Trust intensifies efforts to combat climate and biodiversity crises

Making progress against land management objectives for climate and nature

The John Muir Trust has a long history of sustainable land management, but the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises has seen it intensify efforts to meet climate and nature recovery targets through a commitment to the constant care of the wild places it manages.  

Healthy living habitats capable of removing carbon and supporting a diversity of wildlife species currently require human intervention in the form of reducing deer numbers, as the destructive impact from decades of intensive deer grazing prevents the natural regeneration and expansion of native woodlands. 

Through the 2022/23 deer management season the Trust substantially increased deer culls across all the land in its care in order to support the objective of giving nature the freedom to repair.  

Romany Garnett, Engagement Manager for the Trust based in the North West Highlands said: “We’re starting to see first-hand the early signs of a positive habitat response in the form of young saplings. We know from past experience that any gains in tree growth seen this year can be undone if we don’t continue with our commitment to reduce and control browsing levels.” 

As the start of the 2023 deer season approaches the Trust has re-appointed the stalking contractors in place last season to deliver a similar size of cull.  

The Trust is engaged in ongoing dialogue with its neighbours to provide clarity on its operations and intensions.

Romany continued, “This year will also see us look further at the feasibility to work with local people to develop community stalking. The Trust is interested in all the ways we can create initiatives that equally benefit nature, people and communities.”  

The Trust has previously welcomed a commitment by the Scottish Government to: ‘continue to drive down and deliver substantially reduced deer densities across our landscapes'.