Foresight Natural Capital signs inaugural collaboration agreement with Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands to support forestry community projects

London, 2 February 2026 – Foresight Natural Capital (FNC) and D&G Woodlands (DGW) have agreed a new three-year collaboration to support practical, community-led projects that enhance biodiversity, public access and wellbeing across woodlands in Dumfries and Galloway.

As part of this collaboration, Foresight will provide an initial year-1 contribution of £35,000 to DGW as part of a 3-year term. Under the agreement, Foresight will provide funding to support DGW’s charitable activities, while DGW will work with local stakeholders to deliver projects on a number of afforestation and forestry sites in and around Foresight’s natural capital portfolio across the region.

Projects supported through the collaboration will focus on creating tangible benefits for local communities. The projects can include upgrading and creating paths, benches, signage, wildlife hides, ponds and boardwalks, improving parking and access, and hosting public events. Alongside physical improvements, the partnership will support educational visits from schools, colleges and community groups, as well as initiatives aimed at improving access to woodlands for people facing mental health, physical or learning challenges.

The collaboration will also support skills development and training, including pre-apprenticeship work experience placements with local forestry companies, targeted promotion of training opportunities, and assistance with Foresight’s UK Forestry Skills Training Programme. DGW will also work with Foresight to explore opportunities including regenerative and conservation grazing, farming partnerships, tree planting in riparian zones, wetland restoration and peatland restoration.

Robert Guest, Co-lead of Foresight Natural Capital, said: “Projects like the Glaister’s Bridge Community Site near Corsock showed us what’s possible when investors and communities work together. Often, the hardest part is bridging the communication gap. That’s where D&G Woodlands excel and we’re excited about what we can achieve next, working together.

Community projects need to be tailored to the site and shaped collaboratively. There must be space for constructive, practical discussion, and co-creation. On their own, these initiatives can look small, but when momentum builds and good ideas start to spread, the positive impact really adds up. It’s infectious.”

McNabb Laurie, Manager of Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, added: “These two ‘added value’ natural capital agreements strengthen relationships with Foresight and EJDF and have the potential to unlock £120,000 of investment for community projects in Dumfries and Galloway over the next three years. This will be used to work with local communities and partners, delivering social, economic and ecological benefits – both on the established woodland creation projects themselves but also on a region-wide basis, tackling some of the broader problems we face, including letting contracts with local businesses and exploring employability options for our young people.”

The collaboration builds on the success of the Glaister’s Bridge Community Site project, delivered by the Upper Urr Environmental Trust (UUET), with which DGW has strong links. The Glaisters Bridge project included the signing of a first-of-a-kind 20-year lease between Foresight Natural Capital and the UUET. More details about the lease and the Glaisters Bridge project can be found here: Woodlands Plus – D&G Woodlands. .

Foresight’s operational partner EJD Forestry, closely involved in the Glaisters project, has also signed a similar collaboration agreement with DGW, reflecting a shared commitment across the sector to community-focused forestry. Encouragingly, other industry participants have since approached DGW following the success of Glaister’s Bridge, showing that a catalytic effect is starting to take hold.

Edward Downs, Managing Director, EJD Forestry, said: “Working with the Upper Urr Environmental Trust on developing the Glaister’s Bridge project was a very rewarding experience which proved that involving community groups in forestry projects can deliver tangible community benefits. The collaboration gives us the opportunity to work with DGW on delivering more community projects and we are delighted to be involved.”

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About Foresight Natural Capital:
Foresight Natural Capital goes beyond the provision of capital – focusing on the proactive management and enhancement of landscapes that generate enduring value through ecosystem services, including afforestation, sustainable forestry, regenerative land use, and biodiversity net gain.

About Dumfries and Galloway Woodlands:
The Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands Initiative is the coming together of a range of partners – organisations and individuals – that want to support trees, habitats and the people that depend upon them in Dumfries & Galloway. Registered as a not-for-profit SCIO (#052525), the initiative is involved in a range of projects that aim to provide a response to the climate & nature crises, better understanding and appreciating the natural heritage of our region as a result. Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands has been supported by a range of partners, including Woodland Trust Scotland, Scottish Forestry, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Glenkens & District Trust, Private Donations, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. For more information about Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, including how to join a member, visit www.dgwoodlands.org.uk.

Media contacts:
Alice Bourne: alice.bourne@h-advisors.globalWeronika Slomka: weronika.slomka@h-advisors.global