Caledonian Forest group sets million trees goal

A MILLION trees are to be planted by a conservation charity aiming to restore an ancient Scottish forest.

A MILLION trees are to be planted by a conservation charity aiming to restore an ancient Scottish forest.

Trees for Life says its Million More Trees campaign is a response to environmental problems, including deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss.

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The trees will be planted in the ancient Caledonian Forest, which once covered the Highlands, but now only 1 per cent of it remains.

The charity said the million-trees goal will see its restoration work double.

It is hoped the campaign will benefit the country’s economy by boosting wildlife tourism.

Trees for Life said a report published this month by Tourism Intelligence Scotland estimated that one million visits are made to Scotland every year to view wildlife.

Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s executive director, said: “Establishing a million new native trees in the next five years represents a significant scaling up of our work.

“We have set ourselves this challenge as a response to the threats posed by environmental degradation globally and human-induced climate change.

“The Highlands in particular, with a lot of empty land and a low population density, is a perfect region for tree planting.

“With wildlife tourism already generating an estimated £276 million a year for the Scottish economy, it’s clear that restoring the Caledonian Forest and its unique wildlife to an inspiring wilderness region of 1,000 square miles could have significant economic as well as environmental benefits.”

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