The Woodland Trust Scotland today announced the launch of a 3 year project which aims to conserve and enhance over 230 hectares of urban green space, comprising 16 woods in West Lothian. The project will make the woods more welcoming and encourage local people to get out and enjoy woodland.
The Woodland Trust Scotland, is part of the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, and owns 16 woods in West Lothian. Since acquiring them in 1996 the Trust has managed the woods to conserve and enhance their biodiversity and safeguard their landscape value. Now, 10 years on, the Woodland Trust’s vision for the future is to raise awareness of the woods and provide more opportunities for local people to get out and enjoy them for the health and recreational benefits which they provide.
Thanks to funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Executive and Forward Scotland through the Community Environmental Renewal Scheme and West Lothian Council the Trust aims to:
- Involve local schools in developing a Woodland Learning Programme to inspire and educate children about woodland;
- Enable local children to create a new native woodland;
- Encourage local communities to use local woods for recreation and learning;
- Improve public information about accessible urban green space and woodland;
- Assess and improve public access;
- Conserve and enhance woodland to improve biodiversity
There is strong local support for the project which will build on the links the Trust has already established with the local community in West Lothian to bring about greater understanding and involvement in their local natural heritage. The project will be delivered in partnership with West Lothian Council, the Put Your West Foot Forward programme and the West Lothian Ranger Service.
James Gilmour Woodland Officer for the area said “This is an exciting project offering a prime opportunity to reconnect the people of West Lothian with nature and their natural heritage, providing safe public access to enable them to enjoy their local woods. By involving school children we hope to inspire a whole new generation to become the future guardians of their local environment.”
The project forms part of the Woodland Trust’s Tree For All campaign which is the largest children’s tree planting initiative Scotland has ever seen. The campaign’s vision is that every child should have the chance to plant trees. It aims to inspire in children a love of nature and a determination to act on its behalf.
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Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact: Jacqui Morris on 01355 578777, mobile 07979 706675, email jacquimorris@woodland-trust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).
In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 80 sites across Scotland covering 8,100 hectares. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk
