Early in February our Director of Tubulars, Iain Laing purchased 12 trees to help support a local initiative. The River Dee Trust has launched a campaign to plant a million trees in one of the largest restoration projects in the Cairngorms. The ambitious project, which is being delivered in partnership with the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, is determined to reach its goal within the next 15 years.
Planted along tributaries of the river, trees such as Willow, Birch and Scots Pine will help protect the waterways from erosion and warming and will help support the regeneration of the declining Scottish salmon population. Tree cover along a watercourse provides many benefits to local wildlife including shade to reduce rising temperatures; stabilisation for the riverbank itself; improved habitat for river dwellers and insects; and can even improves flood management.
River Dee Director, Dr Lorraine Hawkins, said: “Atlantic salmon are now virtually extinct across their southern European range and are vanishing fast in the south of England. All the major Scottish salmon rivers have seen drastic declines. At current rates, we may have just 20 years to save the species… we can take action now to give the young fish their best chance of survival before leaving their native rivers.”
As an experienced angler, Iain knows how important sustainability is to the industry and to the survival of the species itself. Not only is the salmon fishing industry a key feature of Scotland’s tourism and agricultural industry, but it’s also a major source of food for local populations of grey seals.
This intrinsic link between environment, industry and sustainability is one of our driving values at John Lawrie. With the ongoing drive towards Net Zero it continues to provoke exciting and challenging conversation around how industry can support a greener future.
Iain said, “Supporting the “Million Trees” project seemed like another opportunity to get involved with the local community. I have spent a lot of time with groups from across the country who rely on the environment to provide their livelihood and recognise the incredible pressures unchecked industry can exert on a landscape. If we can help relieve that in even the smallest way, it seems like a good first step. We will be following this enterprise closely and hopefully help them take yet another step towards their goal.”
For more information on ‘A Million Trees to Save Our Salmon’ visit the River Dee Trust Website.
