New project gives Scotland’s rivers £1.8 million boost

The conservation effort is highlighting a decline in important freshwater wildlife such as Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel.

The aim of the project is to create and restore at least 100 hectares of river woodlands, involving the planting of at least 110,000 trees. The work will be carried out by three organisations partnering with the Scottish Wildlife Trust; he Spey Catchment Initiative, Tweed Forum and Kyle of Sutherland Rivers Trust.

There are over 125,000km of rivers and streams in Scotland, however, a recent survey showed that only 13% of riverside habitats are in good condition.

Director of Conservation at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Sarah Robinson says they hope to remedy that situation with the ‘generous’ funding.

She said: “Along with our partners, we’re absolutely thrilled that our ambitious Riverwoods project can now get underway. The generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow us to work with communities to protect and enhance our precious river woodland habitats.

“River woodlands are the green arteries of our ecosystem and in good condition can provide a wealth of benefits, including flood protection, improved water quality and safe places for our wildlife to thrive.”

The work undertaken in the Spey, Tweed, and Kyle of Sutherland demonstration areas will act as a blueprint for future conservation projects across Scotland.

Riverwoods will also offer a grant scheme to provide financial support for the design of at least nine other river woodland creation plans.

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The project will then develop an online library and toolkit in partnership with Fisheries Management Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland, to give communities and land managers access to practical resources in order to inform and inspire further river woodland restoration work.

Alan Wells, Chief Executive of Fisheries Management Scotland, said: "We are delighted that Riverwoods is moving forward to the delivery phase thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The online resources will serve as a vital hub for innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing, with the potential to transform river woodland restoration across Scotland.

“By equipping land managers, practitioners, and communities with the tools to design, fund, and deliver projects more effectively, we can help ensure the long-term health of our river ecosystems—critical for the survival of species like the wild Atlantic salmon."

As well as delivering practical conservation work, the project also aims to reconnect communities across Scotland with their river woodlands. This will be achieved through over 1,000 volunteer days of tree-planting, the development a citizen science programme for monitoring wildlife and numerous community outreach events.