Nature Recovery

Restoring a mosaic of nature-rich habitats from the source to sea of the River Findhorn

Our Vision for Nature Recovery

Through the Findhorn Watershed Initiative, the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust is playing a coordinating role to work in collaboration towards realising the following outcomes:

  • Healthy, connected river woodlands, from the Monadhliath Mountains to the Moray Firth

  • A landscape supporting an abundance and diversity of life

  • Cool, clean, wilder rivers, shaped by natural processes, with increased resilience to climate risks

  • A watershed fulfilling its carbon-storing potential, from peatlands to saltmarsh

A fully integrated, watershed-scale approach

From the Cro to the Calder; the Eskin to the Elrick; the Divie and the Dorback; and the Muckle to the Mosset – we are pursuing opportunities to address the unique challenges and opportunities for nature recovery across the River Findhorn Watershed:

Upper Catchment

  • Restoring and establishing native riparian woodland

  • Protecting and restoring ancient ‘lost’ woodlands

  • Improving woodland connectivity

  • Supporting peatland restoration

  • Collaborating towards management of deer and other herbivores at a catchment-scale
    to enable natural woodland regeneration and support the local economy

  • Pursing opportunities for river restoration and floodplain reconnection

  • Monitoring water temperatures, quality, and security

Lower Catchment

  • Restoring and expanding native river woodland

  • Prioritising natural flood alleviation solutions

  • Protecting and expanding habitat for river wildlife

  • Supporting Nature Friendly Farming, with potential to support the establishment of a ‘cluster’

  • Improving fish passage

  • Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) management by SISI

  • Monitoring freshwater invertebrates, as an indicator for river health

Findhorn Bay & Coastal area

  • Restoration of Saltmarsh, Seagrass Meadows, and other carbon-storing coastal habitats – for climate, biodiversity and natural flood risk alleviation

  • Monitoring water quality

  • Exploring opportunities for ‘seawilding’ species reintroduction such as Native Oysters

  • Supporting the campaign to reinstate the 3-mile in-shore limit