New polytunnel will help native seedlings to flourish

Funding has been received from the Highland Council through the Landfill Communities Fund towards a mesh polytunnel and materials for the propogation of native tries grown from local seed.

Little Assynt Tree Nursery, has been working with the local community since 2012 to collect seeds and cuttings from the few remaining native trees scattered across the area.  The nursery is growing this scarce local seed into young trees and shrubs to be used in native woodland re-planting schemes both within the CALL area and elsewhere in the North West Highlands.

Species under cultivation include oak, birch, rowan, hazel and scots pine.  Currently the nursery produces around 32,000 trees per year, but aspires to increase this output to around 100,000 over the next few years.  The native tree nursery was awarded Highly Commended in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2013.

The polytunnel will allow the slower growing seedlings to be grown under protection through their first summer and winter and increase growing capacity by 15,000 seedlings.