This grant will enable SCOTLAND: The Big Picture to demonstrate and communicate how to increase the cover of native woodland ground flora within native woodland creation schemes. This will be achieved through a combination of planting and natural colonisation across four sites in their Northwoods Rewilding Network.

The lack of woodland ground flora colonising planted broadleaved woodland is a very significant ecological problem. This project builds on research that we have part-funded since 2016. Rick Worrell’s 2023 report provides an overview of the approach, design and site selection, methods of translocating, sowing and planting, monitoring of growth, survival and flowering and results.