Tree Seed Collection
Tree Seed Collection Project
Collecting and verifying seeds for at least one million trees
The Tree Seed Collection Project, focuses on the critical task of collecting and verifying seeds for at least one million trees, with the aim to donate enough seeds to grow at least 500,000 trees across nurseries in Scotland.
A collaborative endeavour with Woodland Trust Scotland and Trees for Life, the Clean Planet Foundation are the largest private backer of the project.
Latest Update: We smashed the project target - read more!
Background
Planting trees is critical in supporting the expansion of Scotland’s Caledonian forest in areas where natural regeneration is not possible. For planted trees to have the best chance of survival, it's imperative to grow them from locally-collected seed. This maintains the species’ area-specific genetics, which bolsters resilience against disease and climate change.
Scotland has a shortage of native trees grown with traceable local provenance, particularly from the west coast – home to Scotland’s temperate rainforest.
Project Aims
This 3-year project aims to enhance the availability of native trees from western Scotland by organising volunteers and montane specialists to collect seeds from the specific geographical areas, predominantly in Scotland’s rainforest, where planting is planned. Local tree nurseries will receive assistance in growing trees from these seeds. The resulting trees will be supplied to Woodland Trust Scotland and Trees for Life for planting.
01
Expand geographical areas of seed collection in the west of Scotland
02
Focus on rare and montane tree species
03
Collect and verify seed for at least 1,000,000 trees over a 3-year period
04
Donate enough seed to grow at least 500,000 trees to nurseries across Scotland
Project
Supporters
The Clean Planet Foundation is the largest private backer of the project, Additionally, there are several other sponsors and supporters which enable this project to happen.
Latest
Updates
The Tree Seed Collection Project is a collaborative three-year project to enhance the availability of native trees. The project is working with over 100 volunteers to fulfil its aims.
Starting from Q2 2024, this page will provide updates on the challenges, success and general progress - in a bid to collect and verify seeds for at least one million trees:
Update Diary...
April 2024
Announcement
Announcing our 3rd flagship project to the world! To date, the project has already completed 79 collections, resulting in a total weight of 260.613kg in raw seed, marking a significant milestone towards an ambitious goal.
November 2024
We've smashed the projects one million target already!
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Over 2.2 million seeds collected: Surpassing our total-project targets, we've reached an important milestone. This achievement was celebrated across media outlets and through radio interviews, including BBC Highlands and Islands.
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Successful willow seed collections: Volunteers have been hard at work collecting and distributing willow seeds to nurseries, particularly in Glen Finglas and Dunollie, ensuring future generations of native trees.
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First collection on the Isle of Skye: We expanded our reach to the Isle of Skye, where we conducted our first volunteer-led tree seed collection. This is a vital step in widening our geographical impact.
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Aspen root propagation: At the Woodland Crofter Nursery, volunteers began the propagation of aspen root cuttings, a critical task in maintaining genetic diversity, which strengthens resilience against disease.
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Training and innovation: New tools, including a GIS Survey App, have been introduced to assist volunteers in tracking seed collection sites and tree observations. Additionally, seasonal training sessions have empowered volunteers with the skills to maximize the impact of their collections.
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Planning for the future: Site visits to Orkney and new collaborations with nurseries and landowners are setting the stage for even greater achievements in the coming year. Collection plans for 2024-2025 are already being developed.
Next Update:
May 2025