Tree Nursery

We were originally set up to provide our partner organisation the Woodland Trust with access to locally sourced stock to aid with the regeneration of the Arkaig Forest, but we also sell to the wider community. With the addition of a polytunnel in 2022 and a borehole in 2023, we are now able to control moisture levels and provide the trees with a headstart when they begin their new growth in spring, ensuring vigorous healthy trees.

Trees develop specific genetic resilience to the environments in which they grow. Altitude, exposure, climate, soil composition, nutrient availability, specific pests or animal disturbance; these are just some of the factors which affect how a tree grows. It passes on generic adaptations that have arisen to cope with these factors to its offspring. Therefore we would expect a seed from a tree grown in fertile, lowland soil on the east coast to be weaker and less able to survive in a wet, upland habitat in the west than a seed whose parent plant grew in those conditions. That is why we prioritise local provenance. Planting local provenance trees will give the regenerated forest the best chance of thriving. All our seed is sourced from within seed zone 105, most of it collected by our staff and volunteers from within the Arkaig Forest itself.

In addition to the tree nursery, we also manage a willow coppice and small community orchard. The willow is harvested every year to provide material for weaving. We share this skill in regular craft workshops.