The Rainbow Forest Project

05/08/2025

Another batsh*t idea from Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. What is wrong with you, Angela Rayner??

29/07/2025

29/07/2025

In Bhutan, birthdays grow into forests—every citizen plants a tree on their special day, turning celebration into sustainability and honoring nature with each passing year.

17/07/2025

22/09/2024

A nurse log is a fallen tree that serves as the growing site for young plants. Nurse logs provide an elevated platform for the seedlings to grow free from the dense competition of plants already established on the forest floor. Nurse logs are very important for forest sustainability.

Photo by Fred Breglia

03/08/2024

02/08/2024

There's forest and there's ancient old-growth forest. Some plants, lichens and mosses only show up once forest is old. A forest us much more than a bunch of trees, it is a gestalt of interdependent organisms

Tree lungwort, an indicator of ancient forests 🌳

Tree lungwort grows mainly in the western half of Scotland, where the wetter climate provides the higher levels of moisture that it needs to thrive.

This leaf-like lichen is actually a composite organism, containing three different species - a fungus, algae, and bacteria. Lichens are generally very slow in their growth, but tree lungwort is one of the fastest species, growing at up to 4 mm per year.

In the Renaissance era, herbalists thought the use of plants could be indicated by their physical form, and lungwort was used for treating respiratory problems because of its resemblance to the structure of a lung.

Read more about tree lungwort and how it supports the wider forest ecosystem
👉 https://treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/trees-plants-animals/others/tree-lungwort/

[Image Description: A photo of a green and leafy tree lungwort.]

30/07/2024

It is proven that getting outdoors in nature is great for your mental health; even 15 minutes in a green space can have amazing benefits 💚🌸!

22/07/2024

As Dr Qing Li describes in his book ‘Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest-Bathing’, “It is no surprise that shinrin-yoku developed in Japan. The Japanese are a forest civilization. Their culture, philosophy and religion are carved out of the forests that blanket the country.”

18/07/2024

Trees secrete chemicals that interact with our immune system, the best-selling author added.

07/07/2024

A special resident of the Caledonian Forest 🌲

The Scottish crossbill is only found in the Highlands of Scotland, and is a sparrow-sized member of the finch family.

Known for it's distinctive bill which is crossed over at the tips, the Scottish crossbill loves to feed on pine seeds as well as small shoots, buds, and insects.

Restoration of our native pinewoods will continue to help the populations of Scottish crossbill to expand and flourish in the years to come 💚 Read more about the behaviours of this unique bird 👉 https://treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/trees-plants-animals/birds/scottish-crossbill/

[Image Description: Photo of a male crossbill perched at the top of a Scots pine.]