Did you know that Kintyre shelters precious remnants of ancient Atlantic rainforest?
The peninsula’s rainforests – yes, rainforests – were brought into closer focus through a fascinating talk at Campbeltown Town Hall earlier this month.
People from many branches of the Kintyre community, including local landowners, private employers, civil servants, charity work leaders, and individual citizens with a keen interest in protecting the peninsula’s arboreal treasures, gathered in the town hall chambers, hoping to take the first steps on a pathway to properly preserving Kintyre’s temperate rainforest and, with that, the other life forms which grow around them and live within their reach.
The seminar was led by Dr Jennifer Lane Lee, and Ed Tyler, South Kintyre Development Trust’s community garden specialist, who is helping coordinate the trust’s Kintyre Grows activities, part of our Kintyre Climate Action campaign.
Special guest Dr Theresa Burriss, trustee/governor of Appalachian Sustainable Development, was also in attendance.
“It was great to be part of the session,” said Mr Tyler afterwards. “In Scotland, we have the largest area of rainforest in the whole of Europe! Yet it is little known about by the general public, only by specialist lichenologists and bryophyte experts.
“Everyone needs to know about the precious plants, insects and animals that live in these beautiful, mysterious places that have somehow survived against the odds.”
Eric Spence, SKDT manager, said: “Dr Lee gave a fascinating talk which was very informative.
“I, for one, had thought that rainforests were exclusively found in tropical regions.”
He added: “When I realised that we have our own pristine rainforest with extremely rare and unique fungi, lichen etc, right on our doorstep, it really opened my eyes to the need to protect and nurture these areas for future generations.”
While the subject of temperate/Atlantic rainforest has been hidden under canopy with respect to other environmental talking points in the peninsula in years gone by, it is hoped that this meeting and future ones, will build knowledge of just how special these rainforests are, as well as the important role Kintyre people can and will have in helping to preserve them.
To find out how you can help preserve Kintyre’s rainforests, contact Sharyn Lock by emailing climateaction@skdt.org or by calling 01586 552870.