A scout troop i have connections to is going to iceland next year and would love to help with reforestation while they are there. If anyone knows where to start coordinating please lmk I'm having to pretty much start an entire community where I am in the states so I have an uphill battle (especially since I'm in an agricultural state) any advice would be great
Gus, go for it. I cannot wrap my head around how important and valuable your work is, I would love to see what you have to show. In short make a TH-cam channel!!!
I’d certainly be a subscriber. I’m a rural estate manager here in Scotland and always interested in conserving and enhancing nature, habitat and landscape. Also as a keen naturalist, I’d enjoy Gus’s knowledge and enthusiasm for our wildlife.
@@swordsmen8856 Wistmans wood is a good example. A good book to read is the lost rainforests of britain by Guy Shrubsole, he describes lots of examples. But we need more!
Living in Germany, its shocking how many people truly don't understand the difference between something truly natural and what remains when something destroys nature and leaves it bare. Much of the black forest for example is actually forest plantation, while the rest is farmland. Maybe this misunderstanding would be an interesting future topic...😊
Of course, this is something we've mentioned throughout many of our videos because its such a common theme. The shifting baseline syndrome! The idea that we really don't know what we're missing ecologically. Cheers, Rob
From a Scottish person studying wildlife conservation, thank you for what you’re doing for my country, it makes me so so happy to see. Every time we drive up through the highlands it’s so beautiful but I get so sad that it’s just so devoid of life. But I’m hopeful for the future.
It would be great to see more native woodland in our glens, along the fast burns and up on the hillsides to some extent, but it would be a shame to have pine forest all the way to the tops, like they have in Germany, for example. The Highlands could really be improved for nature, whilst retaining our unique and beautiful heather and grass moor landscapes.
@@stonemarten1400 that was my point .. a forest plantation (tree farm).. does not make a re wilding project.. the whole process must be seen through from planting native plantlife..to when the "planted" regenerates and the localaised eco system returns.. However.. is it just a botanical garden, or is it a part of living, animal and human living in and on..
I very briefly worked with Gus a few years ago. The guy is a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to botany, his knowledge of plants is astounding. Not to mention also being a passionate advocate of rewilding. There can’t be many people his age in Scotland who are skilled in this subject to such a high level and I agree that he should consider starting his own YT channel. Great video guys!
There's a person in Ireland who has singlehandedly restored 3 acres. She's worked it mostly alone for around 20 years. She's got YT posts and a web site and has published some material on the journey. Bealtaine Cottage if you're interested in seeing private restoration efforts. Cheers.
As a young man in NW scotland where I grew up I poached a few deer as the laird had no interest in such things. But it never occurred to me that it was supporting conservation, it was more to protect arable land and we shared the excelent meat with nabours. It wasn't till later i came to realise how deforestation heavy grazing and burning combind with high rainfall had removed at a guess maybe more than half the topsoil. Really good work. I inherited a very old book written by a gamekeeper near Inverness, this gives a clue to the richness of nature back in the 1800s.
I’m always impressed by the diversity of projects ME takes on, but it also makes me sad that so many areas of our planet have been so terribly degraded. Thank you for giving me hope that this can be reversed. Thank you also for taking on the “underdogs” that get overlooked by bigger funders. I love that about ME. Mother Nature just needs a helping hand to bring back her awesomeness and you are there to give her a hand. Many, many thanks!
I visited Scotland a few years ago and didn't love the hills so much there because they're so barren. I had no idea this isn't how it's supposed to be! I'd love to see a more lush Scotland.
If Gus starts a TH-cam channel about Scottish botany, let me know! I’ll subscribe in a heartbeat. BTW: I’m so happy Mossy Earth and Reforesting Scotland is trying to save this functionally extinct tree. Hope you succeed 🌱
In Scandinavia mountain birch is everywhere in highland environments. If you hike in many mountainous regions in Scandinavia you’ll find lush forests with tall trees and dense bush and undergrowth in the wet valleys, and as you ascend the forests gradually thin out with each tree species disappearing as it reaches its maximum highland survival limit, until only the mountain birches remain as the sole tree able to survive the elevation and harsh climate. Each climactic level supports its flora and fauna, so you find that even at the elevation where no tree grows you have lots of flora and fauna specifically adapted to that environment. Some of my most cherished nature experiences have come when I’ve experienced an ascent or descent like that while hiking. As an aside, the further north you go the lower elevation you find the maximum survival elevation for a particular tree species. As an example (just making the numbers up for illustrative purposes) in Southern scandinavia the mountain birches might survive up to 900 meters above sea level, while they in northern scandinavia might ”only” survive up to 500 or 600 meters above sea level.
God I am from the UK and when U went to rural Sweden it was honestly so magical. Being able to walk in an actual natural forest! And then there was an actual natural lake!! It was not all pathed and fenced off and full of litter! and on the shore of the lake, I have never seen so much bird poo! It was glorious!
@@inspirednamehere6166be careful because Sweden has a problem of most of its forests being clear-cutting plantations, they have a lot more to improve than it may seem but coming from the UK it would look like paradise
I shared a train journey about 15 years ago with a young academic who was trying to reinvigorate research into European tree lines, his contention being that new ideas, theories and techniques were needed. As a layman, I knew nothing of this and learned a lot over the next couple of hours. The main takeaways were that the British Isles and Norway effectively have the lowest tree lines in the world along with Chile, and that people underestimate the influence of salt-laden prevailing winds from the Oceans and how it makes life difficult for trees at even low altitudes. I remember him specifically mentioning the Birch & Aspen problem and that in most of Norway and Britain 600-650m was effectively the maximum tree-line, and that in a few places it was thought to be naturally much lower regardless of how the land was managed. On that day he was heading for a Welsh Valley to look for some isolated trees. I have often wondered how successful he was in his quest, but it is great to see that others are now also picking up the batten with practical solutions. 👍
@@Solstice261 You are absolutely correct, that it often resembles plantations. Unintuitively perhaps, often times the forestry companies tread more lightly close to cities and towns so you can find the more natural and diverse forests close to human settlements. However, the awareness is growing that a lack of diversity isn’t good for the forestry industries (either) so hopefully change is coming.
I'm hoping to get across to southwest Norway in the not-too-distant future, perhaps I'll film some stuff whilst I'm there to compare what we see in Scotland to what you're describing over there. Sounds dreamy! Cheers, Gus
Estates are selling off farm steadings and worker's cottages to their london pals for weekend homes and short stay, so now they have little effect on local economies.. Tourists? They are flocking to see forests of wind turbines.. immature forrests now being cut down for biofuel, ones planted on 1000s of square miles of wild moor in order supply our construction needs for the next centuary. I pulled hill ploughs in preperation for planting for 5 yrs..hill forts be dammed, good old FC and MPs pension plans .. Question is: how do you reverse in part or in full 500 odd years of change? Hell bring back wolves, beaver, that'll fix it.. Better still revisit land title and how it should be used for the good of all .. plant trees and protect them under national monument status.. rivers too ..
@@shiskinegreenkeeper2782 This is total nonsense, the estates are pro-regeneration, they're just not anti-hunting, which the Scottish government is. The obvious solution is fencing, but that doesn't destroy the rural economy and spite hunters, so culling is what's happening.
One more proof that big predators are NECESSARY for the environment ! This effect of considering "natural" landscapes that are in fact completely altered is so common. Here in Sweden we do have lots of forests, but so many of them are just planted spruce or pine. And in the Northern regions many people don't realise that the slopes are grazed and have been for centuries... by reindeer. So glad the topic is breached in Scotland, good job people ! ...Maybe someday it will be time to bring it to Ireland, too.
Could you put speakers playing wolf sounds around the clusters of new trees once you plant them to try and induce a landscape of fear to keep deer away once the trees outgrow the fencing? Keep up the good work!
I would wonder if the deer instinct to fear those sounds remains intact as they have gone so long without being preyed upon by wolves. Perhaps in conjunction with wolf urine it might work, but that introduces a physical factor the environment has gone some time without as well. I'd think the long-term ideal would be to find a way to bring the predators back like they are doing with another of their projects.
@@RTCPhotoWorkthat’s a really good point I didn’t think about- thanks for bringing it up! The only studies I’ve seen with noise are in places natural predators still exist, but I am certainly not well versed with the literature
Gus, the world desperately needs more visionaries like you. I would love to see you start a TH-cam channel so that the encouraging news of what you are doing can be shared with others. I'm sure such a channel would be a catalyst for positive change. Thank you for all you are doing!
How fantastic to bring back Mountain Birch to the Highlands. Protecting your seedlings with deer fencing may save your project. Around here (San Juan Mtns of Colorado), deer can wipe out a bunch of aspen or pine seedlings in minutes. I often wish I'd been born centuries ago so I could have seen our mountains clad in old growth forests. Only a few huge, rotting stumps are left to show the vast difference in tree size and spacing. I think most people are unaware how different the forests were before the extensive logging. The current forests are made of relatively young trees, closely spaced. Mosses and fungi were wiped out when the forests were clear-cut, affecting the ecosystem in many ways and increasing wildfire risk. I wish you well. Beautiful video, and yes, I would watch and subscribe to a botany channel featuring Gus. Hopefully he would still spend his time doing what he does, and someone else could run the channel.
Well done Gus and Rob for getting some seed safely back down the mountain! I'm keen to see how the next stage goes at the nursery, and if Gus starts his own channel!
I hiked the West Highland Way in 2017 and it was really strange to not have huge forest up there in Scotland, I later found out about the human pressure started by the Romans even. It's amazing to think you are trying to restore this amazing environment
As a Finn I find it incredible that (free) overgrazing has been the accepted norm until now! Free grazing is a monster destroyer of nature. The whole Med to The middle East and Africa has suffered from this . Good luck with restoring the forests.
If Gus can be encouraged to start a Scottish Botany TH-cam channel it would increase the chances of bringing the temperate rainforest back to viability. All the trees need is a protected start and help if there's a drought until they get going.
Say what you want about the new generation but the fact we've realised re-wilding habitats is wayyy more interesting and exciting of an activity then hunting makes me happy. Love Mossy Earth!
Thank heavens for people like Gus! This looks like a really valuable project. Supporting Mossy Earth feels like a little bit of positivity in an increasingly negative world.
Years ago I went to America and did a 10 week university placement at Shenandoah National park in Virginia. The national park is a 100 mile stretch of the Appalachian mountains, with warm summers and snowy winters. The mountains, are not huge like those in the north west of the USA, but more similar to what would be called a mountain here in Britain. The tallest one, Hawksbill is 1,234 metres, just a bit smaller than Britain's tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, which is 1,345 metres. Apart from a few small clearings, the whole park is completely covered in trees, all the way up to the very top of the mountains, even Hawksbill. It looks absolutely amazing, and it's fantastic walking through the endless forest, with views of the valley below. Although rewilding is a relatively new term, it is not new and Shenandoah is a great example of it. You would never now by looking at the park now, but 100 years ago, about a 1/3rd of it was farmland. When it became a park, all the farm fields were re-forested, and the farmers all left the park. (obviously it could not be done the same way now as it was back then). It was during the great depression. President Hoover had a Conservation Corps that did the planting and they built a long scenic drive high up on the mountain ridge, with campsites and visitor centres. The park has wolves, black bears, wild turkeys, eagles, turtles, skunks, deer etc For years after my time there, it used to drive me mad looking at all these barren and bleak hills here in Britain, and was so underwhelmed by them, and wondered why does no one, even conservation charities ever mention about how they would have looked like and could be like that again?! It was like most of them had not even considered it. So, now it is great to see there is so much happening to restore woodlands on many bleak, desolate hills. Having seen Shenandoah, it feels like I a got a glimpse of what some places in Britain will look like in the future. Even now I notice conservation workers seem impressed if something is growing at 600 metres, and perhaps think this is as high as things will grow, but if you see Shenandoah, you will realise that trees can grow at a much higher altitude than that,.
Please, please, please don’t quit what you’re doing. It’s extremely valuable to the wilderness and preservation of the beautiful Scottish Highland topsoil recovery. I’m sure there are multiple groups of willing volunteers, schools, churches, youth groups who would jump at the chance to help replant the highlands.
Gus!! Make that channel man - its so nice and encouraging amidst all the rotten news that we get - to see someone passionate about nature, educating us and sharing stories of success in nature.
Thank you Gus for spear-heading this restoration. Thank you Mossy Earth for finding Gus and supporting his efforts. The footage of Southern Norway that showed what restored forest covered hills in Scotland would look like was a glorious touch as we get what we envision/picture in our minds and focus on. "Whenever manifesting/creating, always focus on the end result." - Lester Levenson This was a really well done and classy video presentation!!! May a Million Mountain Birches: Birth, Thrive, Bloom and continue to spread across all or nearly all of the highlands of Scotland!!!
God bless you and this project. I'm from South Africa so work abroad to earn a living, but if paid to plant trees I would do it right now, in Scotland. Great channel bro! Thank you
Encouragement, on the west coast America, a group has found out how to propagate ,& are growing seeds and planting them . While Some Think It’s to late . NOT SO , Grow the trees above were animal’s can reach . You can state in back Yard . A lack of INTEREST , INFORMATION . TRUST THE PUPPY HE DOES’T LIE. This should have started 100 years ago… Thanks GUS & PUP
Good work Gus and Mossy Earth👍 ,hopefully more people will get interested in doing this ,red deer are out of control and the Scottish government don't seem to care😢
We have deer problems here in America some years, especially for young pines. I highly suggest putting some fishing line on several levels similar to a normal fence and then putting little orange pieces of tape along the lines. It usually keeps the deer out of the area. We also use a mint soap, specifically irish spring bars and tie them to the trees during their vulnerable years. The rain will slowly, or in scotlands case maybe a bit more quickly, eat away at the soap coating the tree in it. It won’t hurt the deer or trees but it doesn’t taste very good for them. Not 100% useful as some deer will be hungry enough to try it anyways but usually after a bite they’ll leave it alone and not attack the rest. We’ve gone from a 75% loss rate, started using soap and got the loss rate down to about 50% and with the fishing line fences it’s about 10% now. Maybe even less. Good luck with the project!
If Gus had a channel, I’d definitely subscribe. Please announce it here if it ever becomes a reality. Thanks for all of your work, research, and reporting.
Hi Norwegian here. I just wanna point out that conditions here 120+ years ago was as bad or WORSE then Scotland many places (gd old overgrazing strikes again) . For example an old pic from about 1917 give or take, shows about half a high local hill being barren almost to the bedrock ......... today I can look at it trough my window COMPLETELY covered in forest. Today you'd never know, so recovery IS possible, keep fighting Scotland .
I hope Gus will choose to make a TH-cam channel. I think it would be very popular. As a Home Educator in Scotland, a channel from Gus would be well supported by other Home Educators who enjoy working on their John Muir awards and the Duke of Edinburgh awards too.
What's interesting about the highlands is some of that forest devastation dates back to the bronze age when the land was cleared for cattle rearing. People thought those environments were natural until very recently. Brazil is going through a similar change where agri-industry is choking itself to death through deforestation, removing the 'sky-rivers' that the natural forest provides and made the land useful in the first place.
very good video!! Excited to see the results of it :) scotland and iceland are the most exiting projects to me, as the depleted landscapes are manmade and hence could possibly brought back to their original state
I've done some similar catkin collecting of montaine willow species from very near where you collected your birch. Weather was similaly wet too. There's bits of Scotland where the woodland has been really expanded recently and so I am hopeful that the montine woodland will be as successful. It does seem that people like Gus have started working on these woodlands in the nick of time. If we'd waited much longer then these forests would be gone for good. So thank you for helping with your channel.
I hope to one day see the highlands, once agaiin covered in trees. Sicne learning about the highlands' history, it just doesn't feel the same. Your work is incredilbe!
If Gus wants to look at how his channel could work I recommend Adam’s channel called “Know Your Land.” He produces high quality videos, but with infrequent releases. Everyone loves his work because he is so knowledgeable, passionate yet humble and REAL. I would support Gus if he wanted to do something similar to help educate people about how important it is to protect and foster the remnants of original Scottish forests. The power and beauty of the ancient Grandmother Scots pine trees in Glen Affric is etched in my heart forever when I got to see them years ago. Restoration, properly done, can work! The mountain Birch needs a similar sanctuary. Thank you Mossy Earth for supporting this restoration project.
The other day I learned that the lack of restriction on the amount of milk being produced in Ireland, the ditches are being cut down to accommodate for all the cows. This made the bird population drop by 60%. It’s so heartbreaking.
Gus, how do you survive? I would love to do what you do, but somebody needs to put food on the table. And to support Mossy Earth! These videos always make me happy to give what little I can to this organisation.
These videos always make me overstay my bathtime. So good to see more people caring for the wild ways too. Wish I had some more money to spend on you lot, but I also support a few local Dutch foundations that keep up the woods in The Netherlands, we have so little of that left😭 keep it up and keep Gus at it too... He deserves the support❤️
I always hear people saying how beautiful Scotland’s highlands are, but to me they look barren and boring, the thought that forest once blanketed all but the tallest mountains is exciting and sad to think about, I hope we get it back
As a rocks and trees Canadian, this video really popped out for me. I traveled the extraordinarily beautiful Highlands and the first thing I saw were trees that weren’t there. In conversations with conservationists, professional silviculturists and forestry workers, I was impressed with their efforts to protect the environment. But, the work to be done is vast and complicated. I’d urge anyone who can to visit the Highlands; behold its wonder, and see what is and what could be there.
I wish you the best of luck with this work. I used to do a lot of camping and hiking in the Highlands, this landscape is so close to my heart. It is beautiful, and I thank you for taking care of it❤😊
Would love to see Gus make a TH-cam channel, but only if doing so would not distract too much time from doing the work that he is doing in trying to restore the Mountian Birches and the ecosystem they help create/maintain. Then again, if he did make a channel, it could create a platform to help bring more awareness to many of the species he cares about alongside educating people. Regardless, if he can find a good balance, or hire people to counteract the additional time that needs to be spent for running a TH-cam channel, then I would love to watch him and learn more. And to Gus and everyone else working on the MBP, thank you, and keep up the good work!
As part of making my living I used to collect seed for a big nursery operated in the way the one shown in this video is. Watching him seiving the birch seed brought back memories🙂 Mostly our squad took on contracts, from Caithness to the Uists, to plant the resulting trees in places where a landowner was accessing government grants for creating "new native" woodlands. These woods have all fared differently, a few simply failed, but it's very satisfying to see a thrirty foot high canopy where we planted six inch trees.
Heavens I wish you GREAT success on this project!!! As beautiful as some of Scotland is it is a ruined, empty and nature-free place. The work you're doing is VITALLY IMPORTANT! You are always a great inspiration to me!! I'm a bagpiper and Scotland holds a very special place for me and it's my dream too to see it rewilded, reforested and back to it's pristine natural state!! You should be knighted for the work you do!! We have the same problem over here in the USA with an exploding over-population of deer. I've heard deer characterized as an overgrown rodent!
Honestly I can't imagine woodlands in Scotland, the country is like a synonim for grass plains. I will eagerly await results. Loved the video! The editing with so many different shots looks great, makes me want to start hiking again :)
I don’t often comments on TH-cam but on this account I have to. Gus that is an amazing idea! You should 100% go for it. You would have so many subscribers. What you do is amazing and more people should know about. Good luck
3 cheers for Gus being so passionate about the mountain birch in an otherwise dead environment. Please do begin your TH-cam channel as we can study with you as you go along.
If you want to support this project and contribute to a growing diversity of rewilding projects, please head to www.mossy.earth/ to become a member!
this is a really nice project
pleas Gus? make a youtubes! i want to see the my ancestors home land in a detail that only you can provide
Gus needs to do a show with " crime pays but botany doesn't "
A scout troop i have connections to is going to iceland next year and would love to help with reforestation while they are there. If anyone knows where to start coordinating please lmk I'm having to pretty much start an entire community where I am in the states so I have an uphill battle (especially since I'm in an agricultural state) any advice would be great
Would be great if you had a segment with Gus that explained different species and plant history would be a fun short video series on mossy earth!
Gus, go for it. I cannot wrap my head around how important and valuable your work is, I would love to see what you have to show. In short make a TH-cam channel!!!
Yes! 100% not only is it super interesting, but its massively important. Cheers, Rob
And he already got a dog. TH-cam channels with a dog wondering in the background always do good. Hahaha
Yeah, I'd love to know more about former Scotland's forests and Gus work.
I’d certainly be a subscriber. I’m a rural estate manager here in Scotland and always interested in conserving and enhancing nature, habitat and landscape. Also as a keen naturalist, I’d enjoy Gus’s knowledge and enthusiasm for our wildlife.
I'd subscribe to his channel!
i just wish we had a european plan to recreate at least one temperate rainforest where we used to have them!
There some patches across the UK. I was actually in one yesterday, very special habitat. Cheers, Rob
@@MossyEarth where ?
@@swordsmen8856 Wistmans wood is a good example. A good book to read is the lost rainforests of britain by Guy Shrubsole, he describes lots of examples. But we need more!
It's actually crazy that nothing is left. Did noone in the past think about the future?
Aren't there still some in Ireland?
Living in Germany, its shocking how many people truly don't understand the difference between something truly natural and what remains when something destroys nature and leaves it bare.
Much of the black forest for example is actually forest plantation, while the rest is farmland. Maybe this misunderstanding would be an interesting future topic...😊
Of course, this is something we've mentioned throughout many of our videos because its such a common theme. The shifting baseline syndrome! The idea that we really don't know what we're missing ecologically. Cheers, Rob
@@MossyEarthlove the chanel, interesting to put a name to the phenomenon!
@TheRuralUrbanist Hey, funny seeing you here! Love your channel!
My limited readings indicate that you can thank the Holy Roman Empire for bringing ideas which supported the destruction of forests in Germany.
similarly, it's astounding how many people think "the countryside" (read: cattle+sheep grazeland) is nature
From a Scottish person studying wildlife conservation, thank you for what you’re doing for my country, it makes me so so happy to see. Every time we drive up through the highlands it’s so beautiful but I get so sad that it’s just so devoid of life. But I’m hopeful for the future.
It would be great to see more native woodland in our glens, along the fast burns and up on the hillsides to some extent, but it would be a shame to have pine forest all the way to the tops, like they have in Germany, for example. The Highlands could really be improved for nature, whilst retaining our unique and beautiful heather and grass moor landscapes.
@@stonemarten1400 Yes I definitely agree. It’s all about balance
You should team up and film his adventures for TH-cam
Less companies saying they make a difference "planting trees" when they plant monoculture trees as plantations. Complete pigs
@@stonemarten1400 that was my point .. a forest plantation (tree farm).. does not make a re wilding project.. the whole process must be seen through from planting native plantlife..to when the "planted" regenerates and the localaised eco system returns..
However.. is it just a botanical garden, or is it a part of living, animal and human living in and on..
I very briefly worked with Gus a few years ago. The guy is a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to botany, his knowledge of plants is astounding. Not to mention also being a passionate advocate of rewilding. There can’t be many people his age in Scotland who are skilled in this subject to such a high level and I agree that he should consider starting his own YT channel. Great video guys!
Hey Connor! Thanks for the kind words :-) Likewise, you hit the nail on the head in each of your videos! Cheers, Gus
There's a person in Ireland who has singlehandedly restored 3 acres. She's worked it mostly alone for around 20 years. She's got YT posts and a web site and has published some material on the journey. Bealtaine Cottage if you're interested in seeing private restoration efforts. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing, I'll definitely check her out!
Her YT channel:
youtube.com/@bealtainecottage?si=iF6ACLK429uSyHLd
What's the name of her channel?
bealtaine cottage@@poweredbymoonlight9869
Same here, what’s her name!? 👍
As a young man in NW scotland where I grew up I poached a few deer as the laird had no interest in such things. But it never occurred to me that it was supporting conservation, it was more to protect arable land and we shared the excelent meat with nabours.
It wasn't till later i came to realise how deforestation heavy grazing and burning combind with high rainfall had removed at a guess maybe more than half the topsoil.
Really good work.
I inherited a very old book written by a gamekeeper near Inverness, this gives a clue to the richness of nature back in the 1800s.
I would watch Gus talk about scottish botany! Great way to create interest and spread information.
+1
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a Barking expert on hikes and long walks!!
oh no hes an expert in bark. both on wood and the dog kind
Asked my family for a membership with y’all instead of a physical gift…. Couldn’t be more excited!!!!
I’m always impressed by the diversity of projects ME takes on, but it also makes me sad that so many areas of our planet have been so terribly degraded. Thank you for giving me hope that this can be reversed. Thank you also for taking on the “underdogs” that get overlooked by bigger funders. I love that about ME. Mother Nature just needs a helping hand to bring back her awesomeness and you are there to give her a hand. Many, many thanks!
I visited Scotland a few years ago and didn't love the hills so much there because they're so barren.
I had no idea this isn't how it's supposed to be! I'd love to see a more lush Scotland.
I live in the Highlands. A German friend came to visit and said, "I hate these naked mountains!"
If Gus starts a TH-cam channel about Scottish botany, let me know! I’ll subscribe in a heartbeat.
BTW: I’m so happy Mossy Earth and Reforesting Scotland is trying to save this functionally extinct tree. Hope you succeed 🌱
In Scandinavia mountain birch is everywhere in highland environments. If you hike in many mountainous regions in Scandinavia you’ll find lush forests with tall trees and dense bush and undergrowth in the wet valleys, and as you ascend the forests gradually thin out with each tree species disappearing as it reaches its maximum highland survival limit, until only the mountain birches remain as the sole tree able to survive the elevation and harsh climate. Each climactic level supports its flora and fauna, so you find that even at the elevation where no tree grows you have lots of flora and fauna specifically adapted to that environment. Some of my most cherished nature experiences have come when I’ve experienced an ascent or descent like that while hiking.
As an aside, the further north you go the lower elevation you find the maximum survival elevation for a particular tree species. As an example (just making the numbers up for illustrative purposes) in Southern scandinavia the mountain birches might survive up to 900 meters above sea level, while they in northern scandinavia might ”only” survive up to 500 or 600 meters above sea level.
God I am from the UK and when U went to rural Sweden it was honestly so magical. Being able to walk in an actual natural forest! And then there was an actual natural lake!!
It was not all pathed and fenced off and full of litter!
and on the shore of the lake, I have never seen so much bird poo! It was glorious!
@@inspirednamehere6166be careful because Sweden has a problem of most of its forests being clear-cutting plantations, they have a lot more to improve than it may seem but coming from the UK it would look like paradise
I shared a train journey about 15 years ago with a young academic who was trying to reinvigorate research into European tree lines, his contention being that new ideas, theories and techniques were needed. As a layman, I knew nothing of this and learned a lot over the next couple of hours. The main takeaways were that the British Isles and Norway effectively have the lowest tree lines in the world along with Chile, and that people underestimate the influence of salt-laden prevailing winds from the Oceans and how it makes life difficult for trees at even low altitudes. I remember him specifically mentioning the Birch & Aspen problem and that in most of Norway and Britain 600-650m was effectively the maximum tree-line, and that in a few places it was thought to be naturally much lower regardless of how the land was managed. On that day he was heading for a Welsh Valley to look for some isolated trees. I have often wondered how successful he was in his quest, but it is great to see that others are now also picking up the batten with practical solutions. 👍
@@Solstice261 You are absolutely correct, that it often resembles plantations. Unintuitively perhaps, often times the forestry companies tread more lightly close to cities and towns so you can find the more natural and diverse forests close to human settlements. However, the awareness is growing that a lack of diversity isn’t good for the forestry industries (either) so hopefully change is coming.
I'm hoping to get across to southwest Norway in the not-too-distant future, perhaps I'll film some stuff whilst I'm there to compare what we see in Scotland to what you're describing over there. Sounds dreamy! Cheers, Gus
I think Gus having his own YT channel would be absolutely brilliant and unique. He’s doing such important work.
Gus should definitely have. U TUBE channel!
Right!!! It would be really interesting!! Cheers, Rob
I hope Scotland recovers it's a stunning country and it should be wild again!
Difficult with the estates wanting deer and sheep all over the hills....that needs to change........
Estates don't want deer, there are already too many of the greedy beggars.
Estates are selling off farm steadings and worker's cottages to their london pals for weekend homes and short stay, so now they have little effect on local economies..
Tourists? They are flocking to see forests of wind turbines..
immature forrests now being cut down for biofuel, ones planted on 1000s of square miles of wild moor in order supply our construction needs for the next centuary.
I pulled hill ploughs in preperation for planting for 5 yrs..hill forts be dammed, good old FC and MPs pension plans ..
Question is: how do you reverse in part or in full 500 odd years of change?
Hell bring back wolves, beaver, that'll fix it..
Better still revisit land title and how it should be used for the good of all .. plant trees and protect them under national monument status.. rivers too ..
@@bendenisereedy7865in the old days did my best to control population..
@@shiskinegreenkeeper2782 This is total nonsense, the estates are pro-regeneration, they're just not anti-hunting, which the Scottish government is.
The obvious solution is fencing, but that doesn't destroy the rural economy and spite hunters, so culling is what's happening.
One more proof that big predators are NECESSARY for the environment ! This effect of considering "natural" landscapes that are in fact completely altered is so common. Here in Sweden we do have lots of forests, but so many of them are just planted spruce or pine. And in the Northern regions many people don't realise that the slopes are grazed and have been for centuries... by reindeer.
So glad the topic is breached in Scotland, good job people ! ...Maybe someday it will be time to bring it to Ireland, too.
Could you put speakers playing wolf sounds around the clusters of new trees once you plant them to try and induce a landscape of fear to keep deer away once the trees outgrow the fencing? Keep up the good work!
I love this... will have to run this one past our biologists, but it has my backing. Cheers, Rob
I would wonder if the deer instinct to fear those sounds remains intact as they have gone so long without being preyed upon by wolves. Perhaps in conjunction with wolf urine it might work, but that introduces a physical factor the environment has gone some time without as well. I'd think the long-term ideal would be to find a way to bring the predators back like they are doing with another of their projects.
'Japanese robot wolves'
@@RTCPhotoWorkthat’s a really good point I didn’t think about- thanks for bringing it up! The only studies I’ve seen with noise are in places natural predators still exist, but I am certainly not well versed with the literature
There must be some wildlife parks in Britain that have wolves, collect some droppings, it might add to the deterrent effect.
Gus, the world desperately needs more visionaries like you. I would love to see you start a TH-cam channel so that the encouraging news of what you are doing can be shared with others. I'm sure such a channel would be a catalyst for positive change. Thank you for all you are doing!
How fantastic to bring back Mountain Birch to the Highlands. Protecting your seedlings with deer fencing may save your project. Around here (San Juan Mtns of Colorado), deer can wipe out a bunch of aspen or pine seedlings in minutes.
I often wish I'd been born centuries ago so I could have seen our mountains clad in old growth forests. Only a few huge, rotting stumps are left to show the vast difference in tree size and spacing. I think most people are unaware how different the forests were before the extensive logging. The current forests are made of relatively young trees, closely spaced. Mosses and fungi were wiped out when the forests were clear-cut, affecting the ecosystem in many ways and increasing wildfire risk.
I wish you well. Beautiful video, and yes, I would watch and subscribe to a botany channel featuring Gus. Hopefully he would still spend his time doing what he does, and someone else could run the channel.
Epic project, this one was fun to film!!!
Agreed! Had great fun out on the hill with you & I look forward to the next time! Cheers, Gus
Well done Gus and Rob for getting some seed safely back down the mountain! I'm keen to see how the next stage goes at the nursery, and if Gus starts his own channel!
Yes, some of those boulder fields looked like real ankle breakers.
Cheers Tim! You'll be the first to know of any updates (literally)! (Gus here)
Go Gus!
I had no idea Scotland used to have montane woodlands.
I would love to see Gus explaining botanics. Go for it!!
Ooh Yes Please ,A Gus channel🌲🙇🏼🍀…!
Always a good day when mossy earth posts :)
Ah thank you! We appreciate the support! :) Cheers, Rob
I hiked the West Highland Way in 2017 and it was really strange to not have huge forest up there in Scotland, I later found out about the human pressure started by the Romans even. It's amazing to think you are trying to restore this amazing environment
I would love to see the Scottish hills covered in those gorgeous yellow birch colours!
Another great video, I hope that the reforestation of mountain birch will be fruitful 😁 no pun intended
Ahaha I see what you did there... yes so do we. Cheers, Rob
I'd actually love to watch a channel covering Gus' work
As a Finn I find it incredible that (free) overgrazing has been the accepted norm until now! Free grazing is a monster destroyer of nature. The whole Med to The middle East and Africa has suffered from this . Good luck with restoring the forests.
I am from Mexico, and I would really love the idea of Gus opening a channel with adventures. I think it would be a great success
If Gus can be encouraged to start a Scottish Botany TH-cam channel it would increase the chances of bringing the temperate rainforest back to viability. All the trees need is a protected start and help if there's a drought until they get going.
He definitely needs to start his own channel as well. It would be cool to see how these projects continue within those regions.
Say what you want about the new generation but the fact we've realised re-wilding habitats is wayyy more interesting and exciting of an activity then hunting makes me happy. Love Mossy Earth!
Thank heavens for people like Gus! This looks like a really valuable project. Supporting Mossy Earth feels like a little bit of positivity in an increasingly negative world.
Years ago I went to America and did a 10 week university placement at Shenandoah National park in Virginia. The national park is a 100 mile stretch of the Appalachian mountains, with warm summers and snowy winters. The mountains, are not huge like those in the north west of the USA, but more similar to what would be called a mountain here in Britain. The tallest one, Hawksbill is 1,234 metres, just a bit smaller than Britain's tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, which is 1,345 metres. Apart from a few small clearings, the whole park is completely covered in trees, all the way up to the very top of the mountains, even Hawksbill. It looks absolutely amazing, and it's fantastic walking through the endless forest, with views of the valley below. Although rewilding is a relatively new term, it is not new and Shenandoah is a great example of it. You would never now by looking at the park now, but 100 years ago, about a 1/3rd of it was farmland. When it became a park, all the farm fields were re-forested, and the farmers all left the park. (obviously it could not be done the same way now as it was back then). It was during the great depression. President Hoover had a Conservation Corps that did the planting and they built a long scenic drive high up on the mountain ridge, with campsites and visitor centres. The park has wolves, black bears, wild turkeys, eagles, turtles, skunks, deer etc For years after my time there, it used to drive me mad looking at all these barren and bleak hills here in Britain, and was so underwhelmed by them, and wondered why does no one, even conservation charities ever mention about how they would have looked like and could be like that again?! It was like most of them had not even considered it. So, now it is great to see there is so much happening to restore woodlands on many bleak, desolate hills. Having seen Shenandoah, it feels like I a got a glimpse of what some places in Britain will look like in the future. Even now I notice conservation workers seem impressed if something is growing at 600 metres, and perhaps think this is as high as things will grow, but if you see Shenandoah, you will realise that trees can grow at a much higher altitude than that,.
Banger video, really excited on how this project in the next few year. i hope you post update on it!
Please, please, please don’t quit what you’re doing. It’s extremely valuable to the wilderness and preservation of the beautiful Scottish Highland topsoil recovery. I’m sure there are multiple groups of willing volunteers, schools, churches, youth groups who would jump at the chance to help replant the highlands.
I would gladly watch Gus' videos if he started a channel.
Gus' Scottish botany channel is a must......I'm sure his knowledge and expertise would be appreciated by other botanists too.
That's really cool
Make a channel Gus! It would be a good side hustle to fund your work, and also help inspire others!
Thanks for the video, I'd follow Guss if he starts a channel.
Thank you very much!! Yeah, seems like theres already great support for Gus. Cheers, Rob
So glad I'm able to support these kind of actions through my membership!!
I would watch Gus' adventures. 🙂
ahh nice, already good support for Gus to start :) Cheers, Rob
Gus!! Make that channel man - its so nice and encouraging amidst all the rotten news that we get - to see someone passionate about nature, educating us and sharing stories of success in nature.
Great work, I can't wait to see the follow-up videos in 5-10 years. I am sure the progress is going to be amazing.
Thank you Gus for spear-heading this restoration. Thank you Mossy Earth for finding Gus and supporting his efforts. The footage of Southern Norway that showed what restored forest covered hills in Scotland would look like was a glorious touch as we get what we envision/picture in our minds and focus on. "Whenever manifesting/creating, always focus on the end result." - Lester Levenson This was a really well done and classy video presentation!!! May a Million Mountain Birches: Birth, Thrive, Bloom and continue to spread across all or nearly all of the highlands of Scotland!!!
Brilliant video, Gus really does have so much knowledge
It was a pleasure to spend a day with him and learn!! Cheers, Rob
Thank you for caring about the trees🌳🌲🌴
Itd be a great channel, and for him to share his knowledge to the world would be great facts. Knowledge is power!!
Please make a channel Gus! I'm always looking for more botany and wildlife channels, so I would certainly be watching!
God bless you and this project. I'm from South Africa so work abroad to earn a living, but if paid to plant trees I would do it right now, in Scotland. Great channel bro! Thank you
Encouragement, on the west coast America, a group has found out how to propagate ,& are growing seeds and planting them . While Some Think It’s to late . NOT SO , Grow the trees above were animal’s can reach . You can state in back Yard . A lack of INTEREST , INFORMATION . TRUST THE PUPPY HE DOES’T LIE. This should have started 100 years ago… Thanks GUS & PUP
Good work Gus and Mossy Earth👍 ,hopefully more people will get interested in doing this ,red deer are out of control and the Scottish government don't seem to care😢
We have deer problems here in America some years, especially for young pines. I highly suggest putting some fishing line on several levels similar to a normal fence and then putting little orange pieces of tape along the lines. It usually keeps the deer out of the area. We also use a mint soap, specifically irish spring bars and tie them to the trees during their vulnerable years. The rain will slowly, or in scotlands case maybe a bit more quickly, eat away at the soap coating the tree in it. It won’t hurt the deer or trees but it doesn’t taste very good for them. Not 100% useful as some deer will be hungry enough to try it anyways but usually after a bite they’ll leave it alone and not attack the rest. We’ve gone from a 75% loss rate, started using soap and got the loss rate down to about 50% and with the fishing line fences it’s about 10% now. Maybe even less. Good luck with the project!
If Gus had a channel, I’d definitely subscribe. Please announce it here if it ever becomes a reality. Thanks for all of your work, research, and reporting.
I am always impressed with the content, education and presentation of these videos!! Great work Rob and Gus and Duarte!! 💙💚💛
I love this company and channel, I learn so much from you all, and I'm left inspired to do more to help.
Definitely get the channel up and running Gus! We need more people to see the great work you are doing.
Hi Norwegian here. I just wanna point out that conditions here 120+ years ago was as bad or WORSE then Scotland many places (gd old overgrazing strikes again) . For example an old pic from about 1917 give or take, shows about half a high local hill being barren almost to the bedrock ......... today I can look at it trough my window COMPLETELY covered in forest. Today you'd never know, so recovery IS possible, keep fighting Scotland .
It can be so easy to become downhearted at times, so many thanks for that timely reminder.
I would for sure watch videos put out by Gus! I feel like he could teach SO many cool, important lessons.
I hope Gus will choose to make a TH-cam channel. I think it would be very popular. As a Home Educator in Scotland, a channel from Gus would be well supported by other Home Educators who enjoy working on their John Muir awards and the Duke of Edinburgh awards too.
Gus is an inspiration, I've never met someone so dedicated to ecological restoration of Scotland!
What's interesting about the highlands is some of that forest devastation dates back to the bronze age when the land was cleared for cattle rearing. People thought those environments were natural until very recently. Brazil is going through a similar change where agri-industry is choking itself to death through deforestation, removing the 'sky-rivers' that the natural forest provides and made the land useful in the first place.
very good video!! Excited to see the results of it :) scotland and iceland are the most exiting projects to me, as the depleted landscapes are manmade and hence could possibly brought back to their original state
I've done some similar catkin collecting of montaine willow species from very near where you collected your birch. Weather was similaly wet too. There's bits of Scotland where the woodland has been really expanded recently and so I am hopeful that the montine woodland will be as successful. It does seem that people like Gus have started working on these woodlands in the nick of time. If we'd waited much longer then these forests would be gone for good. So thank you for helping with your channel.
This was a very interesting video! Gus is doing admirable work and I’m happy to support him through my Mossy Earth membership.
I admire Gus' passion and skill. Go for it Gus !!
I hope to one day see the highlands, once agaiin covered in trees. Sicne learning about the highlands' history, it just doesn't feel the same. Your work is incredilbe!
If Gus wants to look at how his channel could work I recommend Adam’s channel called “Know Your Land.” He produces high quality videos, but with infrequent releases. Everyone loves his work because he is so knowledgeable, passionate yet humble and REAL. I would support Gus if he wanted to do something similar to help educate people about how important it is to protect and foster the remnants of original Scottish forests. The power and beauty of the ancient Grandmother Scots pine trees in Glen Affric is etched in my heart forever when I got to see them years ago. Restoration, properly done, can work! The mountain Birch needs a similar sanctuary. Thank you Mossy Earth for supporting this restoration project.
Glen Africa?
@@aa-xg3ct Blame Google spell check…sorry…I didn’t catch that one!! 🙃
Man, Gus is really dedicated, he's impressive. He deserves a channel with sucess
The world needs your passion, knowledge, and appreciation, Gus! Start it up!
The other day I learned that the lack of restriction on the amount of milk being produced in Ireland, the ditches are being cut down to accommodate for all the cows. This made the bird population drop by 60%. It’s so heartbreaking.
Gus, how do you survive? I would love to do what you do, but somebody needs to put food on the table. And to support Mossy Earth! These videos always make me happy to give what little I can to this organisation.
These videos always make me overstay my bathtime. So good to see more people caring for the wild ways too. Wish I had some more money to spend on you lot, but I also support a few local Dutch foundations that keep up the woods in The Netherlands, we have so little of that left😭 keep it up and keep Gus at it too... He deserves the support❤️
I always hear people saying how beautiful Scotland’s highlands are, but to me they look barren and boring, the thought that forest once blanketed all but the tallest mountains is exciting and sad to think about, I hope we get it back
Very good work. I am also working for earth in my country. Keep going, We are with you.
As a rocks and trees Canadian, this video really popped out for me. I traveled the extraordinarily beautiful Highlands and the first thing I saw were trees that weren’t there. In conversations with conservationists, professional silviculturists and forestry workers, I was impressed with their efforts to protect the environment. But, the work to be done is vast and complicated. I’d urge anyone who can to visit the Highlands; behold its wonder, and see what is and what could be there.
I wish you the best of luck with this work. I used to do a lot of camping and hiking in the Highlands, this landscape is so close to my heart. It is beautiful, and I thank you for taking care of it❤😊
Would love to see Gus make a TH-cam channel, but only if doing so would not distract too much time from doing the work that he is doing in trying to restore the Mountian Birches and the ecosystem they help create/maintain. Then again, if he did make a channel, it could create a platform to help bring more awareness to many of the species he cares about alongside educating people. Regardless, if he can find a good balance, or hire people to counteract the additional time that needs to be spent for running a TH-cam channel, then I would love to watch him and learn more. And to Gus and everyone else working on the MBP, thank you, and keep up the good work!
Excellent. Always such amazing and important content. Thank you for all you do. We need more people like you. You are blessed.
As part of making my living I used to collect seed for a big nursery operated in the way the one shown in this video is. Watching him seiving the birch seed brought back memories🙂 Mostly our squad took on contracts, from Caithness to the Uists, to plant the resulting trees in places where a landowner was accessing government grants for creating "new native" woodlands. These woods have all fared differently, a few simply failed, but it's very satisfying to see a thrirty foot high canopy where we planted six inch trees.
I'd love to see gus talk about native plants!
I’ve scoffed down many of those wee blaeberries on my hikes in Scotland, just hoping they’d not been peed on by the local fox!
Genuinely would love to watch Gus's channel if he ever makes one, his journeys are fascinating and every encouraging!
Great as always your work gives me hope 😻as soon as i have a stable income i want to support you rock ❤
Thank you, it will be great to have your support. We appreciate the kind words. Cheers, Rob
Its a good day when I see a mossy earth upload.
If they got rid of the bloody sheep then the forests would come back naturally. Foresters call them "wooly rats".
Heavens I wish you GREAT success on this project!!! As beautiful as some of Scotland is it is a ruined, empty and nature-free place. The work you're doing is VITALLY IMPORTANT! You are always a great inspiration to me!! I'm a bagpiper and Scotland holds a very special place for me and it's my dream too to see it rewilded, reforested and back to it's pristine natural state!! You should be knighted for the work you do!! We have the same problem over here in the USA with an exploding over-population of deer. I've heard deer characterized as an overgrown rodent!
LOL... 'ruined, empty and nature free'...get a grip
@@aa-xg3ct Well, isn't that what the video says?
I don't care what the video says, I live in Scotland@@louislamonte334
Honestly I can't imagine woodlands in Scotland, the country is like a synonim for grass plains. I will eagerly await results. Loved the video! The editing with so many different shots looks great, makes me want to start hiking again :)
You don't have to imagine them, they are there now. Google is your friend.
Gus, you are a hero! Thankyou for what you do!
I'd love to be apart of something like this. Start a channel Gus!!! I'd love to see the change
I don’t often comments on TH-cam but on this account I have to. Gus that is an amazing idea! You should 100% go for it. You would have so many subscribers. What you do is amazing and more people should know about. Good luck
Didn't watch yet but I know it's going to be fantastic
Edit: the video is of course great 👍
3 cheers for Gus being so passionate about the mountain birch in an otherwise dead environment. Please do begin your TH-cam channel as we can study with you as you go along.
Thank you. I've often been worried about Scotland's ecosystem and do worry how it's health might effect weather patterns near by.
Gus absolutely should create a channel. I'd love to be able to follow along and share his work around for sure.