Lower Tarras Transformation Continues

Since the felling of the former sitka spruce plantation finished last March, it has been full steam ahead with the restoration works across the site. The masterplans for the site were created by Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust and were shaped by lots of community feedback. The designs have helped to provide a long-term vision for the area and guided practical works on the 36 hectare site over the past few months. The works have been funded by the Langholm Initiative alongside a private donation and grant support from Rotary International.

As always, it has been a real team effort to get this far with the restoration! It has included specialist contracting from local firm Simon Richardson Ltd to carry out groundworks, path and wetland creation, designers at Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, local contractor Borders Forestry Ltd who have undertaken path clearance works, the ongoing support of Rotary International and our amazing volunteers!

We have also been planting native trees which have been grown from seed at HMP Dumfries in the prison wellbeing gardens and growing tunnels as part of our ongoing tree growing partnership with the prison. Their next growing project will be trialling some native Scots Pine seeds ready to come onto the reserve in the autumn!

The works so far have included:

1. Land reprofiling of the leftover brash from the felled trees and where felling operations had churned up the ground
2. Creation of two new ponds to help slow the site run off and create new wetland habitats
3. Creation of a new circular access track around the site
4. Resurfacing the main access track into the site
5. Removing old redundant fencing with our volunteers
6. Removing thousands of tiny sitka spruce saplings with our volunteers
7. Volunteer planting of native trees including Rowan, Oak, Scots Pine, Blackthorn, Alder, Cherry and Apple to help give things a helping hand
8. Transplanting willow cuttings from further up the Tarras valley and planting on riparian and pond edges with our amazing volunteers!

What’s next?

1. Installing new site access gate which is horse, walker and bike friendly
2. Native Scottish woodland and marginal pond edge wildflower mixes to be seeded with our volunteers and school groups across the new wetlands to help with colonising the bare ground with a diversity of plants
3. New wooden bench (location tbc) which will be made by local furniture maker Daniel Lacey using felled larch, which was retained from the felling operations, working with local work experience student who is hoping to get some practical joinery experience before going off to study at college.
4. Continuing native tree planting to create seed islands across the site to give it a helping hand in regenerating!

We are excited to see how the site transforms in the spring with lots of green shoots already peeking through the soil including Bluebells, Oak and Rowan saplings!

We could not have achieved as much as we have without the dedication of our fantastic volunteers, and we appreciate all the time people have given so far. There are regular volunteer sessions if you’d like to come along and get involved!