Grants of up to £100,000 will soon be available to support urban forestry projects across Scotland.

On Tuesday 9th July, we launched our first pilot project to be funded through the ambitious Urban Forestry Programme. TreeLink Stirling’s Free Nut and Fruit trees aims to plant 200 apple, pear, and walnut trees in the Raploch and Bannockburn. These neighbourhoods in Stirling have some of the lowest tree canopy cover in Scotland.

Our ceo Shireen Chambers, said:

“This project is exactly what we want to support. Trees improve quality of life and are vital for a healthy environment. Our Urban Forestry Programme aims to plant more trees across Scotland and inspire similar projects. We look forward to applications opening in the Autumn and encourage anyone working in urban forestry in Scotland to get in touch.”

Led by the local environmental organisation, TreeLink Stirling, the ‘nut and fruit tree’ project follows the success of their ‘Trees for Babies’ programme, where families of newborns in the Stirling Council area were gifted a tree. Feedback from residents indicated a desire for productive trees, which inspired the nut and fruit tree project. The nut and fruit tree project will enable local residents to apply for one of the 200 trees to be planted in their garden.

“I’m excited to be one of the first to plant an apple tree in my garden and have access to fresh fruit for years to come.

Zara Isshac, a Stirling resident (below)

This is the first of two pilot projects we’re funding in our Urban Forestry Programme.  The second project, a tree warden scheme, will soon maintain 10,000 urban trees already planted across the Glasgow City Region as part of the Clyde Climate Forest initiative’s ambition to plant 1.5 million urban trees over next 10 years.

Applications for the Urban Forestry Fund will open on Monday 30th September 2024.

Transforming Scotland’s landscapes through the power of trees

As a charity, we’ve long supported forestry and research. The Urban Forestry Programme is our latest efforts to help transform Scotland’s landscapes through the power of trees.

Applications for the Urban Forestry Fund will open in September 2024.

Special thanks to our lead partner, bp, for committing up to £10million as part of their Offshore Wind commitment.

About the Urban Forestry Programme

The Urban Forestry Programme will support urban forestry projects, tree planting, biodiversity, education, community involvement and green job creation to deliver environmental, social and economic benefits.

The programme will measure success using the 3:30:300 rule, developed by Cecil Konijnendijk of the Nature Based Solutions Institute. The ‘3:30:300 rule’ is an evidence-based rule which states that everyone should be able to see at least three trees from their home; there should be a minimum of 30% tree canopy cover in each neighbourhood; and 300 metres should be the maximum distance to the nearest high-quality public green space.

Future Woodlands Scotland welcomes applications from not-for-profit organisations. This includes community groups, schools, charities, local authorities or partnerships made up of these organisations.