Climate change to feature in ‘Tree Oscars’

David Lee presents the winner of the Scotland’s Finest Woods Award’s first ever Climate Change Champion award.

When judges in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards began the search for their first Climate Change Champion, they were searching for one of three things.

They wanted a forest or woodland clearly mitigating the impacts of climate change, or adapting to the changing climate – or sharing knowledge and information about the subject ‘on the ground’,

In the end, they found all three in the same place – and named Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill, near Straiton, Ayrshire, as the first Climate Change Champion in the ‘Tree Oscars’.

The small estate – owned by Andrew and Lynne Sinclair – won the new award, sponsored by CarbonStore, as the Awards returned after a Covid-cancellation in 2020.

Professor Chris Quine, Chief Scientist at Forest Research, led the team of expert judges assessing Climate Change Champion entries. He said: “Bennan Hill was a well-planned and well-executed case study, drawing on guidance and expert knowledge to address the climate emergency by establishing trees to sequester carbon and contribute to a decarbonised future. “Even more noteworthy was the way the estate demonstrated an integrated approach to tackling climate change throughout its activities with actions relating to mitigation, adaptation and knowledge exchange. The owners demonstrated a strong commitment and a real consistency of vision which made this site a very worthy champion.”

Balbeg won a double victory, also collecting the John Kennedy Trophy for Multi-purpose forestry for a whole forest or estate. Judges noted their surprise that such an excellent entry came from an estate with limited experience of creating woodlands.

Balbeg owner Andrew Sinclair explained this by saying: “I do not know that much about woods and I have relied on many people to help me. I feel quite humbled because I have gone with my gut and listened to advice given to me.”

Judges selected two Climate Change Champion runners-up – Borders Forest Trust for an ecological restoration project at Corehead, near Moffat, Dumfriesshire and Aylsa Leslie (with forestry consultant Simon Jacyna) for Auchintender, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Judges said Auchintender had “identified clear value in changing land use from arable agriculture to forestry” and showed strong commitment to carbon sequestration – and clear evidence of climate mitigation and carbon benefits, enabled through access to carbon finance. It was “an excellent example of accomplished establishment of fast-growing trees on a former arable site, showcasing an effective approach to climate change mitigation”.

Corehead was described by the judges as an excellent example of a new native woodland integrated into sensitive management of the wider site with existing conifer blocks and sheep farming. Their commendations said: “Climate mitigation and adaptation benefits were clearly evidenced in design and choices made. Carbon finance is enabling a well-managed and resilient new native woodland to develop with space for expansion. Use of timber from the site to build a visitor cabin exemplifies contributions to tackling climate change by local resourcing and sustainable construction materials. This is an excellent example of the incorporation of climate change thinking into an ambitious large-scale habitat restoration project to deliver long-term benefits.”

The Climate Change Champion Award was selected from entrants to other categories who specified that they would also like to be considered for the prize.

David McCulloch, Head of CarbonStore, said the quality of entries had been very strong.

He added: “CarbonStore is dedicated to helping mitigate climate change by uniting landowners keen to plant trees with companies wanting to offset their residual carbon emissions. We considered ourselves the perfect partner to sponsor the new Climate Change Champion Award in this highly respected, well-established programme, especially in the year COP26 comes to Scotland.”

SCOTLAND’S FINEST WOODS AWARDS 2021

Climate Change Champion Award:

Andrew & Lynne Sinclair, Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill, Straiton, Ayrshire. Farm Woodland Award: Wendy Seel & Anne Taylor, North Tillydaff, Midmar, Aberdeenshire.

Farm Woodland Award (Young People)

James & Nikki Yoxall, Howemill, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Large Community Woodland Group:

Craigmillar Castle Park, Edinburgh (Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust).

Small Community Woodland Group:

Laide & Aultbea Community Woodland, Laide, Ross-shire New Native Woods: Anders Holch Povlsen and Wildland Ltd, Killiehuntly Woodland, Cairngorms. New Commercial Woods: Mrs J C Hands, Larriston Forest, Newcastleton, Scottish Borders.

Single stand of trees, compartment or

small wood: Aylsa Leslie, Auchintender, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Whole Forest or Estate: Andrew & Lynne Sinclair, Balbeg Estate, Straiton, Ayrshire; Schools Award: Pitlochry High School, Perthshire Early Years Award: Perth Outdoor Playgroup, Perth;

Other award categories

The 2021 Finest Woods winners also included Scotland’s largest landowner, Anders Holch Povlsen, who won the New Native Woods Award for Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms.

Nikki and James Yoxall won the Farm Woodland Young People’s Award for Howemill, near Huntly in Aberdeenshire - “a wonderful example of a unique integration of trees and livestock farming” - while the overall Farm Woodland Award went to Wendy Seel and Anne Taylor at North Tillydaff, an organic vegetable producer in Midmar, Aberdeenshire.