Forres Community Woodlands Trust awarded £7,026 to battle non-native invasive species in Sanquhar woods
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A FORRES woodland preservation group has been awarded cash to shore up native species at Sanquhar.
Forres Community Woodlands Trust will use a £7026 boost from the Berry Burn Community Fund to clear the area of invasive rhododendren and laurel.
The group's secretary Gisela MacFarquhar said: "We are delighted to have been awarded £7026 from the Berry Burn Community Fund.
"This is the second phase of our eradication programme, which started in 2017.
"The current phase will cover the next five years during when any further regrowth will be closely monitored."
The rhododendrons being tackled are not the same variety as the widely-loved garden variety of the plant.
Ms MacFaquhar said: "Many people grow rhododendron and laurel in their own gardens and are puzzled by our effort to eradicate these plants in our woodlands. The species which are usually found in gardens these days are non-invasive and are easily contained by pruning.
"We are concerned about the rhododendron ponticum, with a lilac blossom. Despite producing an attractive flower in the spring, it can have damaging effects on the local environment. By growing rapidly, this plant outcompetes native flora and decreases biodiversity."
The plant, not native to the UK and Ireland, has exploded since its introduction.
Ms MacFarquhar said: "It was first introduced to the UK via Gibraltar in 1763 and by 1893 it was sold in London markets as a flowering pot plant.
"Since then, this plant has grown uncontrollably and is now a common sight throughout western parts of the British Isles."
The Berry Burn Community Fund, which is funding the Sanquhar project, is bankrolled by the Berry Burn Windfarm near Dunphail and distributes over £170,000 per year to local communities.
Ms MacFarquhar believes fresh funding could be the final step in beating Sanquhar's troublesome plants.
She said: "A great deal of progress has already been made. Large areas have been cleared of these very invasive species.
"However, some areas were missed in the first round and there has been some regrowth. There is a good chance, though, that this will be the end of this infestation in the Sanquhar area.
"Thanks also to the excellent job other woodland organisations in the vicinity, like The Sanquhar Dam Renovation Group and the Forres Friends of Woods and Fields, have done."
