The Southern Uplands of Scotland, along with most of upland Britain, have been denuded of their natural vegetation by a millennium or more of grazing by domestic sheep, goats and cattle, as well as fire and felling. In 1993 a group of local people had the idea of acquiring an entire catchment in order to restore the native woodland and moorland ecosystem. They located Carrifran, an outstanding 650 ha site in Dumfriesshire with an altitudinal range of 160 to 820 m. The group raised £400,000 (80% from private individuals) enabling Borders Forest Trust (BFT) to purchase the valley in 2000 without use of public money.
A key feature of the project is its grass-roots base. It has been conceived, planned and brought to fruition largely by dedicated volunteers from diverse backgrounds, with free assistance from ecologists, foresters and other specialists. Management decisions are taken by the Wildwood Group, a volunteer element within BFT. However, a part-time professional project officer has managed grant-aided contracts for fencing, tree planting and deer control, as well as supporting volunteers on site. Trees are funded by a benefactor and donations from private individuals play a fundamental role.
Over 13 years >500,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted, nearly one fifth of them by volunteers, who have also collected all the seeds. About 300 ha of deciduous forest, interspersed with open grassland and moorland habitats, are now established in the main glen and in a hanging valley between 600 and 750 m. In the latter, the aim is to restore treeline woodland and scrub, habitats largely lost from Britain, in which juniper and montane willows are well represented.
The diversity of life at Carrifran is increasing through natural colonisation by mobile animals, plants and fungi, while translocation of missing woodland herbs is commencing. Large predators are absent, so culling of deer is needed, along with maintenance of a perimeter stock fence, but other human intervention is declining as the ecosystem matures.
The instigators of the Wildwood intended the project to be exemplary, demonstrating the power of individuals, harnessing public support, to enhance their local environment. Carrifran already offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a place where nature is re-asserting control.
Mission Statement of the Wildwood Group
The Wildwood project aims to re-create, in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, an extensive tract of mainly forested wilderness with most of the rich diversity of native species present in the area before human activities became dominant. The woodland will not be exploited commercially and the impact of humans will be carefully managed. Access will be open to all, and it is hoped that the Wildwood will be used throughout the next millennium as an inspiration and an educational resource.
