NEW woodlands involving 300,000 trees will be planted in the upper catchment of the River Tweed in a £1.25m scheme. The project – involving Borders farmers – is part of the £25m Destination Tweed river restoration initiative.
Thousands of native trees are set to be planted in the upper catchment over the next four years, largely on hill sheep farms, creating 200 hectares of native and riparian woodland. Upper Kidston, Edston and Lyne farms near Peebles have been the first to participate in the project, planting a combined 44,000 trees. It is being managed by Borders environmental charity Tweed Forum.
Project manager Hamish Robertson said: “We’re extremely grateful to Borders farmers for their involvement in this initiative. “The project is enabling the integration of sheep farming, forestry and conservation at a catchment scale, addressing climate change, wildlife habitat challenges, water quality issues and more while providing many additional benefits for the farms. “It will also enhance the visitor experience for anyone using the new River Tweed Trail and create a significant and lasting legacy for hundreds of years to come.
” Matt Griffin, the farm manager for Neidpath Farms, part of Wemyss and March Estate, is responsible for Edston and Lyne farms. He said: “We already operate a nature-based farming approach across the businesses and this native tree-planting is a natural progression. “Fixing the broken water cycle to improve soil structure and build e.
