North Esk Reservoir Woodland Project
The site
North Esk reservoir is situated approximately 2 miles west of Carlops in the Scottish Borders. The reservoir is part of a series of reservoirs which once fed the Water of Leith and allowed the water-course to be highly industrialised in the past. The reservoirs are no longer used for this function and the North Esk Reservoir has been managed as a nature reserve for some years. It attracts a wide range of bird species ranging from duck, geese and swan species to cormorants. Situated in the heart of the Pentland Hills Regional Park, the North Esk Reservoir is a beautiful and rural site which is only 20 minutes from the edge of Edinburgh.
The project
The nature reserve is New Caledonian Woodlands first tree planting site. The objective of the project is to encourage regeneration of the native species woodlands which would have existed before deforestation in some areas of the site. At one time, 80% of the geographical area of Scotland would have been covered in woodland, but this figure is now below 20%, with about ½ of this remaining area being non-native monoculture woodlands which is a poor quality habitat. Over a period of a few years, a few thousand trees will be planted at the site, with this work taking place in the winter months. This will greatly enhance the biodiversity of the site and make it more attractive to animals, birds, insects and plants.
Tree planting is about a lot more than simply the planting of the trees however – it is necessary to protect the trees from being eaten by deer, sheep and mice. This project will install a fence to protect the trees from sheep, will weed round each tree and will place mulch matting made from recycled carpet to give the trees the best chance for growth in the first 5-10 years of their life.
