Current Projects

  Our ocean is a potential hero in the fight against climate change. It plays an important role in the global carbon cycle and is responsible for capturing and storing around 25% of the CO2 we release into the atmosphere.  But we have not respected the ocean. Its ecosystems that regulate our climate are increasingly threatened by the way we use them.  This is achieved via different projects.

• The Marine Conservation Society secures space where species and habitats can recover. We’re campaigning for a minimum of 30% of UK waters being effectively managed by 2030 to protect wildlife and ecosystems.  Only seas full of life can absorb carbon and help tackle climate change
• Dive Project Cornwall is giving 20 students from 20 secondary schools across the UK the chance to visit the Cornish coastline and learn to dive.
• Young people across Scotland have been taking part in our new marine-themed education experience. The Protecting Scotland’s Seas education roadshow is a great way for schools and youth groups to learn more about our ocean and covers important topics such as climate science, blue carbon and ocean acidification. Children also get the chance to get to know some of the marine creatures that live in Scottish seas.

• In the last century, up to 92% of the UK’s seagrass has disappeared as a result of pollution, runoff from the land, coastal development and damage from boat propellers and chain moorings.
• Chloroplasts found in the cells of seagrass blades use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates. Some of this carbon is then transported into the roots and rhizomes under the sediment.
• Seagrasses are often called ecosystem engineers, or foundation species because of the effect they have on their environment; sediment stabilisation, carbon storage, costal defence of wave erosion, mitigating ocean acidification, nutrient cycling & water filtration.
• Seagrass is a vital marine habitat for a variety of species and a promising carbon sink.

Project: Restore kelp beds UK

Kelp arises from the rocky sea floor and grows up towards sunlight to form a canopy of dense macro-algae. Beyond the fronds, you can find cuttlefish, seahorses, crabs, lobsters sea-bream and bass. These habitats offer a safe nursery ground and home for native species to reside in and protect our coasts from erosion and storm damage. Additionally, seaweed increases water quality and acts as a huge carbon sink. It absorbs over 600 million tons of carbon a year globally! Thats faster than the amazon rainforest.

The seaweed once grew naturally in waters stretching all around the coast of the UK, offering ecological and economic services to the natural environment and local fisheries nationwide. However, an increase in commercial fishing, dredging and global warming has since harmed these critical habitats. Kelp forests are declining at an alarming rate. If this loss continues there could be no remaining kelp in the UK by the end of the century. Without kelp forests, we will lose 90% of our marine life, risking an ecological and economic disaster.

But we have hope! Kelp grows fast, so with effective restoration and protection these vital habitats could flourish in our local waters. Bringing back the array of life once seen again. Our project focuses on embedding artificial reefs alongside planting kelp to create ecologically coherent habitats that can support a rich biodiversity of life. We are driven to restore natural habitats and ensure our marine environment is healthy, supports fisheries and delivers the many services that we rely on.

Rewilding the Scottish Highlands

       Your donation will go towards their work in rewilding the Scottish Highlands. This year they are continuing to plant trees grown from seed on their nursery at Carn na Caorach, an area of high ground at the Dundreggan Estate. They are also helping red squirrels to colonise areas of the Northern Highlands that they cannot get to on their own, ensuring these wonderful animals have a bright future. The Affric Highlands initiative is working on plans to restore forests and peatlands while beginning to establish woodlands next to lochs and rivers as part of their thirty-year vision to rewild 500,000 acres between Loch Ness and the west coast. They are also working on initiatives to reintroduce beavers and lynx to the Scottish Highlands so that these unique keystone species can help make rewilding happen.

A large scale study of two forests

      This large, careful piece of science combines two nature-based climate solutions in a field trial never previously deployed together at scale. ‍ The project will will assess the combined effects of forest microbiome inoculation and the deployment of enhanced rock weathering, and their ability to accelerate and enhance forest carbon sequestration in conifer monoculture and mixed broadleaf forests.  More than 25,000 new trees have been planted on 11 hectares (28 acres) in Glandwr Forest, our site in Carmarthenshire, near the Brecon Beacons, Wales.

The Carbon Community field trial is the first of its kind and the results will be made freely available to other tree planting projects and environmental scientists.  The 72 test cell trial will study two types of forests: the first is comprised of native broadleaf species from Wales, including Birch, Alder, Cherry, Oak, Aspen and Rowan. The second type is a monoculture conifer forest comprising Sitka Spruce, typical of commercial forestry plantations.  These two types of forests will be compare to a control which will be left unplanted for natural regeneration.

We plant, we protect, we restore, we care

• We support an increase in UK woodland cover from its current 13% of land area to 19% by 2050 to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises.
• Standing up for trees and woods across the UK is why we're here. We campaign to stop the irreversible destruction of ancient woodland and unnecessary loss of trees from our cities.
• Ancient woods have rich, irreplaceable ecosystems. But they’ve been damaged by non-native planting and invasive species. We work to restore them to their former glory.
• Our people work every day to ensure the 1,000 woods in our care grow and thrive. We open up access to our woods free of charge and welcome thousands of visitors each year.

      This charity is now 50 years old and has many projects to support.