Reforestation replants trees on land hit by natural or human disturbance. It restores forest structure and canopy, protects biodiversity and watersheds, and promotes carbon sequestration.
Why support this project?
Only around 13% of the UK’s land is currently tree-covered – one of the lowest percentages in Europe – with only half of this area being home to native tree species, resulting in the amount of woodland wildlife in the UK continuing to decrease.
The Future Forest Company (FFC) is working to reverse this trend, actively contributing to the protection and restoration of our diverse ecosystems. The team takes a nature-first approach, creating healthy habitats and planting a mix of native, broadleaf trees to support thriving wildlife, with climate and community at the heart of every site.
This specific site, Dumyat, has been recognised by NatureScot as a Nature30 site. These sites safeguard a diverse range of ecosystems and include areas managed to support ecosystem resilience, connectivity, restoration and ecosystem function and services. This means that Dumyat now counts towards Scotland's commitment to safeguard 30% of its land and freshwater for nature by 2030, and will be recognised internationally as a conserved area.
Through supporting this project, you’re helping restore a nationally and internationally recognised landscape.
Project summary
The project area covers a 480-hectare hillside estate, with restoration focused on high-impact nature recovery.
Woodland creation is a significant component of the project: over 330,000 trees, across a range of species, are being planted to extend existing woodland habitat networks and strengthen the wider landscape. Through surveys of the area, including breeding birds, archaeology, vegetation and soils, FFC have matched the right species to where they will contribute most to the environment. FFC's sensitive woodland design has also retained areas of open ground, protecting important archaeological features and wildlife interests, along with the essence of Dumyat itself.
The site is home to several endangered species of conservation concern, including red squirrels, butterflies, and one of Scotland's rarest flowers, the Sticky Catchfly. The team is working to safeguard habitat for these species and build a landscape teeming with wildlife.
Follow the latest milestones and updates from this project.
Nature30 recognises land delivering real, sustained benefit for nature outside the statutory protected-area network. Dumyat now counts towards Scotland's commitment to safeguard 30% of its land and fresh water for nature by 2030, and will be reported internationally as a conserved area.
Trees play a vital role in climate mitigation and adaptation. The world’s 1.9 billion acres of temperate forests are a net-carbon sink. According to the World Resources Institute, more than 1.4 billion additional acres are candidates for restoration, either large-scale, closed forest or mixed mosaics of forests, more sparsely growing trees, and land uses such as agriculture. With restoration comes additional carbon sequestration.
At Dumyat, several endangered species are of conservation concern, including red squirrels, the Northern brown argus butterfly, the Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, and one of Scotland’s rarest flowers, Sticky catchfly. The team plans to transform ecologically degraded grasslands and wetlands into wildflower and pollinator havens, providing a safe habitat for endangered species and creating a landscape teeming with wildlife.
Trees are also critical for flood protection, with the value of trees for flood protection estimated to be £6.5 billion, and £6.1 billion for urban cooling in the UK.
The FFC team actively collaborates with volunteer groups from the local communities as they are dedicated to improving public access, enabling more individuals to immerse themselves in nature.
FFC’s team has led summer courses for those wishing to change careers or develop skills, so they can work in the conservation sector. This included working with TCV Scotland and hosting a training group from the Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland (BSBI).
It's vital that projects work for local people as well as nature and the climate, and our partners work hard to support the needs of the local communities through the projects they deliver.
FFC are helping to educate local people about the nature around them and how to protect and conserve it. Engaging with local school groups helps to bring important nature education to the younger generations.
These projects help to lock away carbon for generations to come, reducing the UK's contribution to the global greenhouse gas concentrations.
This project is carefully designed to boost local native biodiversity, creating habitat and food sources for birds, mammals, insects and more.
The project is carried out in collaboration with a range of local people, whether that be local volunteering groups, contractors, or residents contributing to project designs.
These partners help deliver the project and verify its impact.
The Future Forest Company run award-winning landscape-scale nature restoration and reforestation projects to fight climate change and help nature thrive.
