SUMMER 2020 / ISSUE 21

The newsletter of the Tweed Forum

1Tweed Matters

weed Forum is delighted to announce that we’ve planted our millionth tree in the Tweed

catchment since 2010. An amazing milestone by any measure and, in terms of carbon capture, these trees will store over 250,000 tonnes of carbon. This will offset the equivalent of 35,000 return flights to Sydney, Australia or driving 1.5 billion miles in a car at 50mph.

Cover image ©Jim Gibson Photography

o NEWS

1 million trees… and counting!

TThese trees are largely riparian and as well as capturing carbon and helping in the fight against climate change, our million trees are also adding to the beauty of the Scottish Borders landscape and enhancing wildlife habitat. Many of them also form an important component of our water quality improvement and natural flood management programme (see our Eddleston Water Project, page 6 for example).

2 Tweed Matters

After 20 years at Drygrange, last summer Tweed Forum moved a few miles downriver to a newly converted, eco-friendly office at Old Melrose, developed in partnership with William Younger, owner of Old Melrose Estate. Tweed Forum was honoured that His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, The Duke of Rothesay performed the official opening ceremony of our new offices.

HRH Prince Charles enjoying a light-hearted moment with Tweed Forum staff and trustees

A new home

o NEWS

We had the opportunity to brief the Duke about our catchment management approach to protecting and conserving the natural, built and cultural heritage of the River Tweed and HRH seemed genuinely enthused by it. Our ‘Old Dairy’ home has quickly become a firm favourite with Tweed Forum staff, and not just because of the stunning riverside position and amazing views!

3Tweed Matters

HRH performs the official opening ceremony for our new offices

HRH Prince Charles learns more about our catchment models from Tweed Forum’s Derek Robeson

HRH meets with Tweed staff members Joe, Emily and Jan (right to left)

o NEWS

4 Tweed Matters

o NEWS

Tweed Forum Carbon ClubOur new Tweed Forum Carbon Club offers individuals, families and small businesses an easy way to offset their carbon footprint by creating new native woodland in the Tweed catchment. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and by making a donation you’ll help to create important new woodlands that will enhance the biodiversity, water quality and beauty of the local area and allow you to offset the carbon dioxide you use in your everyday life. Either by monthly subscription, or a one-off donation, you can help fight climate change and create beautiful native woodlands for future generations to enjoy.

COVID-19 UPDATEDue to Covid-19 restrictions, at the time of going to print, the Tweed Forum office is closed and all practical work has been put on hold. However, the Tweed Forum team have been working effectively from home and it is hoped that much of our outdoor work can restart in earnest in the coming weeks (in line with government advice).

A large part of our project work is carried out in remote areas, where social distancing rules can be observed relatively easily, so hopefully we’ll be able to get back on track quickly. We are extremely grateful to our funders for their understanding and continued support at this difficult time.

Find out more:www.tweedforum.org/carbonclub

5Tweed Matters

Moving into its sixth year, the Fund has now supported a total of 67 projects, amounting to £1,203,955. The latest round of funding in March included a new, limited-lifetime, £100,000 community support fund in response to the Covid-19 crisis (details available from www.tweedforum.org/fallago). However, a number of conservation projects were also approved including research into black grouse numbers; salmon tagging and tracking; and the re-meandering of a channelised stretch of the Little Yarrow.

The Fund also committed support in the September 2019 round to the River Tweed Salmon Fishing museum in Kelso; the Berwickshire Youth Piping and Drumming Foundation (core funding); the provision of secure equipment storage for Yetholm Border Shepherds’ Show; the creation of an Admiral Ramsay visitor centre in Coldstream; and the restoration of the A-listed Port House in Jedburgh.

APPLY NOW!The next round of Fallago Environment Fund applications is open until 12 noon on the 1st September 2020 (and the following round of applications due by 12 noon on the 1st March 2021). The aim of the Fund is to enhance the quality of life for local communities, and visitors to the Borders, through investment in the protection, enhancement and appreciation of the natural, built and cultural heritage of the Scottish Borders environment.

Apply online at: www.tweedforum.org/fallago

(Detailed application guidance notes are also available online.)

o FALLAGO

Tweed Forum is coordinating this important Fund on behalf of Roxburghe Estates and EDF Renewables

Fallago Environment Fund

6 Tweed Matters

The project has now achieved a critical mass of work across 20 farm units that includes the following measures:

o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Funded by Scottish Government, Interreg and SEPA, this project aims to restore natural habitats and reduce flood risk in Peebles and Eddleston village

Eddleston Water Project

Video footage of our flow restrictors on the Middle Burn shows how the structures work at high flow (bottom)

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• 207 ha of riparian woodland creation, which will help increase rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, soil infiltration and slow overland flow

• 21 km of fencing erected and just under 300,000 native trees planted

• 2.8 km of river re-meandered. This has increased river length, reduced the slope and speed of the water flow and provided more space for floodwater, as well as creating new habitats and improving the landscape

• 2.9 km of flood embankments removed

• 116 ‘high flow restrictors’ installed that will encourage out-of-bank flow and hold back water in the headwaters

• 32 ‘leaky’ ponds created (27,155 m2). These wetland features have a good deal of ‘free board’ built in so that they will store water during intense rainfall events.

7Tweed Matters

o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Floodwater storage ponds on the Eddleston catchment. For scale, a Tweed Forum vehicle can be seen as a dot on the far centre-right of the photo

In recent years the Eddleston Water Project has focused on monitoring the effects of these measures on the hydrology (how water moves around) and ecology of the catchment. This monitoring work has been funded by the EU Interreg programme and early indications show that one of the cheapest measures, the flow restrictors, are causing one of the biggest changes in how the catchment responds to rainfall. On the Middle Burn we have installed over 50 leaky dams using locally scavenged wood, and the flood peak has been delayed by over an hour. These, together with the ‘leaky’ ponds, could make the upper catchment less ‘flashy’, giving downstream communities precious, extra time to

prepare for a flood event.Other key findings from the

monitoring programme are the importance of native woodland in encouraging infiltration into the soil (rather than the flashier overland flow); and the very significant effect of the re-meandering works on the variety of instream habitats and diversity of associated invertebrate communities. Assessing the effect of the measures on salmon populations has proven a little more complicated due to annual fluctuations in the number of returning adults, but what can be said with some certainty is that fish numbers will have increased proportionally with the (re-meandered) increase in channel length. The increase in channel length u

8 Tweed Matters

o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Monitoring work on the Eddleston is showing how our restoration efforts are improving the catchment, for wildlife and people

averages out at about 20% across all the restored reaches but is as much as 46% in the area at Lake Wood, near Eddleston village.

Further practical work is still ongoing with 3 large offline (not connected to the river network) storage ponds and 150 m of new watercourse completed at Ruddenleys

farm, in the headwaters of the Eddleston catchment. This complements the large-scale planting and flood retention features constructed there a few years ago. We are also collaborating with Forestry and Land Scotland planning staff to greatly increase the number of flow restrictors on their land, using large spruce timbers from windblow trees nearby.

We are working with Sustrans and the Peebles Community Trust on their project to create a multi-use path from Eddleston to Peebles. The plan is to showcase and explain the work which is taking place in the Eddleston Water catchment by installing high quality viewpoints and interpretation boards along the route, and we hope there may be the opportunity to carry out further re-meandering work as part of the path construction process.

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9Tweed Matters

Tweed Forum has been asked by SEPA to help out with some work well outside the Tweed catchment. The Upper Nith River Restoration project, funded by the Water Environment Fund, aims to restore a more natural river corridor along 6 km of river. To do this, floodbanks which have been in place for over 100 years alongside the river are being set back between 20 m and 50 m to allow the natural features of the river to be restored. This includes gravel bars; floodplain features; and riffles, pools and glides; and it’s hoped this may help to reduce the risk of flooding downstream.

1.1 km of set-back flood embankments at Castlemains; the first of a series of works on the River Nith

o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Upper Nith River Restoration Project

Between June and August 2019, the first 1.1 km of floodbank setback was completed at Castlemains farm. The existing floodbanks were in fact, very unstable, and had burst in 2013. The new banks are carefully engineered and now well vegetated, so they should be strong and stable. Native trees will be planted on the ‘inset’ floodplain to provide natural floodplain woodland habitat. It is hoped that the next phase will begin in summer 2020 where up to a further 3 km of embankments will be set back.

10 Tweed Matters

Tweed Forum has been working with the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water on an innovative pilot project that aims to protect the drinking water supply in Berwick upon Tweed. The Fells to Wells Project encourages (and pays) farmers to reduce nitrate leaching into the Fell Sandstone drinking water aquifer in north Northumberland.

The initiative has trialled an online reverse auction concept, where farmers bid competitively for the amount they are prepared to receive to carry out a given environmental intervention, rather than receiving monies at a standard rate through a traditional agri-environment scheme. Using the auction platform

Fell to Wells Project

o WATER QUALITY

This innovative project is working to protect Berwick’s drinking water

‘Naturebid’, farmers bid to carry out the following measures on their land (1) establishment of over-winter crops; and (2) a reduction (up to 30%) in the amount of nitrogen applied.

The auction was live for a 2 week period in early March 2020 and, overall, the platform proved relatively easy to use. With limited funding available, only 6 of the 8 farms who bid were

successful, amounting to 17 out of 22 fields being approved. Currently, Fell to Wells is a one year pilot project, with the successful measures to be implemented over the cropping year 2020-21, however Tweed Forum hopes that the approach could be trialled again on a larger scale.

Nitrate leaching will be reduced through cover crops and reductions in nitrogen fertiliser

11Tweed Matters

o RIVERWORKS

This long-term strategy aims to improve the River Till SSSI and SAC

The Strategy is continuing to improve the River Till SSSI and SAC (the highest UK and EU nature conservation designations, respectively) and its tributaries in partnership with the Environment Agency, Natural England, local landowners and farmers.

With Strategy implementation well underway, the Water Environment Grant-funded River Glen Restoration Project is creating an ambitious integrated solution in this high-energy, rapidly changing river system. Tweed Forum are working with 4 separate landowners, tenant farmers, the local community of Kirknewton and specialist consultants AquaUoS to deliver the best outcome for the environment, people, farming and infrastructure.

The project works will cover 3 km of river and approximately 75 ha of floodplain. In early 2020, we progressed to a detailed design which includes strategic embankment removal to reconnect the floodplain and dissipate flood energy, whilst also improving protection to land, property and infrastructure.

On the Breamish, ‘green engineering’ riverbank protection and reinstatement works to protect the local highway from erosion were completed in autumn 2019 (see overleaf). Elsewhere on the Breamish, Cbec Eco-Engineering consultants have produced restoration options for a reach that has been historically artificially modified and straightened.

River Till Restoration Strategy

12 Tweed Matters

o RIVERWORKS

BREAMISH RIVERBANK PROTECTION

An alternative to traditional hard-engineered rip-rap was put in place on the River Breamish in autumn 2019, with the aim of protecting a road from erosion damage. Previous attempts to protect the road using boulder rip-rap have failed in this high-energy gravel bed reach. Northumberland County Council Highways part-funded the two priority sites where the road was at greatest risk. These sites were selected by consultants Cbec Eco-Engineering and cover a total length of 180 m. Two proven ‘green-engineering’ designs were selected to provide initial short- to medium-term protection, with the hope that the vegetation will provide longer-term protection in time.

At Site 1, a ‘root-wad’ design was used to stabilise the bank (see pictured). At Site 2 a ‘log-matrix’ design used larch posts piled into the ground to construct a matrix that will mimic the natural protection offered by roots and fallen trees. The matrix is filled with gravel, willow spiling and coir matting to create stability and future habitat.

It is hoped the ‘green-engineered’ designs will protect the road effectively while providing additional habitat, both in the channel and on the riverbanks where local native trees and shrubs have been planted. The measures will be monitored with fixed point photography, as there is still a need for more evidence on the effectiveness of these green engineering techniques in a high-energy system.

The site, prior to any interventions, note the proximity of the public road

Site 1 on the River Breamish

13Tweed Matters

Work gets underway on installing the ‘root wads’. This design uses tree roots with the stem intact - the roots face into the channel and the stem is secured into the riverbank laterally to stabilise the structure.

An aerial view of the site, as the ‘root wads’ begin to take shape

One week after completion of the bank stabilisation works

14 Tweed Matters

o RIVERWORKS

Restoring the Wooler Water at Haugh Head by removing one of the last major barriers to migratory fish in the Tweed catchment

The ongoing scheme to restore the Wooler Water at Haugh Head has taken a step forward with the preferred option being submitted for planning consent. The Wooler Water is failing to achieve environmental objectives set by the EU Water Framework Directive. The primary reason for this failure is a combination of historic in-stream gravel mining during the post-war period and the introduction of a series of man-made structures, which are hindering the river’s ability to re-naturalise.

The ford itself is in poor structural condition and is at risk of being outflanked by the river. It also presents one of the last major artificial barriers to migratory fish in the Tweed catchment, totally blocking the movement of Atlantic salmon and hindering the passage of sea trout to upstream spawning habitat. The ford is the only crossing point for agricultural machinery, as well as being used by the local community for recreational purposes.

Haugh Head FordThe Haugh Head working group have hosted several community workshops and meetings to ensure local input into the scheme. The proposed scheme would improve 17.5 km of river and open up 22 km of spawning habitat to salmonid fish using the following measures:- Upgrade of the road approaching

Coldgate Mill, which will include some road widening to make it accessible to agricultural traffic

- Removal of the metal piling ‘check weirs’, which are distorting

- Removal of the ford- Removal of the existing footbridge and

replacement with a new, improved crossing point for pedestrians and bikes

- Excavation of an ‘inset’ floodplain to help reduce the force of the river’s flow when in flood

- Installation of a new, natural gravel crossing point suitable for horses and other vehicles

A migratory salmonid fish can be seen here, trying to access the upper reaches to spawn

15Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

Peat hags in the Gameshope valley are establishing well following restoration works in 2018/19, before (above) and after (below)

Tweed Forum are carrying out peatland restoration in the Scottish Borders as part of Scottish Natural Heritage’s ‘Peatland Action’ programme

Tweed Forum has been assisting Friends of Leadburn Community Woodland (FLCW) with a forest-to-bog restoration project at Leadburn Wood in Peeblesshire. Survey work carried out by Tweed Forum in 2017 showed that a conifer woodland at Leadburn Wood contained areas of very deep peat. FLCW set about securing ownership of the site and conifer felling work has now been completed. Once the timber has been extracted, FLCW plans to restore the site’s natural water table by removing stumps, blocking drainage ditches and smoothing the surface of this previously afforested site.

Peatland restoration projects have been worked up at various other sites across the Borders including Winterhope and Chapelhope Farm, Grey Mares Tail and Gameshope Valley. In the Gameshope Valley this will be following up on work

Peatland Action

completed in 2018/19 – pictured below. Unfortunately, the wet winter and the recent Covid-19 crisis have seen these projects delayed and it is hoped that they will be carried over into the new funding round for 2020/21.

16 Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

Tweed Invasives Project

Our long-term control of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed continues

Our catchment-wide control of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) continues, with giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed remaining the priority species. Over the last 18 years we have seen a vast reduction in the density/abundance of both plants and it is now very rare to see either on the main stem of the Tweed.

However, Giant hogweed is still being detected in remote areas away from the river corridor and we must remain vigilant. INNS found at inaccessible sites such as river cliffs are a challenge and, in 2019, we employed qualified rope specialists to safely control hundreds of giant hogweed plants that would have otherwise set seed.

We are also continuing our work with Himalayan balsam and American skunk cabbage. Due to the abundance and distribution of Himalayan balsam, traditional control methods have not been feasible but we continue to spot spray on the River Till. We have also been participating, since 2016, in licenced trial releases of a rust fungus pathogen, see opposite. We have successfully contained the biggest single outbreak of American skunk cabbage to its source of introduction but eradication is some way off. We continue to respond to sightings as quickly as possible and raise awareness about the dangers of this invasive species.

This project is

supported by the

Scottish Natural

Heritage Biodiversity

Challenge Fund

Please keep reporting sightings to us at info@tweedforum.org Please include a photo and a grid reference, if possible.

A typical rope access site

17Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

Tweed Invasives Project publishes practical ‘how-to’ guide

Funding approved for further Himalayan balsam biological control

Building on 18 years of knowledge and experience, Tweed Forum has been commissioned by the Rivers Trust to produce a strategic guide to conducting a long-term catchment-wide INNS programme. The guide captures the accumulated experience of the Tweed Invasives Project and provides a ‘how-to’ for other rivers trusts looking to duplicate our success. Copies are available from our website www.tweedforum.org

Our experimental trials with a rust fungus ‘bio-control’ for Himalayan balsam continue. We have been making some headway with the field trials and in 2019 Tweed Forum secured funding from the Water Environment Grant (Environment Agency) and Biodiversity Challenge Fund (Scottish Natural Heritage) which will enable the trials to be extended to a total of 8 sites, 5 in England and, for the first time, 3 in Scotland.

So far, the rust fungus seems to be negatively affected by the British winter weather and the infection rates for Himalayan balsam have not been as strong as we might have hoped. It is, perhaps, more likely that instead of eradication, the rust fungus will reduce the vigour of Himalayan balsam, allowing native vegetation to co-exist in a new balance with this invasive non-native species.

A Himalayan balsam leaf (above) and seedling (below) infected with rust fungus

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18 Tweed Matters

Tweed Forum is working with Borders Forest Trust to deliver the Borders Treescapes Project

The Scottish Borders has been identified as one of the Woodland Trust’s Treescape areas - an area where wildlife and people will benefit from strategic, sustainable planting of new native woods and trees. Working in partnership with Borders Forest Trust, we will be using integrated land and water management to prevent flooding and improve water quality.

The main thrust of our Treescapes work over the last year has been the creation of over 50 ha of strategic riparian planting in the Leader, Gala and Teviot Water catchments. On the Oxnam Water, fish populations have been identified by the Tweed Foundation as particularly vulnerable to overheating in hot summers. Planting trees provides shade and food for salmon and trout and can make the difference between life and death in hot, dry summers.

o HABITATS & SPECIES

Borders Treescapes Project

The Anderson family getting hands on with riparian tree planting at their holding in the Oxnam catchment

Juvenile Atlantic salmon are particularly vulnerable to overheating in hot summers

19Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

BORDERS TREE PLANTING GRANT SCHEMEThis scheme offers funding for small-scale tree planting in the Scottish Borders

The arrival of Ash dieback disease in the UK prompted a group of local organisationsto come together to promote the planting of landscape trees. This first phase of theBorders Tree Planting Grant Scheme, which ran from 2015–2018, was so successfulthat a second phase was initiated (2018–2021).

Over the last year, 38 applications have been approved. These have resulted in 7,700 landscape trees being planted across the Borders. A total of 213 applications have been approved since the project started, with 32,399 trees planted. Farmers and small holders comprise the bulk of the applications. Community groups make up a smaller proportion but they are steadily growing. The scheme is supported financially by Woodland Trust Scotland, Scottish Forestry, and Quixwood (NTR plc)

via Scottish Borders Council.

WHO CAN APPLY?The project is open to individuals and organisations who may wish to consider hedgerow tree planting, parkland tree planting, orchard planting and small native woodland planting (less than 0.25 ha), that will enhance the landscape and biodiversity of the Borders and make a positive contribution to public amenity.

APPLICATION FORMS & FURTHER INFORMATIONThe application process is online and forms can be downloaded from the Tweed Forum and Borders Forest Trust websites at www.tweedforum.org and www.bordersforesttrust.org. Tweed Forum and Borders Forest Trust staff can give guidance, and assist in planting design and species choice.

Parkland tree planting near St Boswells

20 Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

North East England Regional INNS Strategy, Database & Action Plan

Tweed Forum were asked by the Environment Agency to devise a regional invasive non-native species (INNS) strategy, database and action plan for the north east of England – covering the catchments of Tees, Wear, Tyne, Northumberland Rivers, and our own Till. The strategy focuses on freshwater and riparian species, and aims to ‘develop and maintain cost-effective strategic approaches to prevent, detect, control and eradicate specified INNS in North East river catchments through coordinated action of river catchment partnerships.’

Much of the current INNS work across the region is carried out with limited coordination between organisations, between geographical areas, and across different species. This limited coordination is linked to a lack of regional-scale planning, unsustainable investment, and also the fact that different organisations may have different reasons for tackling INNS.

The Strategy working group ensured all relevant stakeholders were contacted to make sure existing knowledge and datasets were built into the resulting

document. The Strategy lists the main objectives for effective and sustainable INNS management in the North East, including the creation of a biosecurity action group, the establishment of rapid response mechanisms to quickly target new invaders, and increased awareness to prevent the spread of already established species.

The document also includes a clear action plan which sets out how to achieve the goals of the Strategy. The next phase of the project should see the action plan set in motion, resulting in more effective INNS management throughout north east England.

American signal crayfish, a priority INNS in the North East

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21Tweed Matters

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o HABITATS & SPECIES

Borders Wading Bird Initiative

This project aims to create and manage wetland habitat for wading birds

This project is using biodiversity offset monies secured by Scottish Borders Council and NTRplc (of Quixwood windfarm) to raise awareness of wading bird conservation and help arrest their decline. The core areas for waders in the Borders are along the upland fringes of the Lammermuir Hills and Tweed Forum has approached a number of farms within the target zone.

Currently, 108 ha of rough grazing and 65 ha of inbye pasture fields have been signed up to wading bird management agreements. In addition, 6 ha of soft rush will be cut annually to help with structural diversity and create optimal habitats for nesting. Most encouragingly, a total of 52 wader scrapes will also be created.

22 Tweed Matters

o HABITATS & SPECIES

Deer fencing around newly planted cleuch woodlands in the upper Teviot catchment

One of the new wildlife ponds in the Ale catchment

This partnership initiative aims to create woodland and wetland habitat in the upper Teviot and Ale catchments

As part of the Langhope Rig Wind Farm development, a biodiversity offset scheme was secured by Scottish Borders Council from the developer SSE Renewables. The aim has been to use this funding to create woodland and wetland habitat in the upper Teviot and Ale catchments. The Teviot Woods project has now completed its second year, with a further 35 ha of native broadleaved woodlands created, bringing the project total to 80 ha.

It is hoped that these woodlands, when undertaken in the right place and at the right scale, will help alleviate flooding in Hawick by reducing the rate of surface water flow after heavy rain. Other benefits associated with native woodland include carbon storage, wildlife habitat creation, improved water quality and enhanced landscape appeal.

Teviot Woods and Ale Wetlands

The Ale Wetlands project is now in its final stages, with 8 new wildlife ponds and associated wetland habitats now complete. Open water is one of the rarest habitats in the Borders and these ponds will help a whole range of wildlife species such as dragonflies, frogs, otter, great crested newt and many species of duck. It will be very rewarding to watch these habitats develop over the coming years…and to watch the wildlife move in.

23Tweed Matters

o TOURISM & RECREATION

Destination Tweed – Source to Sea Restoration and Revitalisation

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has awarded a Stage 1 £299,000 grant to Destination Tweed, a project Tweed Forum is working on in collaboration with Scottish Borders Council and Northumberland County Council. The plan is to create a world-class,

source-to-sea, long-distance route along the Tweed which will become a jewel in the region’s tourism crown and deliver multiple economic, environmental and community benefits at a time when many of the area’s traditional industries are in decline. The grant will allow us to develop detailed plans and costings to unlock additional funding opportunities and enable the project to progress.

Major commitments from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and

organisations including Sustrans, along with hoped-for success in Stage 2 NLHF funding, should see up to £20 million made available for the initiative. As well as showcasing the Tweed’s natural, built and cultural assets, and helping tourism businesses, Destination Tweed

also includes a variety of projects that aim to restore and enhance degraded habitats, increase climate change resilience, create pollinator corridors, encourage volunteering, and educate children and locals about the river and its management.

Other project partners include Borders Forest Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, SEPA, Scottish Forestry, Southern Uplands Partnership, South of Scotland Enterprise and Buglife.

24 Tweed Matters

o TOURISM & RECREATION

Restoration of Monteath MausoleumThe newly restored monument was opened by Lord Lothian and the Friends of Monteath Mausoleum last summer. The £128,000 restoration programme, part-funded by the Fallago Environment Fund, has secured the future of this extraordinary Victorian monument for future generations. Tweed Forum provided the Friends of Monteath Mausoleum with support throughout the process and we’re delighted to see walkers, cyclists, horse riders, families and tourists enjoying this fascinating Borders landmark

25Tweed Matters

The Great Borders River Clean 2020This fantastic initiative, the brainchild of Melrose teacher (and Tweed Forum River Champion) Tom Rawson, saw over 450 volunteers take to the waterways of the Scottish Borders in March of this year. Over 2 tonnes of rubbish was collected from streams and rivers despite the challenging weather conditions. Congratulations to everyone who took part!

o OTHER NEWS

In May last year, Environment Minister Mairi Gougeon visited the Eddleston Water to see the natural flood management work carried out by the Tweed Forum in recent years. The visit focused strongly on the Land Use Strategy (LUS) pilot and the part it could play in supporting post Brexit agri-environment policy. As part of the LUS process there is still a commitment to establishing Regional Land Use Partnerships by 2021, with roll-out across Scotland by 2023 but it is not yet clear what the role of these Partnerships will be, or how they will be funded/function.

Ministerial Visit and the

Scottish Land Use Strategy

Tweed Forum Chairman, James Hepburne Scott discussing restoration works on the Eddleston Water with Environment Minister Mairi Gougeon

26 Tweed Matters

o OTHER NEWS

Bangor University students

Providing educational outreach for students and professionals remains a key area of Tweed Forum’s work. Last year nearly 250 higher education students and over 100 water environment professionals visited the Tweed catchment to view and discuss landscape restoration at the catchment scale.

Our natural flood management (NFM) and ‘sandbox’ models remain a popular draw at various agricultural shows. The Border Union Show and the Scottish Game Fair, in particular, provided excellent opportunities for sharing our NFM knowledge.

Tweed Forum staff have been very active over the last year, hosting or giving talks at over 50 different events, including:

• presentations at conferences• demonstrating our NFM catchment

models at shows and education events• hosting site visits for a variety of policy

and special-interest groups• school trips• international knowledge exchange• organising community meetings,

workshops and other stakeholder events on a variety of subjects from riverworks to wider land use management

Spreading the wordA national role in promoting Natural Flood Management

Schools poster competitionMelrose Primary School were the proud winners of our annual schools poster competition, announced at the 2019 Schools Countryside Day. The theme was ‘2019, International Year of the Salmon’. Congratulations to everyone at Melrose PS for such a colourful and creative entry!

27Tweed Matters

o TWEED FORUM

Confluence Consulting is the external trading arm of Tweed Forum, providing a wide range of ecological and project management services to both private and public-sector clients. Tweed Forum is at the forefront of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) and, over the years, we have built up a track record of working with land managers to achieve practical works that deliver multiple benefits.

All proceeds from the consultancy go towards the running of the charitable objectives of Tweed Forum - enhancing the river and its catchment. Individually tailored services are offered at highly competitive rates and cover a wide range of environmental services including:

• Agri-environment scheme applications: the entire process from initial on-farm visit through to completed application

• Native woodland planting applications and design plans: we can offer advice, design the woodlands, draw up the plan and complete the forms

• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Ecology Section

• Surveys: otter, badger, water vole, breeding birds, river corridor, invasive plants (Giant Hogweed/ Japanese Knotweed), Phase I Habitat

• GIS mapping services• Pond design and wetland management• Wildflower grassland and hedgerow management

• Invasive plant species (Giant Hogweed/Japanese Knotweed) control

• Environmental project management (including fundraising and project development)

• Environmental education and training programmes

28 Tweed Matters

Due to the complexity and number of project funders we are unable to list all the contributing bodies in the relevant sections of the newsletter. However, the following have contributed to Tweed Forum, and associated projects, over the last year:

- British Geological Survey - Catchment Partnership Action Fund - Donations from individuals- Dundee University - EDF Renewables - Environment Agency - FishPal- Forest Carbon - Interreg North Sea Region Building

with Nature European Regional Development Fund

- Natural England - Northumberland National

Park Authority - Northumbrian Water Limited - The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund

- River Tweed Commission - Roxburghe Estates - Scottish Borders Council - Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Scottish Forestry - The Scottish Government - Scottish Natural Heritage - The Rivers Trust- The Water Environment Fund - The Water Environment Grant- The Woodland Trust - Tweed Foundation- University of Cambridge Institute for

Sustainability Leadership

and a large number of farmers and landowners

Tweed Forum Funding

o TWEED FORUM

Tweed Forum Trustees and StaffTweed Forum is guided and supported by a board of trustees who give their time, knowledge

and experience freely, and we are extremely grateful for their input.

James Hepburne Scott (Chair)

Andrew Brough

Patricia Glennie

Simon Henderson

Paul Jardine*

Debbie Playfair

Prof. Chris Spray

Andrew Wallace* *(to be formally elected at AGM)

TWEED FORUM STAFF ARE:Luke Comins, Director ............................................................................................ luke.comins@tweedforum.org

Janet Landells, Finance/Office Manager ........................................................ janet.landells@tweedforum.org

Nicola Bissett, Project Officer ......................................................................... nicola.bissett@tweedforum.org

Hugh Chalmers, Collaborative Action Coordinator ............................... hugh.chalmers@tweedforum.org

Rachel Coyle, Project Officer .............................................................................. rachel.coyle@tweedforum.org

Emily Iles, Project Officer .......................................................................................... emily.iles@tweedforum.org

Derek Robeson, Senior Project Officer ....................................................... derek.robeson@tweedforum.org

Joe Taylforth, Project Officer ............................................................................. joe.taylforth@tweedforum.org

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AT THE HEART OF LAND & WATER MANAGEMENT ON TWEED

Tweed Forum, Old Melrose Dairy Steading, Melrose, TD6 9DF

T 01896 849723 E info@tweedforum.org www.tweedforum.org

Tom Rawson, a teacher from Melrose, was our 2019 Tweed Forum River Champion Award winner for his campaign to reduce plastic littering and single-use plastic consumption in the Scottish Borders. As well as making St Mary’s School, Melrose, Scotland’s first plastic-free school, Tom also organises the Great Borders River Clean which has involved, to date, 30 towns across the Scottish Borders. Tom has also coordinated a number of tree-planting projects and we’d like to thank him, and everyone who works alongside him on these vital projects for all of their amazing efforts.

Tweed Forum River Champion, Tom Rawson with his trophy (top) and speaking with HRH Prince Charles and Tweed Forum Director Luke Comins during the Tweed Forum opening ceremony (above)

Tweed Forum River Champion Award