A COUPLE with a passion for conservation has helped save a native rare tree on the Isle of Arran from extinction through “guerilla gardening”.
Henry Murdo, who has lived on the island since 1968, and Margo McLellan, a native Arranach, have helped to repopulate the Arran Whitebeam in Glen Rosa as they planted “thousands” of trees in secret.
The green-fingered pair planted saplings grown in their tree nursery on land owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) undercover, to help speed up the regeneration of their beloved landscape.
The pair are now working with the conservation charity, as they share their tree growing and planting knowledge with the next generation of conservation enthusiasts.
Both Murdo and McLellan are working with the charity’s head ranger on the island, Kate Sampson, to impart their wisdom of tree growing and planting with Trust staff, volunteers, and school groups in a bid to regenerate Arran’s woodlands.
Henry explained he remembers being “astounded” at the barren landscape when he was a teenager due to years of overgrazing and heath burning on the island.
“It had been destroyed completely and was devoid of trees through years of over grazing and heath burning, which had decimated the tree population,” he said.
“When I visited the Glen, I noticed a little gem of a tree, it stood out as it was isolated and had survived despite the sheep and deer, and it’s what got me interested in the Whitebeam species.
“I was also inspired by the amazing work that has taken place at Mar Lodge Estate over the years, where the trust has had a positive impact on the landscape by controlling the deer effectively, to help the trees recover and start regenerating naturally, which has led to a fantastic transformation up there.”
Henry (below) went on to explain that despite him and McLellan having no experience in gardening the pair's passion for rewilding grew the longer they did it.
“We’ve probably planted thousands of trees across the island,” he said.
“The guerilla gardening started out of frustration at the lack of progress being made to protect the landscape in previous years. We did it in secret, without asking permission from the Trust at the time.
“Fortunately, we didn’t have to do it under the cover of darkness or in balaclavas, we would just go to different parts of the island and plant some trees while we were there. We always got a great sense of satisfaction from doing it and leaving a lasting impression on the landscape.”
The pair started a small tree nursery in their garden growing Whitebeam and other tree species.
McLellan explained that the Whitebeam trees are a robust species but are very difficult to grow from seed, so most of the saplings planted by the pair didn’t survive, as they weren’t protected from herbivores.
However, she said that since they started using guards, they have had more success with the saplings surviving.
“The species was at the point of extinction with only a handful of trees left on the island, but Henry has the magic touch when it comes to growing them, when others haven’t been so successful, and has left a lasting impact on the landscape as a result. Kate is always saying, ‘You're the only one that can grow these from seed, Henry’,” McLellan (below) said.
“We’re delighted at the time and dedication the Trust is putting into the landscape now, and working with Kate is amazing, as she’s been there for a long time, so we’ve developed a good relationship with her and we’re happy to help with the volunteer and school groups when we can.”
Kate Sampson, NTS head ranger at Brodick, said she is incredibly grateful for the pair sharing their expertise with the conservation charity and the island’s communities.
She said: “Working with Henry and Margo has been great fun and their passion for the Arran Whitebeam and trees in general is evident from all the work they’ve done throughout the years on the island to help rejuvenate the landscape to how it used to be.
“I’m incredibly grateful for their expertise, knowledge and time they’ve taken to share their experience with us and hopefully instill their passion in our rangers, and the volunteer and school groups that come along to help us with the planting.”
Sampson added that although the charity is grateful for the pair's help in sustaining the Whitebeam species, she has urged other budding guerilla gardeners not to follow in Murdo and McLellan’s footsteps.
“Planting the wrong tree, in the wrong location, can have a detrimental impact on the landscape. While we appreciate the good intentions it would be more practical to support the Trust through more conventional methods, such as dedicating a tree,” she said.
NTS said if someone would like to help rewilding across Scotland, they can dedicate a tree.
It added that people can dedicate a tree for themselves or a loved one, in celebration or in memory, to help nurture and protect Scotland’s woodlands for generations to come.
You can find out more about how to dedicate a tree to the NTS here.
