21 Nov 2024

Dynamic duo return to save mountain plant habitats

Written by Paul Williams

Two men sit on a hillside, surrounded by long grass. Ben Lawers rises behind them. The man on the left has long curly blond hair and a red beard; the man on the right has short dark hair. Both wear National Trust for Scotland fleeces.

Lewis and James at Ben Lawers NNR

We’ve bolstered our team at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve to conserve the collection of nationally rare and scarce mountain plant species.

Ecologist Lewis Donaghy and ranger James Robinson, who both worked at Ben Lawers last year, returned to their roles again this summer to protect Scotland’s nature and heritage. Their work protects mountain willow scrub, one of the six priority habitats identified in the Trust’s recently published Plan for Nature, which provides a framework and focus for our nature conservation efforts. Restoration of this rare habitat is one of the main focuses of Lewis and James’s work at the National Nature Reserve.

Lewis, who spent his winter working in New Zealand and was eager to return to Scotland to continue his role at the Trust, said: ‘I was keen to return to my role and get back out in the mountains botanising and surveying mountain species, including rare willows. There are 15 nationally rare and 40 nationally scarce plant species at the reserve, so surveying them is important. It provides an indication of how well they are doing and contributes to the long-term data used to measure the health of these populations.

‘These plants thrive high up in the mountains where they have adapted to colder temperatures and strong winds. However, the habitats in which they do best are declining due to rising temperatures caused by climate change. Conditions for the plants have got worse due to warmer winters, with less snow cover and prolonged dry periods in summer causing them to retreat to higher altitudes in search of more suitable conditions. Long-term monitoring has highlighted that the reduction in suitable habitats is having a detrimental effect on some high-altitude, specialist species with snow pearlwort, mountain sandwort and drooping saxifrage particularly vulnerable. Despite these worrying trends, other species are doing well, with populations of alpine fleabane in a stable condition.’

A man with long curly hair uses a yellow measuring tape to measure plants on the ground up on a hill, with a rocky crag, loch and hills in the background.

Two hands hold the leaves and stem of a freshly planted sapling, surrounded by soil and grass.

The restoration of mountain willows, pioneered at Ben Lawers, began after monitoring data highlighted that they were declining. Highland saxifrage (Saxifraga rivularis) was also saved from local extinction by conservation action, after monitoring revealed that only a single plant remained.

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“To know that my work is contributing to the Trust’s efforts to help sustain and grow the collection of rare mountain plants at Ben Lawers is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Lewis Donaghy

Ecologist

A man with long curly hair sits on a hillside, surrounded by small trees and vegetation, with a loch and hills in the background. A red backpack lies beside him.

Lewis continued: ‘It is thanks to the continued generosity of our supporters, alongside the funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery that have supported my role, enabling the Trust to protect and promote the wildlife, nature and landscapes in its care for the benefit of everyone, now and into the future.’

Lewis’s surveys are complemented by James’s work on the practical management of the reserve, as well as managing its tree nursery. Both roles are vital to achieving the ambitions for expanding mountain willow scrub set out in the Plan for Nature.

Ranger James Robinson, who previously managed libraries before studying environmental management and technology at the Open University, joined the Trust after volunteering with conservation projects in the UK and South America and training to become an arborist. James commented: ‘My skills as an arborist have been put to good use managing the tree nursery, where I grow saplings from seeds collected on the reserve. We focus on growing mountain willow species, although we also grow hazel, aspen, juniper, and some other species in smaller amounts. These trees are planted on the reserve to support the restoration of a continuous habitat gradient from woodland through mountain willow scrub to mountain plants.’

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“We currently have approximately 3,500 saplings growing from seed sown last year and have recently sowed seed for this year with the hope of getting a similar number of trees in 2025. It takes between 16 and 24 months to nurture willows from seed before they are ready to be planted out.”

James Robinson

Ranger, National Trust for Scotland

A man in a navy blue jacket tends to seed trays sprouting with green vegetation inside a polytunnel.

James continued: ‘Lewis’s role complements my work as the surveying provides evidence of the impact of habitat restoration and also informs priorities for practical action. By continuing our focus on mountain willow scrub at Ben Lawers, we’re reinforcing the site as a pioneer in the restoration of this priority habitat, helping to increase understanding as well as inspire and support other sites looking to undertake its reintroduction.’

A man carefully lifts a small green shoot with fine white roots out of a seed tray inside a polytunnel. He holds a wooden stirrer-like tool in his other hand.

A smiling man in a navy blue jacket holds a crate of saplings inside a polytunnel.

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported our conservation charity’s Love Our Nature project since 2022, which benefited from £900k last year. Further funding awarded through Postcode Earth Trust this year will support conservation work at Ben Lawers and across a variety of different habitats, including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland and the eight National Nature Reserves cared for by the Trust. Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, Laura Chow, said: ‘It’s great that our players are supporting the Trust’s vital nature conservation work at Ben Lawers in this way. Lewis and James have such an important job to do, and we wish them the very best.’

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have now raised over £3.4m since 2014 to support the National Trust for Scotland.

The Love Our Nature project supports our vision to care for, protect and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, as outlined in our 10-year strategy, launched in 2022.