Saving The Rainforest on our Doorstep
Jill Wotherspoon, Head of Brands
Discovering Scotland's Rainforest
In isolated pockets, along the meandering west coast, you will find the last remaining fragments of Scotland's ancient temperate rainforest. Just as important as tropical rainforest, but far rarer, very few people know that this precious habitat even exists.
Home to thousands of species of invaluable plant life, including rare lichen and mosses, the forest floor is a rich source of carbon capture. Yet, just 30,000 hectares of this amazing native woodland remain. And it is at risk of being lost forever.
Among the threats are the spread of invasive non-native species, such as rhododendron, as well as grazing pressures, nitrogen pollution and climate factors.
Image Credit: © Tim Melling
The vital work of the John Muir Trust
Founded in 1983, the John Muir Trust is a community-focused conservation charity dedicated to the experience, protection and repair of wild places across the UK.
As part of the Alliance for Scotland's rainforest, the John Muir Trust cares for areas of rainforest on Skye, Knoydart, Quinag and the Nevis range. Work includes removing non-native species and encouraging self-seeding and natural regeneration.
In collaboration with the Trust, through our new Peak & Wild coffee, Matthew Algie is expected to help preserve and restore 1000 hectares of Scotland’s rainforest over the next three years.
“Our work to restore Scotland’s rainforest helps to tackle both the biodiversity and climate change crises, and we are delighted to have Matthew Algie’s support not only on the land in our care, but engaging young people with wild places across the UK through the John Muir Award.”
Adam Pinder, Head of Income Generation at the John Muir Trust
Image Credit: © Laura Corbe
How You Can Help?
Anyone who chooses to serve or buy Peak & Wild coffee is contributing to the good work of the Trust. Beyond our initial £10,000 donation for 2022 we aim to send an increasing contribution annually based on sales.
Our hope is that our network of cafe customers will spread the word to ever more consumers through the explanatory point of sale and social media content. You can see what's available in our handy toolkit here.
Regardless of the coffee you serve or enjoy however, there are many other ways to support the Trust, from becoming a member, donating to an appeal, getting hands-on as a volunteer, or fundraising. Visit The John Muir Trust website for further information.
“This partnership will provide valuable funds for the Trust’s work, while also raising awareness of this little-known but vital habitat.”.”
The Future of Conservation
Whilst we don't all have access to the rainforest, there are more conservation projects than ever all across the UK, from beaches to peatlands to waterways and woodlands. The John Muir Award operates in all corners of the UK, offering young people the chance to get out into nature, experience wild places, engage in conservation initiatives and share their work with the world. Matthew Algie's support will help 2,500 young people across the UK achieve the award over the next three years.
Climate Positive Coffee
Peak and Wild is also our first climate-positive coffee, meaning it has a positive, not neutral effect on the planet. For every bag of Peak & Wild coffee we sell, the emissions are double offset. At the same time, we continue our work to minimise the emissions that need to be offset in the first place, on our journey to true net-zero. We look forward to sharing more detail on this later in the year.
Find out more about Peak & Wild in our short animation:
Find out more about the John Muir Trust here.
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