from Sunday Herald, 11 July 2010
More than 70 per cent of people in Scotland are deprived of easy access to woodlands, putting their health and well-being at risk, says a new report.
In some areas like Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire and East Lothian, the proportion of the population without accessible woodlands nearby rises to over 90%.
This is despite mounting evidence that green spaces can do much to reduce the stress of living in 21st century concrete jungles. Studies have shown that greater exposure to nature can help combat mental illness and reduce social problems.
The Woodland Trust, a conservation charity, argues that everyone should have a woodland of two hectares or more within 500 metres of their home. But according to a report it published last week, only 28% of Scots now meet this standard.
This is significantly better than in 2004, when only 15% of Scotland’s population met the standard, and significantly higher than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it still leaves 72% of people without nearby areas of trees to enjoy.
Part of the problem is the large number of woodlands that aren’t open to the public. The trust estimates that an additional 29% of Scots would meet the standard if existing woods were made accessible.
But there is also a need for lots more trees to be planted in or around urban areas. A minimum of 2,466 hectares should be covered with trees to meet the standard, the trust says.
“It’s encouraging to see that Scotland is leading the way in increasing accessible woodland close to where people live, because there is such a huge range of benefits to society,” said Angus Yarwood of Woodland Trust Scotland.
“But most people still don’t have a wood on their doorstep that they can use regularly.” It was also “disappointing” that many people still lived close to woods where access was barred or difficult, he said.
The trust has launched a 'More Trees, More Good' campaign to double the area of native woodland over the next 50 years. It has been supported by the TV and radio presenter, Clive Anderson.
Mr Yarwood pointed out that in Glasgow 84% of people had no easy access to woodlands, while in Dundee the figure was 72%. In Aberdeen 71% failed to meet the woodland standard, compared to 57% in Edinburgh (see table below).
There were many good examples of local woodlands, he said, like the Formonthills Community Woodland in north west Glenrothes. He also highlighted Eliburn, Bellsquarry and North Wood around Livingston in West Lothian, which has the best access to woodlands in Scotland.
He added: “What we really need to see is local communities, local authorities and government working together to achieve real trees in the ground. Central Scotland in particular has a great opportunity to continue to increase the area of native woodland.”
According to the government’s Forestry Commission, there has been a 10% increase over the last five years in the number of people living within 500 metres of a well-managed woodland. “This is due in part to programmes being driven forward by Forestry Commission Scotland,” claimed a commission spokesman.
He pointed out that 11,000 hectares of woodland had been brought back into “active management”, and 1,300 hectares of new woodland had been created, including mixed broadleaves and native trees. This had “breathed new life” into urban woodlands, he said.
“We are committed to continuing to improve access to good quality, well managed woodlands, close to where people live and will continue to work hard with other agencies on a number of related projects, including the Central Scotland Green Network - the biggest of its kind in Europe.”
How trees save lives
Trees saved Rob McBride’s life. “Six years ago, I had what my doctor called a classic burnout,” he recalled.
“My head exploded through modern day living, stress, pressure of work, family grief, all piled on top. Things came to a head and I suffered massive anxiety, panic attacks, depression.”
His doctor advised him to get plenty of fresh air and exercise, so he started going for walks in his local woodlands. “To just get out into the greenery and have physical exercise actually repaired me, without any chemicals, without tablets,” he said.
Mr McBride started work for the Woodland Trust, a conservation charity, exploring ancient forests to find and record very old trees. He is certain that the quiet and beautiful places he saw “helped enormously” - and could help others.
“I’m not ashamed at all to talk about having mental health problems. There’s an absolute epidemic of these kind of problems these days with the kind of life we’re living, with computers, phones, always being accessible, never relaxing,” he argued.
But unfortunately there were millions of people in Scotland and across the UK who didn’t live near attractive woodlands. “They have to travel long ways to get their green fix. I’m very fortunate and I would say, without being too corny, that trees and getting out into the fresh air saved my life,” he said.
“From experience I know that these places are invaluable. They are worth a fortune to the nation. That’s why we need to plant millions and millions more trees and create a national network of woodlands right across the country. The health benefits to the local populations will be incalculable.”
Mr McBride’s experience is backed by eminent experts. “The more we commune with nature, the better we all feel,” said Cary Cooper, a professor of organisational psychology at the University of Lancaster.
“We are leading such frenetic lives. We’re running about, we’re going from meeting to meeting, building to building. We’re congested with people in buses, tubes, motorways and we are being bombarded with telephones and emails and a whole range of noxious environmental factors.”
This all causes a huge build-up of stress, and has a negative impact on human health and well-being, which walking in woodlands can help counteract. “When you go out, when you go into nature, you’re not getting bombarded by all of this,” professor Cooper told the Sunday Herald.
“You’re also probably going with somebody else and talking to them in a quiet environment, where there is peace, serenity. It gives you reflection time. It’s just getting away from it all.”
Denied access to trees
local authority / percentage of population without access to two hectares or more woodland within 500 metres
South Ayrshire / 98%
Renfrewshire / 92%
East Renfrewshire / 92%
East Lothian / 92%
West Dunbartonshire / 88%
Dumfries and Galloway / 85%
Glasgow / 84%
Moray / 84%
Perth and Kinross / 83%
Aberdeenshire / 82%
Inverclyde / 78%
North Ayrshire / 74%
Scottish Borders / 73%
Dundee / 72%
Clackmannanshire / 72%
Aberdeen / 71%
Argyll & Bute / 71%
South Lanarkshire / 70%
Highland / 70%
Fife / 69%
East Ayrshire / 67%
Stirling / 64%
Midlothian / 63%
Falkirk / 62%
Edinburgh / 57%
North Lanarkshire / 56%
East Dunbartonshire / 52%
Angus / 51%
West Lothian / 46%
Scotland / 72%
source: Woodland Trust
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