Seawilding: A Hope Spot Turning the Tide for Marine Restoration
We are delighted to share some exciting news with you. Seawilding, our blue carbon offsetting partner and a pioneering conservation organisation based in Loch Craignish, Scotland, was recently featured on BBC Countryfile’s “Argyll Hope Spots”. This well-deserved recognition highlights Seawilding’s incredible mission to restore and protect Scotland’s marine biodiversity, making a profound impact on our planet’s future.
Seawilding has been at the forefront of innovative marine conservation practices, blending science, technology, and community involvement to create positive change. By establishing marine “Hope Spots,” they have strategically identified key areas in need of protection and regeneration. These locations serve as critical habitats for a diverse range of marine species, including endangered ones.
The feature highlighted Seawilding’s significant accomplishments, including the successful restoration of vital seagrass meadows in Loch Craignish. Through meticulous scientific research and community engagement, Seawilding has brought these once-threatened ecosystems back to life, allowing marine life to thrive once again.
Up until now, Seawilding have been planting seagrass using hessian bags with seeds as their primary method of restoration. However, they have recently received a licence from Nature Scot to trial a technique that has never been seen before in the UK: restoration through the transplantation of rhizomes. This remarkable opportunity not only underscores Seawilding’s expertise and pioneering approach, but it also marks a significant milestone in marine conservation.
What is rhizome transplanting?
The rhizome transplanting technique involves carefully extracting healthy seagrass rhizomes (underground stems) from donor meadows and transplanting them into targeted areas where there is no seagrass. This method has shown very encouraging results in other regions of the world, and Seawilding’s licence allows them to test its effectiveness within the unique coastal ecosystem of Loch Craignish.
At True Travel, we are immensely proud to partner with Seawilding and support their continuous work and commitment to the conservation and protection of marine environments. We are very excited to continue sharing the progress of their groundbreaking initiatives to our discerning travellers who share a passion for positive impact in travel.
About the Author
As an advocate of sustainability, my focus is that we make small but positive changes everyday. Growing up in Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania, I have had a passion for conservation, travel and exploration from an early age.
