More about Duchrae Woods...

When is a Woodland Really a Woodland? (And what does it have to do with a picture of curlews, not in a wood...) 

Recently, while researching the historic Duchrae Bank Wood featured in Crockett’s novel ‘The Dark o’ the Moon’ , I stumbled upon a consultation proposal that stopped me in my tracks. The plan? A 307-hectare "woodland" at Duchrae Farm West. Sounds promising, right? But here’s the catch—this so-called woodland is actually a Sitka Spruce plantation.

As someone who espouses the mantra "woods are good," I find this troubling. A plantation is not a woodland. In fact, it’s not even a forest—it’s a commercial venture designed for timber, not biodiversity. And yet, the term "woodland" is being tossed around casually to describe something that lacks the essence of a true natural space.

Let’s break it down:

What’s the Difference?

1. Woodland
- Tree Density: Lower density, more spaced-out trees.
- Understory: Rich in shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers thanks to sunlight.
- Biodiversity: High—teeming with a variety of plant and animal life.
- Human Influence: Often shaped by natural activities like grazing.

2. Forest
- Tree Density: Dense canopy with less light reaching the ground.
- Understory: Shaded, with mosses, ferns, and fungi thriving.
- Biodiversity: High, with species adapted to low light conditions.
- Natural Processes: Shaped by nature, from fire to natural succession.

3. Plantation
- Origin: Human-made, with trees planted in uniform rows.
- Biodiversity: Low—usually just one or two tree species.
- Structure: Uniform, with trees of the same age and size.
- Management: Intensively managed for commercial purposes like timber or biofuel.

Now, does option 3 sound like a woodland to you? Because it doesn’t to me. I believe we need to be more careful with the words we use. Calling a Sitka Spruce plantation a "woodland" not only misrepresents the truth but also diminishes the value of real woodlands. True woodlands are biodiverse, rich ecosystems that support a variety of life—from plants to animals like the whaup, (or curlew) a bird native to these parts.

Planting more trees is great, but not all tree planting is equal. Replacing muirland with a monoculture plantation doesn't support local wildlife or ecosystems. It’s brilliant to restore and create woodlands, especially in Dumfries and Galloway, but calling a commercial plantation a woodland is misleading.

In Crockett’s ‘Night in a Galloway Wood’ (listen here) [from Bog Myrtle and Peat 1895) he gives us a vivid picture of what a true Galloway wood feels like. The sounds of birds, the sense of life buzzing all around—that’s the picture a "woodland" should conjure. A Sitka plantation, with its rows of identical trees and lack of biodiversity, paints a very different picture. Words matter, and using "woodland" and "plantation" interchangeably doesn’t do justice to the environments we’re trying to protect.

We need to restore and protect our natural spaces, but we also need to be honest about what’s being created. Let’s champion true woodlands, and make sure we preserve the essence of what makes them so vital to our planet and wildlife.

Let’s not give woodlands a bad name.

The 'consultation' exercise is to be held on 24th and 25th September.
​Find out more HERE. 

Whaups were important to Crockett as is evidenced by their mention on the poem R.L.Stevenson wrote for him which is quoted on the Crockett Memorial: 

Blows the wind to-day, and the sun and the rain are flying,
Blows the wind on the moors to-day and now,
Where about the graves of the martyrs the whaups are crying,
My heart remembers how!
Grey recumbent tombs of the dead in desert places,
Standing Stones on the vacant wine-red moor,
Hills of sheep, and the howes of the silent vanished races,
And winds, austere and pure!
Be it granted me to behold you again in dying,
Hills of home! and to hear again the call;
Hear about the graves of the martyrs the peewees crying;
And hear no more at all.


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