Case Studies

Raasay community woodlands exchange

This was an open exchange to allow our community to hear the experience of community ownership of woodlands.

woodland with a small stream surrounded by tall trees

Exploring opportunities and constraints related to community ownership of woodlands was an important learning point.

Learning Outcomes

  • The Raasay community is more informed about community management/ownership of woodlands
  • The Raasay community is more informed about the options available to them with respect to our local woodlands.
  • The Raasay community is supported to make an informed decisions on the future management of local woodlands.

“The exchange has influenced the decision to purchase an electric tipper truck for our current wood fuel processing and delivery service. The information taken away from the learning exchange will be discussed as at Raasay Roundtable event where we will decide on next steps.”

Case Studies

Campy Growers at Bamff

Bamff philosophy is “We face a crisis unprecedented in the history of human civilisation, with climate change and biodiversity loss accelerating around the globe”.

Seven people, listening to a person, standing in long grass in a woodland area

“The biodiversity crisis in the UK is happening at one of the fastest rates in the world. At Bamff, we are doing all we can to create wildlife habitat – to restore nature’s abundance and to sequester carbon.”  Since Campy Growers started the aim is to do with producing local and ethically grown food, lock up carbon and create a community around the project.

Learning Outcomes

  • Increase knowledge about native plants and wildlife in an ecosystem context and replicating it at Campy when possible
  • Make this knowledge accessible to other volunteers, staff and visitors but setting up signs and informative documents on site (wildlife habitat, native plants, impact of invasive plants …)
  • Educate visitors by organising workshops (with the support of a naturalist) on site to identify what our soil and site are made off and how to improve them

“Our next task is to get a baseline of what’s already there. It could be a case of recording plants, insects in a log with volunteers. We also plan to keep a photo library. Delivering workshops will be key to spreading the word about biodiversity and how you can support it, through bog gardens, pond and wild flower meadows.”

Case Studies

Regenerative farming network

Visited four different farms run by a farmer in Propagates Regenerative Farmer Network.

one person standing in woodland, speaking, with their arms gesturing

There was a spread of farmers, size of farm, farming background, regenerative practice, time in the network, gender and age.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn more detail of how the Regenerative farming Network was set up, how it runs and resources that are needed to maintain it
  • Meet with farmer involved in the RFN to hear their experience of being part of the network
  • Glean inspiration, contact and advice from those involved in the RFN to inform how we can best set up a successful RegenAg peer support network in the Highlands.

“The big takeaway is the importance of the network being open to all interested in regenerative farming, and from the start building a non-judgemental culture. It was clear that part of the success is making sure the network is farmer-led… letting it develop organically rather than a predetermined plan put on the mentors.”

Case Studies

Woodland restoration and management

CWA members were invited to take part in the 3 learning exchanges across Inverness to explore different approaches to woodland restoration and management.

a close up of purple flowers with people in the background walking up a small hill

In total 14 community groups visited the woodland sites to exchange knowledge and ideas.

Learning Outcomes

  • Outdoor learning for sustainability: how to deliver to different ages and stages to ensure participants have a real sense of achievement and ownership of their woodland.
  • Sharing approaches to meadow management and removal of invasive species.
  • Looking after archaeological and historical sites.
  • Future planning and diversification.

“It was good to hear how you have dealt with and are overcoming similar challenges to those we have at Dunnet. Your site is beautiful – the care and attention to future planning was a joy to hear. It was really interesting to hear about meadow management and the type of machinery to invest in- definitely information that I will be taking back to Dunnet.”