UK Nature and Environment

Woodland Trust Scotland advocates for the protection of Scotland’s precious native trees and ancient woodlands. But what are we actually protecting them from? And what can the next Scottish Parliament do to make that protection stronger?

Scotland’s native woods and trees are irreplaceable natural assets. They support biodiversity, store carbon, improve air and water quality, enhance urban communities and provide shade and shelter on our streets and on agricultural land. They are woven into Scotland’s national story in history and in literature. To an extent, we take the presence of our trees and woods for granted. But we shouldn’t, because they’re under significant threat from many angles, and they need our protection.

Take deer. Red and roe deer are native to Scotland, but their current numbers are anything but natural. The Scottish Government estimates there are a million deer in Scotland, with no natural predators left. That puts extraordinary pressure on our native woods and trees, as unmanaged deer and deer management objectives which don’t prioritise nature recovery often prevent woods from regenerating or expanding naturally, making woodland creation expensive by requiring costly fences and ongoing management.