PIONEERING reforestation firm, The Future Forest Company, took home two awards at Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards, in recognition of its efforts to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, restore biodiversity, and fight climate change, through the delivery of its reforestation projects at Dumyat, Stirlingshire and Brodoclea, North Ayrshire.
Dubbed the ‘Tree Oscars’, the awards, held on Friday at The Royal Highland Show in Ingliston, are run by independent charity, Scotland’s Finest Woods and are designed to celebrate the contribution woodlands make to the people of Scotland and to its environment and economic prosperity.
At the ceremony, Jamie Adcock, Senior Forest Manager at The Future Forest Company, accepted this year’s Climate Change Champion award for the company’s landscape scale project on Dumyat, which is estimated to sequester over 80,000 tonnes of carbon over the next one hundred years. The award recognises Scotland’s forests and woodlands that are playing an important role in the mitigation of climate change, adaptation to the changing climate, and the sharing of knowledge and information about climate change.
Over 340k trees made up of 18 species are being planted across 184 hectares at the iconic site, while a range of biodiversity projects are underway including the transformation of ecologically degraded grasslands into wildflower meadows and the creation of new wetland to provide habitat for wetland flowers, insects, and birds.
The project has gained support from local communities through public consultation while securing engagement from local organisations including Stirling University, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Scottish Wildlife Trust and The Menstrie Scout Club.
Jamie said: “This accolade is testament to the vision, planning and execution of the work we are undertaking at Dumyat. We are delighted that this site has been recognised by Scotland’s Finest Woods for our efforts in sharing our knowledge and experience about climate change.
“On-site our team of experts have been actively working with groups of volunteers from the local community and Stirling University student groups, to deliver a range of talks and demonstrations on biodiversity, climate change and reforestation, as we aim to provide an outdoor educational resource for all levels from primary school through to academic research.”
A second award, the Young People’s Award for Farm Woodland, was presented to David Carruth, Site Assistant at The Future Forest Company’s Brodoclea Woodland in North Ayrshire, for his efforts in showing innovation in developing farm woodlands.
Awarded to the very best of Scotland’s farm woodlands that form part of good agricultural practice, David was celebrated for his exemplary use of both woodland and agricultural practice at Brodoclea, proved to benefit both the farming operation while showcasing high quality woodland management with all woodland activities taking place on the site being entirely integrated and supported by farming activity.
Previously used for sheep farming, for the past three years, the 174-hectare site has had a combined use of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, including becoming home to Mangalitza (woolly) pigs, whose unique interaction with the soil supports ecological restoration and biodiversity.
David said: “Our aims for the site include reforestation, biodiversity gain and agroforestry, building a reforestation model that keeps people present on the land while we regenerate it, in order to be both environmentally and socially regenerative.
“We look forward to implementing our plans to further restore more natural processes to the land through regenerative agriculture, monitor and increase biodiversity, and enhance the visitor experience here at Brodoclea.”
Each of the award winners received £1,000 prize money which will be re-invested into community and collaborative group projects on-site.
Full details on the work of the Future Forest Company at both Dumyat and Brodoclea are available to view online at thefutureforestcompany.com/our-forests/
