By taking part in the development phase process, your group will:

• actively help shape what project support is available from CWA - this includes defining the role of a project woodland officer

• help co-design the community grant scheme, making it as useful as possible for community groups

• be a step ahead in your planning when the delivery phase of the project comes on-stream

• get help and support with projects you might have been keen to do anyway

The information you provide will help inform and support CWA's part of the delivery stage bid (due for submission in February 2026), helping to ensure the right support is in place for community groups to take their projects forward successfully.

Use our online feedback form to work through the key aspects your group needs to consider for each project they are considering undertaking. We want to know:

• What you aim to do

• How the rainforest and local community will benefit

• How the activity will be sustained beyond the end of the project

• Your estimated funding requirements

• What training and support you’ll require

• Anything else you feel is important for us to know

You can then hit ‘submit’ to feed back your plan/s, or you can arrange a video call to chat things through with us (see section below).

Please feed back your plans to us by September 30th. You can do this in 1 of 2 ways:

1. Ideally we would like to arrange to have a chat with some of your group via a video call. Book a slot - select a day and time using the CWA Booking Calendar. We will then send through a link for the meeting which we anticipate lasting around 30 minutes

2. If a video call isn’t possible, please feed back using our online form

Rainforest Monitoring

• apply for funding for an initial survey

• Train people in:

• Apply to a larger funding source for:

Tree Nursery establishment

• Funding for

• Training

• On the ground support

• Networking

Forest management

• planning and delivery of rainforest restoration

Deer Control

• training more people to do deer control - supplementing a paid worker

• Joining up groups in the area

• feed into a local deer larder in the area

The project aims to mobilise, train and equip people with the skills and knowledge to be guardians and advocates for Scotland’s rainforest. It aims to leave both Scotland's rainforest habitat and its communities more resilient.

Vision: A national movement of rainforest custodians equipped and enabled to save Scotland’s Rainforest.  

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project is currently in its development phase. Throughout 2025 we are consulting and gathering evidence, engaging with communities and stakeholders, and piloting activities and courses. What we learn will inform an activity plan and bid for a five-year delivery phase. We’re working across the whole rainforest zone, but with a focus on three ‘hub’ areas of Morvern, Torridon and mid-Argyll. Our work is based around three key themes:

• Rainforest Action - a critical mass of people in rainforest communities have the necessary skills and training to enable full-scale rainforest restoration.

• Rainforest Futures - existing rainforest restoration projects have a long-term sustainable legacy, and more rainforest restoration projects can establish, through community empowerment.

• Rainforest Connections - to enable shared learning between rainforest restoration projects within Scotland’s rainforest and beyond.

This is an Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest project led by the Woodland Trust.  

Project partners are each leading on a different aspect of the project. They include: Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust; Community Woodlands Association; Plantlife Scotland; RSPB Scotland; Scotland's Rural College; and the Scottish Rainforest Education Centre

More information can be found here.