Substantial grant for City Woodlands

Highland Council awarded substantial grant for City Woodlands

The Highland Council has been awarded £65,000 of funding through the Forestry Commission Scotland's national initiative ~Woodland In and Around Town (WIAT) Challenge Fund~. This award aims to improve woodland environments, and increase access and recreation opportunities for people living in built up areas.

Grant funding will be spent on management operations in two city woodlands. The works will improve the wildlife habitats, footpaths and also maintain healthy tree cover.

The two woodlands set to benefit from these projects are Millburn Woods, Old Perth Road and Inshes Wood in Westhill. These projects form part of the Inverness City Vision and the WIAT funding will be augmented by support from Inverness City Partnership through the Cities Growth Fund.

The first phase of work due to begin in February at Millburn Woods and shall focus on tree surgery work alongside footpaths and small scale thinning. The works will improve biodiversity by creating and managing standing deadwood habitats and encourage the development of an under storey of native shrubs as well as younger trees.

An important part of the funding package is earmarked for work with schools and community groups and will include training in wildlife identification ~ a timetable of events in both woodlands will follow in the next few months. These community based events will also feed into the creation of a sustainable woodland management plan, which guide work in these woodlands for future generations.