Natural Heritage

The conservation of Birse parish’s rich and varied natural heritage is a central part of BCT’s work on behalf of the community to promote the local common good and deliver wider public benefits.

Over the years, BCT has carried out surveys of a range of different species and habitats in the parish and established a collection of local wildlife records and reports in BCT’s Parish Archive at Finzean Old School. BCT has also published reports on the Natural Heritage of Birse Parish and the Geomorphology of Birse Parish.

BCT also carries out projects to conserve and enhance the natural heritage of the sites that it manages. This is particularly the case in the Forest of Birse Commonty with its native pinewoods and other habitats. BCT has, for example, planted over 23,000 individually protected native broadleaves to re-establish riparian woodland along the Feugh and its tributaries within the pinewoods area.

BCT also works together with Ballogie, Birse and Finzean Estates and other local land owners on parish wide land management initiatives. These including, for example, capercaillie conservation, deer management and grey squirrel control.