Sarah H Watts
Mountains offer incredibly exciting landscapes rich in natural and cultural heritage. But did you know that in Britain there is an important component of mountain biodiversity that is almost completely missing? Mountain woodland, at the altitudinal treeline, has been severely depleted by centuries of overgrazing and burning, with only a few tiny fragments remaining.
Join Sarah Watts, Chair of the Mountain Woodland Action Group, on a journey exploring why we should be bringing back the “wee trees” to our hillscapes.
Mountain woodland habitats are a haven of biodiversity for a range of rare insects and upland birds, but also provide essential nature-based solutions for tackling the impacts of climate change. Sarah will showcase pioneering restoration work; an ambitious undertaking in remote and challenging terrain, but well worth the commitment to enhance opportunities for people and wildlife in our upland environment.
Sarah is a PhD researcher at the University of Stirling, investigating how we can improve outcomes in mountain woodland restoration projects to create more resilient, connected and sustainable treeline habitats in Britain. She is also the conservation manager of Corrour Estate in the Highlands, a job which allows her the opportunity to put into practice the outputs of her own research.
Sarah Watts (@Watts_SH) / Twitter
Mountain Woodland Action Group (@MontaneWoodland) / Twitter”
12.15pm – 1.15pm
Sun 18th Sept
Pathfoot Lecture Theatre