Red squirrels and pine martens are among the endangered species that will benefit from a campaign to restore the ancient forest in the Scottish Highlands sponsored by Melbourn Scientific
Contract pharmaceutical analysis company Melbourn Scientific will be celebrating contract wins by sponsoring the planting of groves of trees and dedicating them to clients.
Melbourn is a sponsor for '100,000 trees in 2007' campaign launched by Trees For Life.
The charity has since 1991 has been using volunteers to replant the ancient Caledonian Forest that once covered the highlands of Scotland.
Its replanted areas are now once again appearing as 'woodland' in updated ordnance survey maps.
Pine martens are mammals about the size of a cat and in the same family as the stoat and badger.
It is thought that there are less than 3500 pine martens left in Scotland and about 120,000 red squirrels, 75 per cent of the UK population.
The 100,000 trees, to be planted by volunteers in small groves, will help support a viable population of both these rare mammals.
The groves are being offered for sponsorship.
"The pine marten doesn't get the same name recognition as the red squirrel," explains Johnny Birks of the Vincent Wildlife Trust, a British mammal research organisation that is advising Trees for Life.
"Both are indigenous to the UK and under serious threat of extinction.
"It's unlikely that there are many more than 120 pine marten left in England and just half that again in Wales - Scotland is the only place in the country where numbers are now increasing, due to schemes such as Trees for Life".
The re-forestation will also benefit red squirrels, which across UK are under habitat pressure from grey squirrels and vulnerable to the poxvirus they carry.
Dan Puplett from Trees for Life: "Grey squirrels have an advantage in broadleaved woodland, as they can eat acorns and other nuts before they are ripe enough for the reds.
"We have found that our habitat restoration has already increased numbers of the pine marten and these coniferous forests are also a haven for red squirrels".
It was the involvement of ordinary people and the well-defined aims of the project that attracted the support of Melbourn Scientifc as Mark Hammond, business development director, explains: "Trees for Life is making a valuable contribution to the social and natural environment, and made it easy for a company like ours to participate.
"For each new contract for a stability study that we win this year we will be sponsoring the creation of a grove of trees.
"We can give the map reference to our client and encourage them also to contribute to expanding 'their' grove".
As Hammond explains, the fact that any commercial or individual sponsors can see their contribution grow - quite literally - is one of the factors that make this scheme popular with staff and clients.
"Everybody's very keen that Trees for Life can reach their target and are telling all their family and friends to get involved by sponsoring more trees".
Support for Trees for Life is one part of Melbourn's commitment to reducing its so-called ecological footprint.
The company has introduced sensor operated lighting in its corridors and meeting rooms, designed its new laboratory ergonomically to reduce waste and streamline operations, introduced new methods of recycling and developed an internet based project tracking system to reduce paper-based reporting and improve international communications.
