoration work alongside traditional rural industries that underpin the local economy and employ local people – for example, farming, forestry, and deer stalking.
Despite being representative of much of Scotland, there is limited evidence for nature restoration at this scale in this type of landscape.
Thanks to the funding, the delivery team have appointed new staff and are supporting additional capacity in partner organisations.
NatureScot head of biodiversity Katherine Leys said: “It’s fantastic to see this ambitious nature recovery project getting underway with support from the Nature Restoration Fund.
“This is one of many NRF-funded projects that are putting Scotland’s precious habitats and species back on the road to recovery, while tackling the nature and climate emergencies.”
Simon Jones, director of environment and visitor services at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “Nature underpins just about every aspect of human life through the benefits and services it provides, including our food, water, health and economic wealth.
“So halting the ongoing decline and then reversing the loss of nature is not just beneficial for wildlife, it is in all of our interest.
“Wild Strathfillan is an excellent example of the landscape-scale nature restoration projects we need to see supported to secure a healthy, sustainable national park for future generations.
“I am hugely encouraged to see this funding commitment confirmed and excited to see what it will allow the Countryside Trust, the founding partners including the national park authority, alongside local land managers and communities, to deliver.
“I would also like to thank National Park staff and volunteers, who have given more than 480 hours of their time to support a specialist plant nursery as part of this project. They have already collected and planted 35,000 native tree seeds which will eventually be planted out across the Strathfillan landscape, expanding native woodlands and creating wildlife corridors.”
Wild Strathfillan has also been awarded funding of £250,000 by the National Heritage Lottery Fund for a community-focused and skills development project, celebrating the heritage of this fantastic area.
By working with local groups and across all generations, the initiative aims to enable local communities to develop and share their skills and stories, connecting people with each other and to their cultural and natural heritage.
