News

Glenlivet Needs Willing Hands For World Record Tree-planting Event

17 November 2009

The Glenlivet Estate is looking for volunteers to join a world record attempt to plant 1 million trees across the UK in one hour on Saturday, December 5 as part of the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign.

Organisers are looking for tree-loving volunteers to bring a spade and join in the record attempt which will take place at 11am – or ‘Tree O’Clock’ as the campaign calls it - www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.

The record attempt will be the start of planting a new 40 hectare native Caledonian woodland near Altnaglander on the Estate, which will ultimately have around 63,000 trees planted in total.

Glenlivet Estate countryside manager, Vicky Hilton said she hoped there would be a large turnout for the record attempt.
“We are hoping to make a significant start on Saturday, December 5, as part of Tree O’Clock but planting will then continue throughout winter to create this new woodland. As it grows and matures – across decades – it will become a welcome habitat for many of our native species.

“We will try to plant as many trees as we can within one hour and help the Breathing Places campaign to reach its target of 1 million trees. The more people who come along the better chance we have of finding our way into the record books.”

Interested families and individuals should come to the Altnaglander car park (on the B9136 just north of Tomintoul) at 10.30am on Saturday 5 December and bring a spade.

Once the woodland is established it will also become part of The Crown Estate’s innovative carbon offset scheme, designed to counter the emissions from London’s Regent Street (which is also part of The Crown Estate) Christmas lights by creating a new native habitat in Scotland’s north.

ends
Notes to editors:
• On behalf of the nation, The Crown Estate manages a highly diverse £6 billion property portfolio across the UK.  The value of its holdings in Scotland is £237 million.
• Its objectives, which are laid down by Parliament under The Crown Estate Act 1961, include enhancing the value of the estate and the revenue it produces.
• Every year The Crown Estate pays all of its surplus revenue to the UK Treasury for the benefit of all UK taxpayers: in 2008/09 this was £226.5 million. £15.5 million of this came from Scotland.
• Core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship, guide and inform all The Crown Estate business activities.
• The Crown Estate is committed to working in partnership with the Scottish Government and members of the Scottish Parliament, local authorities and a wide range of other stakeholders to safeguard the long term interests of the environment and the communities with which we work.
• In Scotland, The Crown Estate includes:
 The marine estate consists of over half the foreshore and the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit. The Crown Estate has the right to explore and utilise the resources of the UK continental shelf (excluding oil, gas and coal), including the right to license renewable energy in the form of offshore wind, wave and tidal power. We are working with our partners to ensure that Scotland is well placed to take advantage of the benefits that renewables will bring through employment and by reducing carbon emissions.
 The rural estate in Scotland comprises 43,000 hectares and includes the Glenlivet, Fochabers, Applegirth, Stirling and Whitehill estates. It includes 185 agricultural tenancies and 102 residential properties.
 The urban estate includes retail property in Edinburgh.
• The Crown Estate in Scotland is managed from its Edinburgh Office at 6 Bells Brae Edinburgh EH4 3BJ.

The Glenlivet Estate
• The Crown Estate acquired the Glenlivet estate in 1937. Around 23,000 ha (58,000 ac) in size, it comprises over 30 let farms, 3,500 ha (8,500 ac) of commercial forests and a sporting tenancy including grouse moors, salmon fishing and deer stalking. Within Glenlivet, The Crown Estate has encouraged sustainable economic development, backed up by significant re-investment, a policy that has won the estate several major awards. Facilities and services for visitors are continually being developed and it is the policy of The Crown Estate to encourage new enterprises and activities, which are in keeping with the area’s traditional land uses. http://www.glenlivetestate.co.uk/

For further information please contact: Barbara Fraser, Barbara.fraser@pagodapr.com; 0131 556 0770.