Plant trees in the stunning Scottish Highlands!
Want to plant trees to fight climate change? Join us in the Scottish Highlands and help restore the Caledonian Forest. The Scottish Highlands Volunteer Trip helps to reforest and rewild the highlands at Dundreggan Conservation Estate, located in beautiful Glen Moriston, along the ‘Road to the Isles’!
Our environmental conservation projects will take place at Dundreggan, a 10,000-acre expanse of wild land. Located near Loch Ness, it is a center for rewilding and a flagship forest restoration project. Dundreggan contains a remnant of the ancient Caledonian Forest and is especially noted for its exceptional juniper-birch woodland. It has been described as a haven for biodiversity, supporting many rare and endangered species.
You will take part in a variety of exciting activities to help restore the ancient Caledonian Forest, which could include tree planting, removing non-native species, growing rare trees in a nursery, collecting seeds and berries and carrying out important surveys to monitor forest regeneration. Additionally, you will be given a special talk about rewilding and forest restoration from an expert land manager, including information on reintroducing missing species such as the Eurasian lynx and European beaver.
all meals from dinner on day 1 thru breakfast on Day 9
Hotel in Inverness; lodge at Dundreggan
Group and project leadership and support staff
All tools will be provided
Transportation as noted in the itinerary
No prior experience necessary
You arrange your own travel to and from Scotland
Please check with your own doctor to see if any immunizations are recommended for you
Emergency medical and evacuation insurance is mandatory for this trip. See https://conservationvip.org/travel-insurance/
You are responsible for your own airline baggage charges, if any
You are responsible for your own airport taxes, if any
We do not provide alcoholic beverages on the trip
You need to provide your own personal items
After meeting the trip leaders and orientation, we’ll load up our bus and head for Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Along the way our expert guide will stop at a number of scenic vistas, historic sites, and engineering marvels. For more details, see the trip description on the ConservationVIP website.
After breakfast, our trip leaders will take us on a walking tour of historic Inverness, then head to Glen Moriston, to our lodging at Trees for Life’s 10,000-acre Dundreggan Conservation Estate. Once we settle into our lodging and get oriented to our week ahead, our Trees for Life leaders will take us on a guided walk of Dundreggan Conservation Estate to learn about the ecology of the Caledonian Forest. For more details, see the trip description on the ConservationVIP website.
Our projects will vary throughout the week and may include working in the on-site native plant nursery sowing seeds or cuttings, or transplanting native plants to bags ready for planting, and other tasks assigned by the nursery staff. Other days we will work outside, removing non-native species, planting native plants, or surveying for the presence of native wildlife such as the beautiful red squirrel.
For more details, see the trip description on the ConservationVIP website.
We take a day off work to rest and relax.
For more complete itinerary details, see the trip description on the ConservationVIP website.
After breakfast, we will return to Inverness, ending our group experience at the Inverness train station at about 10:00 a.m.
For more complete itinerary details, see the trip description on the ConservationVIP website.