The South of Scotland Tree Planting project has just announced a new round of funding, with £120,000 available over the next 12 months to enable community groups, farmers and landowners to plant around 15,000 landscape trees across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

Individual grants of up to £1,000 are available through the initiative, which is supported by Woodland Trust Scotland, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Scottish Borders Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Scottish Forestry and private donations.

Since the scheme first launched in April 2021, over 34,000 individual trees have been planted. As a result, the South of Scotland now has 25 new orchards, 120 small copses and 20 new parkland tree sites, as well as numerous riverbank, field margin and fence-line trees.

A dozen neglected small woodlands have also been restored. All will enhance the local landscape, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, capture carbon, shade rivers and help to reduce soil erosion.

READ MORE: BORDERS TELEGRAPH