Our Ethos
When we set up New Caledonian Woodlands, our aim was
to establish an organisation that would help bring about real environmental
improvements in Scotland. We wanted to enhance biodiversity while
also being of benefit to local communities by helping them to improve
local environmental assets. So in December 2006, New Caledonian
Woodlands was set up as a not-for-profit organisation, and here
we now are!
We believe that many of the global environmental problems faced
today are interconnected and so need to be tackled in a joined-up
way. We think that planting the right kind of trees to offset carbon
produced by our actions is a good thing to do. Planting trees also
enhances biodiversity by creating and enhancing habitats for thousands
of species of native birds, mammals, plants and insects.
However, we recognise that tree planting is not enough on its own. Scotland simply does not have the available space needed to plant all of the trees required to offset the carbon we emit. In addition, your tree will take perhaps 100 years to offset the carbon emissions you cause this year alone, so by ordering a tree you are not buying a ‘quick fix’ – you are investing in the future.
This means that as well as planting trees, we need to also alter
our behaviour by switching to more energy efficient technology
and reducing our energy usage in other ways. This could be through
making our homes more energy-efficient, leaving the car at home
and using public transport and flying less.
We really believe that a great way to learn more about the environment
and what we can do to safeguard it for future generations is to
get involved in various environmental activities. Such hands-on
involvement has the additional advantage of helping to enhance
environmental assets for local communities.
This is why we have put together a series of projects that we hope will appeal to as many people as possible. From affordable biodiversity weekends to team building days for groups of work colleagues and tree planting days and weekends, we have a lot to offer. Most importantly, we think that our events are friendly, informative and fun – as well as providing great exercise in the outdoors. We hope that you will be inspired to find out more and get involved!