We’re delighted to welcome Jane Gibson to the Tweed Forum team as a new Project Officer tasked with helping river woodland creation across the Tweed catchment as part of the Riverwoods Blueprint Project.
In collaboration with landowners, partners and local communities, Jane will be working to expand riparian (river) woodlands and contribute to a range of river restoration, wetland creation and educational initiatives. Planting the right trees in the right riverside locations at the right scale can unlock a host of environmental benefits, from enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality to reducing soil erosion, slowing flood waters and capturing carbon.
Riparian trees are particularly important for the Tweed’s world-renowned fishery to counter the effects of climate change and habitat degradation. As temperatures rise, the trees provide shade to help cool rivers and reduce thermal stress for fish. Thriving riparian woodlands also support populations of the invertebrates that feed young salmon and trout.
Raised in the Borders, Jane has a strong background in environmental and forestry work. Her post is funded by Tweed Forum, the River Tweed Commission and the Riverwoods Blueprint Project, which is led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.