Councillor Preston, Convener of the Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee, this week planted the first trees of the New Year at Kildean Wetlands.
Stirling Council has set a target of planting more than one million new trees and managing half of its land for biodiversity by 2045 as part of a bold package of measures which will aim to make the area the greenest in Scotland.
The tree-planting and land management programmes are part of the Council’s ‘Alive with Nature’ Plan which sets out the actions the local authority and its partners have identified to create a healthier and more resilient natural environment across Stirling.
New habitats
Councillor Preston said: “We are aiming to plant 80,000 trees by the end of the 2023 planting season in communities across Stirling, including at Kildean. Our programme is crucial in creating new habitats to capture carbon and help Stirling and Scotland achieve our zero emissions targets.
“The Council is determined to lead the way in combating climate change and conserving biodiversity. We live in one of the most beautiful natural environments in the country and we want to protect and enhance it for future generations.
“By working in partnership with other organisations, communities and landowners, we will protect and restore the ecosystems upon which we depend, from landscape scale woodland creation to wildflower meadows in our urban parks.”
Other high priority actions in Stirling Council’s ‘Alive with Nature’ plan include:
- The rollout of three new active travel routes incorporating green infrastructure by 2024
- Creation of biodiverse areas within 10 school grounds and business parks
- Changes to land management, including grass and verge maintenance, tree planting and use of pesticides in line with Stirling’s Pollinator Strategy
- Bringing vacant and derelict land sites into productive use for nature, business and community.