An ambitious 100-year plan to transform more than 80 hectares of countryside has been revealed.
The National Trust for Scotland has unveiled details of the Threave Landscape Restoration Project which will see land at Kelton Mains on the outskirts of Castle Douglas restored to native wetlands and woodlands.
First steps include undraining the land to allow the River Dee and its floodplain to revert to more natural flow patterns and enable the wetlands.
It is hoped this will expand the habitats available for a wide range of species, including native and migrant waterfowl.
Another aim for this year is to reintroduce native woodland species with the ultimate ambition being to create a 30-hectare native woodland.
The trust’s operations manager for the region Dr Sam Gallacher said: “We’ve been building up research on how we do this at Threave since 2017, working with experts in woodlands, grasslands and wetlands.
“Studying holistically the whole site, we have put together both an immediate and long-term plan to help kickstart and support natural processes but also use this site as a massive experiment to help us find best practice and methods that we hope will be useful and inspire others in similar settings whether in Scotland or further afield.
“It will be an exciting experience for our visitors and members to learn and engage with landscape restoration in action and showcase the work our charity does to protect Scotland’s natural heritage.”
Partners for this phase of the plans include the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Galloway Glens chairman Ted Leeming said: “This is a flagship project of huge ambition and potentially of national importance. The Threave Landscape Restoration Project, located here in the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, is ideally placed to be an exemplar of how biodiversity can thrive and manage itself, at its own pace, with minimal intervention.
“My thanks go to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their financial support and all of our partners including Dumfries and Galloway Council’s environment team.
“ We are all looking forward to working with our friends at National Trust for Scotland to deliver this exciting project.”
There will be an online information event on June 9 from 3pm to 4pm to allow people to find out more about the overall view for the project. Free slots can be booked at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/threave-landscape-restoration-project-june-information-event-tickets-155945239409.
And there will be an online town hall on July 1 from 7pm to 8pm, giving details of the timescales and how people can get involved. Spaces for that can be secured at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/threave-landscape-restoration-project-july-public-consultation-event-tickets-155948312601.
