A social enterprise has taken the five remaining aspen trees in Renfrewshire and turned them into hundreds of thousands.
Lochwinnoch charity Eadha Enterprises, which was set up in 2011, is making Scotland glow green with the hardy trees, which can be grown on difficult terrain.
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The team at Eadha has done this by selling them commercially and also by planting them on landfill sites and elsewhere on a voluntary basis.
Eadha, which is Gaelic for aspen, maintains a native tree nursery specialising in aspen and other rare species.
Started up by Oxfam, it is a leading expert in aspen conservation and developing aspen woodlands, and through propagation of the five Renfrewshire trees has brought about a whole new population across the country.
Peter Livingstone, chief executive officer of Eadha, says they are aiming for a thriving Scotland with a rich natural environment that includes degraded land restored to native forests.
“There were just five aspen trees in Renfrewshire but through propagation there are now hundreds of thousands,” he said.
“We use a micro-propagation lab in Dundee.
“And we can grow and sell them on to the private forestry sector.
“We also work with the Woodland Trust and the RSPB.
“The projects involve schools like Bridge of Weir Primary and Lochwinnoch Primary.
“And we’ve planted trees at a crematorium in Largs to improve the environment there.”
Eadha is developing network of local micro tree nurseries rooted in local communities such as Lochwinnoch and Bishopton.
It can also provide tailored classroom and outdoor sessions, with the aim of providing valuable outdoor experiences for children in natural settings.
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And there is every opportunity for Paisley people to get involved with Eadha by volunteering.
Eadha offers a range of opportunities on its various projects, which involves everything from tree planting to craft work.
Training is provided in a range of activities and a tailored training programme can be arranged on request.
“Volunteering can give people experience and some of our volunteers go on to do other things such as degrees, and it can also help people’s mental health,” said Peter.
To get involved with Eadha visit www.eadha.co.uk/contact or give them a call on 01505 844827.
