Strategic Objectives:

• Preservation and development of existing woodland
• Conservation, propagation and re-establishment of native trees
• Creation of a Shetland Arboretum to foster interest in trees and participate in international conservation strategies
• Encouragement of the use of trees, shrubs and other woodland flora in the Shetland landscape, both urban and rural, so that they enhance the environment, and are of positive value to people and wildlife, for both present and future generations

Horticultural Unit and Nursery
This year has been a very active one for the Woodland Team. Notably, we were able to start work on our new Horticultural Unit at North Staney Hill having received funding through the Forestry and Rural Development Scheme from EAGGF, Scottish Natural Heritage and Shetland Enterprise.

Scottish Executive funding, through the Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme, also enabled the construction of cold frames for the conservation and propagation of Shetland's indigenous hawkweed populations; these are located on the same new nursery site as the horticultural unit.

SCION Project
The SCION project, in which we co-operated with the Orkney Woodland Development Project and with the University of Abertay Dundee to conserve by bringing into cultivation the Northern Isles few remaining hazels, ended this year.

Outputs were not as successful as hoped in the case of tissue culture, with initially promising explants succumbing to bacterial infection in vitro in Orkney, however, seedlings of Berriedale hazel were successfully raised and planted out, while we now have grafted specimens of all three Orkney hazels, and of one presumed to be of Shetland, Punds Water origin. A layered shoot from the Shetland, Catfirth hazel appears to have rooted, and will soon be transplanted to pot culture. It should be much easier to overcome infection problems with these cultivated clones, and the new horticultural unit will enable much higher standards of hygiene and care to be maintained.

Propagation
Other indigenous plants that have been successfully propagated and transferred to plantations, gardens, or back to the wild, include: hawkweeds, juniper (including the 'intermediate' form), oysterplant, aspen, rowan, royal fern, dogrose, honeysuckle, and most species and hybrids of willow.

This year also saw a very successful growth of downy birch from seed collected in Berriedale in Hoy, Orkney - Britain's most northerly semi-natural woodland.

The evaluation and introduction of trees suitable for shelter in our windy and salty climate has continued. The demand for such species as Sitka alder of coastal Alaskan origin, created by the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme (see below), has been encouraging, and again, improved propagation facilities will make it easier to keep up with this demand.

Meanwhile a range of ornamental species raised from seed donated by the Norwegian Arboretum at Milde, near Bergen, continues to expand; these are for inclusion in our proposed Shetland Arboretum.

Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme
The Northern Isles Locational Premium awarded to Orkney and Shetland as a "top-up" to the SFGS has been popular here, with to date 22 applicants being approved to plant over 18 hectares of woodland. This means £55,000 of premium funds allocated to Shetland - on top of the normal grants - and the addition of approximately the same amount of trees and shrubs to the crofting landscape. The majority of applicants are crofters seeking to diversify their land use and improve biodiversity as well as create shelter. It has also been encouraging that so many applicants have actively sought the support and involvement of their local communities, and intend to provide access to the public. The premium has been extended for another year to 2006-7.

Woodlands Habitat Action Plan
A Woodland Habitat Action Plan was drawn up by Nicky Davies of Living Shetland, with input from Shetland Amenity Trust together with SNH, SIC and SCFWAG. It has set targets for the development of new woodland, improving access and biodiversity in older plantations, conservation, the involvement of the community, education, and advice. SAT is identified as taking a leading role, or acting as partner in all these activities.

Open Space Strategy
Shetland Amenity Trust also took the lead role in drawing up for SIC an Open Space Strategy, in which alternatives to regularly cut grass in urban areas were explored. Preliminary plans and suggestions for such an area at Nedersund, Lerwick were aired to the Sound Community Association. It is hoped to learn from the experience of Faroese town gardeners the benefits of imaginative landscaping in similar climates to Shetland.

Planting, Landscaping, Tree and Other Work

The Woodland Team has undertaken a variety of landscaping and planting projects throughout the year, including Baltasound School, the Burn of Brae, Clickimin Campsite and Upper Kergord. The Team has also kept up a programme of tree surgery or removal of hazardous trees in conservation areas and mature plantations.

A management agreement with Hjaltland Housing Association for the proposed woodland between Ackrigarth and the new housing scheme at Quoys is nearing completion and plans have been drawn up for woodland at the new Nesting School. Planting for both these projects will commence in 2005.

The involvement of the Trust in rebuilding the East House croft house in Burra extended to the Woodland Team cutting poans for the new taekit roof. The job was done on a suitable piece of land in West Burra, with a traditional poan cutter; the poans were stored over winter in an open shed at Kergord. Other 'in-house' tasks included grasscutting and fence repair at archaeological sites and assisting with the Midden Court project in Whalsay. Some routine hedge trimming was also done for the SIC.

Although the SIC did not run a Christmas tree recycling scheme this winter, we were able to acquire from Rova Head a large amount of trees, and some retailers were able to deliver unsold stock for us to use for shredding and compost making.

Volunteers
Every year we are glad to receive the help of volunteers in the form of Shetland Conservation Volunteers and BTCV Scotland. This year the former helped planting at the Loch of Voe Community Woodland which is really beginning to 'take shape', while the latter did some expert work repairing stone dykes at the new Aithbank Camping Böd in Fetlar.