Scottish Native Woods are an organisation pioneering working with local people to restore native woodlands in Scotland. Scotland’s native woodlands have been reduced from covering about 75%, to around 2% of land area.
These woodlands are a rich wildlife habitat, and support many threatened species, such as red squirrel, black grouse and pearl bordered fritillary butterfly. In all 127 woods involving over 10,000 acres are now being restored by the organisation.
Restore Our Planet have supported their work on Riparian woodlands (those growing alongside rivers, burns and lochs). Their value for nature conservation and landscape are exceptional; most importantly they are often the only native woodands remaining in upland landscapes and therefore the last refuge for regional woodland species. They play a crucial role in helping maintain the health and productivity of lochs and burns; they protect river banks control erosion, capture and recycle mineral nutrients and increase biodiversity