A CONSERVATION charity has launched a £1 million appeal to buy a second slice of the Devil’s Beeftub.
The Border Forest Trust (BFT) wants to purchase just over 115 hectares of land north of Moffat as part of its plan to create healthy new habitats full of plants and animals across southern Scotland.
The land they are looking to purchase consists of the northern portion of Ericstane Farm, and includes the ancient wood pasture pictured, which is known locally as ‘The Dairy Wood’.
Its boundary sits alongside the existing Corehead land which BFT has owned and been restoring since 2009.
The trust are currently in talks with ‘major donors’ to support the land purchase and a spokesperson for the BFT stated: “This development presents BFT with the opportunity to take a major step forward in our ambitions for the Wild Heart of Southern Scotland through habitat and species restoration, woodland creation and, the eradication of invasive non-native species.
“Adding this Ericstane extension to Corehead will also unite all parts of the famous Devil’s Beeftub feature under one unified management plan.
“This will also complement the ambitious Lottery Funded Destination Tweed Project focusing on improving a 113 mile trail from Moffat past the source of the Tweed to Berwick upon Tweed.”
Director for the Border Forest Trust, Charles Dundas is delighted with the initial response, as he told the Moffat News: “The initial response to the appeal has been really good. We’ve had a lot of generosity, not just from locals in Moffat but from people all over Scotland, and further afield who support this sort of ecological work. BFT are delighted with the response we’ve received since we feel that it reflects a trust in our track record of high-quality conservation.”
“We are restoring the degraded ecology of the Southern Uplands’ damaged landscapes for everybody and especially for the generations to come who will truly benefit from a South of Scotland rich in biodiversity. Along the way that also means local job opportunities, work for local contractors, educational opportunities for local schools and community groups, volunteering options and everything else that our existing projects at Carrifran Wildwood, Talla and Gameshope Valleys and Corehead and the Devil’s Beeftub already do.”
n For more information or to donate to the One Million Pound appeal visit: https://bordersforesttrust.org or call 01835 830750.
