Like much of Britain, Scotland was once covered in thick, natural forest. Over time, industry, shipping and wood burning has eroded our natural woodlands, and much has been replaced unsympathetically with non-native or coniferous woodlands.
Pease Dean Wildlife Reserve in East Lothian is one of a few tiny fragments of precious native woodland still remaining in Scotland, preserved by its isolation in a steep valley and now in the caring hands of Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Due to the steepness of the valley, getting visitors around the site safely and easily is a priority for SWT, made harder by frequent heavy rain that washes away paths and bridges, leaving large parts of the reserve inaccessible.
Funding from Valencia Communities Fund has enabled the trust to install harder-wearing footpaths and build stronger bridges, designed to sit higher over the water than their predecessors, meaning flood water can pass underneath them without impediment.
Visitors are now able to visit the site and take in the natural beauty and wildlife of one of Scotland's most vital woodland reserves.
