Rewilding campaign backed by Leonardo DiCaprio raises £200,000

A campaign for Scotland to become the first Rewilding Nation in the world which was backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio raised £200,000 in just six days. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, a coalition of more than 20 organisations, is calling on the Scottish Government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of the country. Alliance member…

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Return of the lynx discussed in parliament

REINTRODUCING lynx to Scotland is being discussed at the Scottish Parliament today. Ariane Burgess, a Green MSP for the Highlands and islands, has sponsored a reception that was organised by conservation charities Scotland: The Big Picture, Trees for Life, and The Lifescape Project. Today’s reception follows a debate last Thursday, during which a motion by…

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Loch Ness hosts world’s first rewilding centre

DUNDREGGAN, the world’s first rewilding centre, opens tomorrow at Glenmoriston near Loch Ness. The site will act as a visitors’ centre for the 10,000-acre Dundreggan estate, where conservation charity Trees for Life is restoring the Caledonian forest to help wildlife. The centre includes a café, a space for events, and 40 bedrooms. Steve Micklewright, Trees…

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Scots want ‘wilder’ national parks

A MAJORITY of Scots want our national parks to be “wilder”, according to a survey by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. An opinion poll conducted by market research agency Survation found that 74% of Scots agreed with a call to make national parks wilder, while 6% were opposed to the idea. In February, NatureScot – the…

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Beavers could return to Glen Affric

BEAVERS could soon return to Glen Affric in the Highlands as early as this autumn. Conservation charity Trees for Life is applying to NatureScot – the Scottish Government agency known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage – for a licence to reintroduce the creatures to the glen. The application is supported by four landowners and Forestry…

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Scotland’s ‘ice age’ pinewoods on knife-edge

THE remnants of the Caledonian pinewoods could be wiped out within a generation, according to a study unveiled today. Four years of analysis by conservation charity Trees for Life – the first major research into Caley pines for more than 60 years – found that “high deer numbers, spread of non-native conifers, lack of long-term…

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Beavers bid by Glen Affric

LANDOWNERS in Glen Affric hope to reintroduce beavers to the Highlands. Four estates and government agency Forestry & Land Scotland have launched a joint consultation on the plans, coordinated by conservation charity Trees for Life. Beavers are already found at the Aigas field centre near Beauly and at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig. Reintroducing…

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