An online guide to Perthshire Big Tree Country has been launched.
The iCONic project has teamed up with Comrie-based Catkin Press to develop a virtual trail of rare trees that have been planted in the county in an effort to conserve species from around the globe that are threatened in their native habitats.
This new venture is aimed at raising awareness of Perthshire’s global role in tree conservation.
Over the next six months a series of blog posts will be made by Catkin Press detailing the best forestry walks Perthshire has to offer, as well as providing interesting facts about the landscape.
Project officer Tom Christian said walkers could download pamphlets relating to specific routes.
He explained: “We wanted to find a way of communicating our work to people in a way that allows them to explore at their own pace.
“Working with Catkin Press, we developed the idea of a virtual tree trail, guiding people on existing, known routes where the iCONic project has been planting trees since 2008.
“Through the six articles, we’ll explain our work to readers, incorporating interesting stories about the places, plants and people that are involved.”
The articles, to be published online once a month for the next six months, will include tales about intrepid Victorian and modern-day plant hunters, who scour the globe in search of plants, facing challenges and dangers on their quest.
Readers will also be introduced to different species of trees, and may be surprised to discover that some familiar ones are at risk of extinction in their homeland, such as the famous monkey puzzle from Chile and Argentina and the giant redwood from California.
Through the project, Perthshire has been at the centre of an effort to safeguard trees since 2008, when the new partnership was established by Perthshire Big Tree Country and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The public can access the new articles online or download them at www.catkinpress.com/iconic.
To find out more about the work of the iCONic project in general, visit www.iconictrees.org.