We’re working to tackle the challenges of creating and restoring trees and native woodlands in Scotland. We focus on solutions so future generations have a Scotland with thriving habitats and wildlife.
Our vision is a Scotland where trees and native woodlands are thriving for our wildlife, communities and climate. We work collaboratively with organisations and individuals who are working to build a greener Scotland.
Just outside Dundee, Dronley Community Woodland is showing how communities can take a different approach to woodland management.
Through support from our Future Woodlands Programme, the group is carrying out work that will help strengthen the woodland’s long-term resilience while maintaining the benefits it provides for nature, recreation and the local community
Purchased by the community through a Community Asset Transfer in 2019, Dronley welcomes around 20,000 visits each year.The group is committed to securing a long-term future for the woodland, including managing it using Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) principles.
CCF offers an alternative to clear-fell forestry, maintaining continuous tree cover while allowing timber to be harvested, supporting biodiversity and providing opportunities for recreation.
Future Woodlands Scotland is supporting Dronley to put these principles into practice through selective thinning and underplanting with a diverse range of tree species. Over time, this will create a more varied woodland structure, improve resilience and allow timber to be harvested without removing all the tree cover at once.
The work will be delivered by a small team of locally trained foresters and volunteers, helping to build skills and maximise the benefits of the woodland for the local community.
“Most woodland in the local area is managed under clear-fell rotations, where large areas are harvested at one time and replanted. Dronley is a great example of a community woodland taking a different approach – demonstrating how we can produce timber while maintaining continuous tree cover and creating wider benefits for nature and people. We’re delighted to be supporting them to realise their ambition.”
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