The Kilsture Forest Community Group were keen to develop their role as co-custodians of the forest through a Citizen Science project, film screenings, surveys (including mycorrhizal networks), storytelling and an artists residency.

In 2018 the forest was being sold by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) so the community rallied to reverse the planned disposal. KFCG opted for a partnership with FLS to manage the woodland and have since signed a formal memorandum of understanding with FLS in 2024.

The group is keen to take on more responsibility for habitat restoration and enhancement and whilst the community appreciates the need to thin woodland to increase biodiversity in the long term, they were concerned about the potential negative impacts on the health of the forest, when thinning is undertaken commercially at scale. This community project is exploring mycorrhizal networks in forest health and helping to identify vulnerable habitats/species to contribute constructively to planning the operations.

Here is a summary of the first year’s work by Malcolm Haddow of South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre provides a summary of the first year’s work.

In May 2024, the group hosted a highly attended syposium with leading ecologists and practitioners sharing their knowledge about the role of mycorrhizae in forest health and woodland management.