Our Head of Forest Delivery, Douglas Worrall, has been out on site assessing the damage caused to CSFT sites by the winter weather and stormy gales. Below, he gives an update and looks forward to the year ahead…

Monday the 23rd of January was a lovely crisp, clear morning; a perfect winter day to be outside enjoying the rare Scottish sight - blue sky.

Although we had already closed the path routes a couple of weeks ago, it was the first chance that I had to have a look at the damage caused by the New Year gales to the woodland at our Roughcastle site, next to the Falkirk Wheel.

It is always surprising to see old gnarly trees which have managed to withstand the storms without so much as a broken branch when there are other seemingly young, healthy trees which end up lying heaped on the ground in a twisted and broken mess.

As well as trees, both old and new, our Roughcastle site also contains a small stretch of the Antonine Wall.

The site is therefore not only a recognised ancient monument but a World Heritage site. This, in turn, means that the clean-up process must be carried out with a great deal of sensitivity and under the guidance of Historic Scotland.

Whilst it has been busy clearing our existing sites following the bad weather, we have also been looking forward to the year ahead, designing, detailing, costing and securing funding for the projects we hope to carry out in the coming months. These will include eight woodland planting projects and five woodland management projects.

We also have a further twelve access projects in the pipeline which we hope to have completed before the end of the summer.

There is certainly lots of activity on the go to ensure we have another fruitful year of planting, improving and inspiring and we’ll keep you posted with our progress over the coming months.

As Scotland woke up to its first heavy snow fall in December, something seemed to be different. 

It was as if the arctic conditions which wreaked havoc across the country in 2010 had increased society’s resilience to the harsh weather. 

There was no panic or loss of control, but instead a population that was prepared for whatever the weather might bring. 

As the green shoots of spring began to emerge, as summer came and went, and as the autumn leaves started to fall, there appears to have been widespread planning behind the scenes across the country to prepare for the eventuality of a heavy snow fall. 

Individuals and businesses alike had stocked up on salt supplies and had their shovels at the ready to clear pathways, driveways and car parks.

Local authorities lead by example as gritters were equipped to hit the road at just a moment’s warning; and schools and public services set their contingency plans into motion in order to allow for maximum safety and minimal disruption.

In the private sector, organisations ensured that they too had plans in place for severe weather precautions, and there was an underlying appreciation that the personal safety of staff came first and foremost.

At Hillhouseridge, which has a climate of its own at times, we ensured that we have a plentiful supply of salt, shovels and wheelbarrows to keep the driveway passable.

We also installed a webcam overlooking the car park to allow staff to check the conditions in Shotts before setting off in the morning.  If the weather is too bad, our staff are equipped to work from home in order to minimise disruption and to allow business to be carried out as normal.

Let’s hope the country’s responsible approach and strong resilience to the harsh weather continues as we move through the winter period … even if we experience a heavy snow fall of a similar magnitude to 2010!

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As we count down the days till Christmas, the time is drawing near for us to consider the centre piece of the household for this time of year – the Christmas tree.

The dilemma facing Christmas tree buyers today is whether to opt for a real Christmas tree or an artificial one.

There are pros and cons to both options – but when it comes down to which one is the most eco-friendly; the real Christmas tree reigns supreme.

The artificial tree has become increasingly popular in recent years as the tough economic climate forces consumers to constantly search for cheaper alternatives.  Artificial Christmas trees also shed fewer pines than their natural counterparts which can often leave quite a mess after a month.

But what about the effect they have on the environment?  Some supporters of the artificial tree argue that the ability to re-use the tree year after year can have a positive impact on the environment by reducing the demand for continuously chopping down trees.

However, real trees are more renewable than one may think.  Sustainable sources ensure that they plant two or three trees each spring to compensate for every one which has been cut down.

On average Christmas trees take seven years to grow to about six feet, with some taking up to fifteen years to be fully grown.  The continual cycle of planting and harvesting more trees is surprisingly beneficial to the environment as Christmas tree plantations can provide a fantastic habitat for wildlife.

Furthermore real Christmas trees are recyclable and biodegradable, and can be re-used for several purposes from preventing shore erosion, to being chipped for use in playgrounds and play parks or made into compost. 

An alternative to the real Christmas tree which is even more environmentally friendly are pot grown trees which have their roots intact, so that they can be replanted once the Christmas festivities have come to an end.  As well as being good for the environment, they also have a small carbon footprint and provide an easier alternative to the usual methods employed to dispose of a Christmas tree.

As Christmas is the season of goodwill, we are encouraging everyone to help protect the environment by choosing a real Christmas tree for their home this year.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at CSFT!

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In the midst of autumn as we begin to get ready for the cold winter months ahead at CSFT’s headquarters in Shotts, animals are also preparing themselves in an entirely different way for harsh weather and long nights. Over the coming months, creatures such as hedgehogs, queen bumblebees and bats will begin to fall into a long period of deep sleep known as ‘hibernation’ in order to survive the chilly weather and sub-zero temperatures.

During this time, the animal’s body temperature falls and its breathing and heartbeat slow down to preserve energy. It is therefore essential for them to eat plenty of extra food and store it as body fat to be used for energy when the temperature becomes too low.

Hibernation is a fundamental part of survival for many animals and below are some interesting facts that you might not have known:

•    When eating to store fat for hibernation, a type of fat called ‘brown fat’ begins to form in patches near an animal’s brain, heart and lungs. Whilst it is sleeping, the brown fat sends a sudden burst of energy to warm these particular organs first when it is time to come out of hibernation.
•    The Arctic Ground Squirrel is the only mammal that can endure its body temperature falling below zero. It has been known to have a body temperature of -3⁰C and a heartbeat of less than five times a minute, for up to six months.
•    Some insects, such as ladybirds, are also known to hibernate either in holes in the ground, under tree bark or in rotting logs.
•    The largest animals that hibernate are bears. Whilst a black or grizzly bear’s heart rate may decrease from 40-50 beats per minute to just 8-12, its temperature will only drop slightly which gives it the chance to wake up quickly. Bears are also unique because they don’t eat or drink at all during hibernation which could be for up to six months.

Whilst hibernating protects many different species from extreme weather conditions, there are serious concerns that global warming is causing animals to wake up prematurely which can have a negative impact on their survival. For example, if a bat emerges from hibernation too early due to above-average winter temperatures, it won’t have a proper source of food as many insects will not have emerged yet. This could eventually lead to starvation and in a worst case scenario, even extinction of certain species.

To help in the battle against global warming, and to help animals remain in hibernation for a sufficient length of time, we are encouraging the public to play their part. Anything from taking public transport instead of the car; recycling your plastic bottles or creating a compost heap can help make a difference.

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As children and families look forward to Halloween celebrations, we want to share our ideas for an eco-friendly and affordable Halloween to make sure that everyone can enjoy the spooky festival without having a scary effect on the environment and their bank balance.

•    Raid wardrobes and drawers for old, unwanted clothes which can be used to create free and truly unique and imaginative costumes.  After the Halloween celebrations, don’t throw your costume away, you may be able to recycle clothing for next year, swap with a friend or even donate the costume to your local charity shop.
•    If you’re expecting crowds of Halloween trick-or-treaters why not hand out home-made treats rather than shop-bought goods to save on packaging or if you’re pushed for time, consider buying Fairtrade or Organic goodies.
•    An affordable way to transform your home into a creepy, haunted house is to make your own decorations from old fabrics and cereal boxes. Any bought decorations could be stored away after Halloween and reused again in future years.
•    When the witches and ghouls go out guising, provide them with reusable bags or even pillowcases to collect their treats.  Pillowcases can be decorated with ghostly designs and become part of the fun.
•    Instead of taking the car out guising, accompany the kids on foot and let them enjoy the spooky neighbourhood atmosphere.
•    Carving pumpkins is one of the traditional rituals and an important aspect of any Halloween celebration.  Make sure you buy local or organic pumpkins and don’t simply throw away after use.  Pumpkin seeds can be washed in water, dried, and set out in the garden as bird feed.  Any spare pumpkins can also be used to make delicious pumpkin soups and pies.
•    Add to the eerie atmosphere by using home-grown turnips as lanterns.  The kids will be entertained for hours carving them out and even better, they’re free.
•    Halloween is also a great time to start your own compost heap.  Think about adding your pumpkin or turnip remains and food scraps to fallen leaves and other biodegradable waste in the garden.  You could even use this to help you grow your own pumpkins for next year.

Do you have any other affordable ideas for a green Halloween? If so, we’d love to hear your suggestions.

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The CSFT team is looking forward to this year’s Forest Forum event.

The bi-annual event will take place at The Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld on Tuesday 6th September and agencies, local community groups and individuals are all taking part in the day.

The aim of this year’s event is to reaffirm the concept of the Central Scotland Forest (CSF) in context of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN). We are particularly looking forward to this year’s speakers, including the Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP, who will address the Forum and outline the importance regional partnerships will play in delivering the CSGN.

The Central Scotland Green Network initiative is the biggest greenspace project of its kind in Europe and will create a step change in environmental quality across the whole of Central Scotland over the next 40 years.

The Minister will also emphasise the significance of organisations such as CSFT as catalysts for turning the CSGN into action on the ground.

Other keynote speakers at the event will include our Chairman, David Crawley as well as Senior Environmental Planner for Land Use Consultants, Susan Underwood and Glasgow City Council Group Manager, Cathy Johnston so the 6th September is set to be a good day.

We’ll post again after the event to let you know what happened!

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Today is the launch of Green Office Week, a week of activities to show how a few small changes in your workplace can make a big difference to the environment.

At CSFT headquarters in Shotts we are always looking for ways to maximise our eco-credentials. Simple things such as recycling waste paper or printing on both sides of paper can make a difference - as can fitting energy saving light bulbs.

But there is always more that we can do so Green Office Week is a great opportunity to introduce some new eco-friendly initiatives into the office.

Here are a couple of our ideas that you could easily introduce to green-up the office:

1. Set up a battery recycling station in an easily accessible place
2. Reduce the use of chemical cleaning products - buy environmentally friendly products that are now widely available
3. Investigate opportunities for rain water harvesting
4. Set up paper, card and glass recycling stations in easily accessible spots in the office
5. Reduce use of the standby mode, particularly on office photocopiers
6. Introduce time switches on non-essential equipment
7. Print reports or long documents on recycled paper
8. Investigate the possibility of using a renewable energy supplier to power the office
9. Carry out meetings by conference call wherever possible to cut down on staff transport
10. Look at composting options for food waste

These are just a few ideas to make your office a little more green this week. Do you have any other suggestions of eco-friendly activities? Leave us a comment with your ideas.

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Forests have hit the news pages almost overnight after plans were revealed to site hundreds of wind turbines in Scotland's forests.  Whilst the plan will undoubtedly have both advocates and critics, we believe that there are two main, and distinct, issues to discuss - both underline the surprisingly dynamic nature of forestry.

The first is the sale of land. It's important to understand that land is not being sold for wind farms.  Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) and its partners plan to develop wind farms on land that it already owns, ensuring that it is being used to its full potential.

Funds for repositioning the National Estate will be raised by selling small pieces of land which provide few amenities to the public. The money from this will then be used to buy more land where FCS can create forests closer to where people live, allowing more of us to benefit from recreational woodland on our doorstep. Not only will we get the most out of our national forest, it will also help to meet targets to plant 10,000 hectares of forest each year through direct government action.

The second issue is Scotland's need to generate more renewable energy, something which can be at least partly achieved through wind farms. In the past, forest area was lost in the development stages but moving forward, any future woodland removal related to wind farm development will be compensated for by planting new areas of forest.

Many people assume that forests are a ‘static resource' but the recent plans to create wind farms and to reposition the national forest estate have given us an opportunity to highlight that this is not the case and remind us all of their dynamic nature.

Individual trees grow and die; forests and woodlands evolve. And if a forest is ‘normal', a technical term for forests which have trees of all ages equally within it then there is a constant evolution process changing its face and nature.

That dynamism is increased even further when there is a social or political requirement, such as the need to deliver greater public benefits or generate renewable energy. 

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It may surprise some people that trees get ill, but there are infections threatening trees in Central Scotland, including the exotically named Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora lateralis which kills trees' roots.

Although tricky to pronounce, an incidence of Phytophthora lateralis has been identified in Scotland's forests, recently at Balloch Castle Country Park in Loch Lomond, which could prove to be a real threat to woodland. The disease affects Lawson's cypress trees and symptoms of infection include foliage initially appearing slightly lighter in colour than that of healthy trees, then withering and turning reddish-brown.

The disease can be transmitted in contaminated soil, as well as on equipment and tools, but can be helped by biosecurity measures such as disinfectant mats around affected areas. Contaminated trees have to be felled and destroyed to avoid the infection spreading which can have a devastating effect on wooded areas.

Forestry Commission Scotland is asking people to be vigilant of trees that may contract the infection and report any symptoms as soon as they appear.

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As you probably well know, forests are a fundamental part of the environment.  They cover 31% of the total land area of the globe, provide a home to 300 million people around the world and the livelihoods of over 1.6 billion people depend on forests - good enough reason for the United Nations to have declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests.

Bringing it a little closer to home, 17% of Scotland is covered in forests with more than half of Scotland's population living within two miles of woodland.  And as well as being fundamental to the environment, they can generate millions of pounds for a country's economy.  It is estimated that in Scotland alone, forestry contributes £670 million to the economy and supports 31,000 jobs in forest industries.

With all these good intentions in mind, environmental organisations and charities across the world are working tirelessly to raise awareness on conservation of forests.

At CSFT, we've set aside an area of land at Hillhouseridge and pledged to plant a tree for every five new fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter throughout 2011.

You can do your bit too. Make sure to recycle at home; when you visit the supermarket, avoid products with too much packaging and when buying trees for your garden, buy them from a sustainable source as they will re-plant trees cut down, leading to healthy regeneration of the forest.

Deforestation accounts for up to 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming which is why it is vital that everyone works together for the sustainable management and development of forests. We all have a key role to play in the fight against climate change.