Repopulate Scottish islands with trees!

Trees are known to be good for the environment, yet Orkney, Shetland and Lewis & Harris (biggest island in UK) are left treeless. Trees would also act as windbreaks and help retain topsoil so what is the Scottish govt. playing at?

Reply 1

shadowdweller

Volunteer Section Leader

21

Original post by Vinny C

Trees are known to be good for the environment, yet Orkney, Shetland and Lewis & Harris (biggest island in UK) are left treeless. Trees would also act as windbreaks and help retain topsoil so what is the Scottish govt. playing at?

I think this is probably not unique to Scotland? :tongue:

Reply 2

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by shadowdweller

I think this is probably not unique to Scotland? :tongue:

No... just Scottish islands, these places are virtually treeless. They cut them all down centuries ago and they cannot repopulate naturally. I may have placed this in the wrong forum btw... didn't know how to change it, sorry!

Reply 3

shadowdweller

Volunteer Section Leader

21

Original post by Vinny C

No... just Scottish islands, these places are virtually treeless. They cut them all down centuries ago and they cannot repopulate naturally. I may have placed this in the wrong forum btw... didn't know how to change it, sorry!

Oh I see - in which case, they should probably be doing something about it! :tongue:

Reply 4

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by shadowdweller

Oh I see - in which case, they should probably be doing something about it! :tongue:

Quite... if the island is too far from the mainland and you cut down all the trees. Same happened to Easter Island, no trees, no birds, no eggs... an eco disaster. If you can think of a better forum for this thread please feel free to move it. Many thanks!

Reply 5

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by Vinny C

Quite... if the island is too far from the mainland and you cut down all the trees. Same happened to Easter Island, no trees, no birds, no eggs... an eco disaster. If you can think of a better forum for this thread please feel free to move it. Many thanks!

Happy to leave it where it is... ty for the offer.

Reply 6

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by shadowdweller

I think this is probably not unique to Scotland? :tongue:

What? Lewis and Harris is one island... the second biggest in the UK and no trees... let's ignore the fact we have culled them all.

Reply 7

Violet Femme

14

It's not simply a case of planting trees. You then have to fence the area off and manage it to stop sheep from chomping on them. There certainly are trees on Shetland and schemes to plant more trees. I've seen them. However as long as the bulk of the land is used for sheep grazing, it will remain largely treeless.

Reply 8

Quady

20

Original post by Vinny C

Trees are known to be good for the environment, yet Orkney, Shetland and Lewis & Harris (biggest island in UK) are left treeless. Trees would also act as windbreaks and help retain topsoil so what is the Scottish govt. playing at?

Shetland disagrees with you
https://www.shetland.org/60n/blogs/posts/treeless-thats-changing

Reply 9

Vinny C

OP

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[QUOTE="Quady;80886902"]Shetland disagrees with you
https://www.shetland.org/60n/blogs/posts/treeless-thats-changing[/QUOTE]

I know Shetland has made an effort. I'm no tree hugger but do know they are damn good for both farming and the environment. Tell Lewis and Harris to wake their ideas up... they are treeless and jobless, been there.

Reply 10

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by Violet Femme

It's not simply a case of planting trees. You then have to fence the area off and manage it to stop sheep from chomping on them. There certainly are trees on Shetland and schemes to plant more trees. I've seen them. However as long as the bulk of the land is used for sheep grazing, it will remain largely treeless.

Sheep chomp trees? Only the saplings so we place a little fence around them (the saplings, not the sheep).
20yrs later... a forest! Let them try to chomp on that.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 11

AzureCeleste

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Original post by Vinny C

Sheep chomp trees? Only the saplings so we place a little fence around them. 20yrs later... a forest! Let them try to chomp on that.

No they need the land where you would plant trees for grass so the sheep can eat

Reply 12

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by AzureCeleste

No they need the land where you would plant trees for grass so the sheep can eat

Sheep are happy missing little one foot diameter fences... they eat around. Trees would be a blessing to you in time... cones, acorns... shelter. We are doing it here with the national forest... lots of new wildlife.

Reply 13

Quady

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Original post by Vinny C

Original post by Quady

Shetland disagrees with you
[url=https://www.shetland.org/60n/blogs/posts/treeless-thats-changing

https://www.shetland.org/60n/blogs/posts/treeless-thats-changing[/QUOTE

]

I know Shetland has made an effort. I'm no tree hugger but do know they are damn good for both farming and the environment. Tell Lewis and Harris to wake their ideas up... they are treeless and jobless, been there.

Ok so Stornoway disagrees too.
https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/nature/wildlife/woodland

Reply 14

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by Quady

Ok so Stornoway disagrees too.
https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/nature/wildlife/woodland[/QUOTE]

Nice to see my post is finally having some effect. Keep up the good work, guys. You can have trees and sheep, you know. Who the hell is Rosa Steppanova? She should be leading some metal rave band, lol.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 15

Johnny English

14

I think it's a great idea ....trees could be the way to save our planet . I heard about a project to plant trees across the length of the Sahara desert to prevent wind erosion and the spread of sand onto agricultural land . So far it's been a remarkable success and is well worth a Google for those who are interested .

Reply 16

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by Johnny English

I think it's a great idea ....trees could be the way to save our planet . I heard about a project to plant trees across the length of the Sahara desert to prevent wind erosion and the spread of sand onto agricultural land . So far it's been a remarkable success and is well worth a Google for those who are interested .

Thanks... this post has only been here a couple of months and we already have trees on Shetland and in Stornoway. TSR is saving the planet as we speak!

Reply 17

Trinculo

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Original post by Vinny C

Thanks... this post has only been here a couple of months and we already have trees on Shetland and in Stornoway. TSR is saving the planet as we speak!

Is this thread a joke?

Reply 18

Vinny C

OP

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Original post by Trinculo

Is this thread a joke?

No... seen the size of Lewis and Harris? Would be considered an eco catastrophe if you depopulated Wales of all its trees. They seem to manage both sheep and trees without any difficulty.