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Trees for Life's Field Base near Glen Affric
In 1996 Trees for Life purchased Plodda Lodge, near the village of Tomich, just outside Glen Affric, and within our 600 square mile target area. |
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This large three bedroom house is located in a quiet secluded area surrounded by trees, and was built in the 1850s as a laundry for the Guisachan Estate. Its remote location in the forest means that it is ideally suited for use as a field base for the increasing practical work in the area, and the house will play an important role in the future development of the trees for life nursery project. It was purchased with the aid of a substantial donation from a member, financial assistance from the Chris Brasher Trust and funds raised by an appeal in February 1995.
Neil Armstrong and Jill Hodge are the staff members based at Plodda Lodge - Neil is the field base warden and Jill is tree nursery manager. Volunteer work weeks groups are based at Plodda in the spring and autumn each year, and they help with work in the nursery, as well as carrying out restoration work in the Caledonian Forest in nearby areas such as Glen Affric and Corrimony. |
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Aspen propagation unit and tree nursery
Trees for Life have now established an aspen propagation unit in a polytunnel at Plodda lodge, complete with propagation equipment. This new facility, together with the increased number of sites to collect root sections from (following the near completion of an exhaustive survey of aspen stands in Glens Affric, Cannich and Moriston) should result in many more young aspens being available for planting in the years ahead. |
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In the tree nursery at Plodda Trees for Life specialise in growing some of the rarer and/or less easily available tree species native to the Caledonian Forest such aseared willow,hazelandjuniper. The photographs above show volunteers working with Jill Hodge on beds in the tree nursery.
Plodda Lodge now provides accommodation for long term volunteers or university students who are carrying out field studies and research in conjunction with the project; and Trees for Life also base some of their work weeks there, now that the required planning permission for use by groups has been granted.
Source : Trees for Life |
