Posted on:
29 January 2026
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Tree‑mendous effort! Volunteers plant hundreds of saplings at Cocksburn Reservoir
29 January 2026
Braving the weather
Staff from local company iGii were among those who volunteered to take part in the tree planting scheme.
Over 50 volunteers have come together to plant hundreds of native broadleaf saplings at a popular Stirlingshire reservoir.
Over the course of three days, the volunteers – including Scottish Water staff, members of the public and employees from local company iGii – planted around 1,300 oak, hawthorn, birch, rowan, hazel and alder saplings on land surrounding Cocksburn Reservoir.
The new scheme forms part of Scottish Water’s wider woodland creation programme, which aims to improve biodiversity and lock up carbon emissions, while also helping protect source water quality against climate change at operational reservoirs across the country.
Once complete, the Cocksburn scheme will see over 4,000 saplings planted over a 2.5 hectare area at the reservoir. Over the next 60 years, it is estimated that the new woodland will capture around 1,350 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – the same as 364 return flights between Glasgow and Tokyo.
Scottish Water and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) partnership ranger Helen Rountree helped to organise and deliver the planting sessions with support from delivery partner Bell Ingram and Laurent Bienfait Woodland Services, which saw the volunteers planting saplings and attaching biodegradable tree tubes.
She said: “It was brilliant to be out at Cocksburn Reservoir with lots of enthusiastic volunteers to help bring this woodland creation project to life – despite the challenging weather everyone brought so much energy to the sessions and it was great to see so many different people getting involved, including the two attendees that spontaneously decided to join us!
“We know that the reservoir is well used by the local community and this was evidenced in the number of volunteers that were keen to be involved in helping out – we would like to say a big thank you to all those who came along.”
Scottish Water woodland creation programme manager Stephen Garbett said: “We have loved hosting these sessions at Cocksburn Reservoir and working with the local community to create something which will enhance the existing biodiversity at the reservoir.
“Once established, the new Scottish Water woodland will connect up with two larger woodlands – Forestry and Land Scotland’s Pendreich forest to the south-west and the University of Edinburgh Drumbrae forest to the north-east - providing a valuable wildlife and biodiversity corridor around the reservoir.”
Andrew Lacey, Chief Operating Officer from Stirling-based company iGii, was one of those who took part in the event.
He said: "Sustainability is at the core of our business. We actively look for opportunities to support our community and encourage our team to partake in events where we can build an environment, give back and work towards a greener future, together.
“We were delighted to partner with Scottish Water to help achieve their net zero goals by planting trees to offset their carbon emissions. Though it was cold and windy, we had a fantastic time and all benefitted mentally from the outdoor activity. We hope to see the fruits of our labour in the coming years as the trees grow and the forests connect."
Over the course of three days, the volunteers – including Scottish Water staff, members of the public and employees from local company iGii – planted around 1,300 oak, hawthorn, birch, rowan, hazel and alder saplings on land surrounding Cocksburn Reservoir.
The new scheme forms part of Scottish Water’s wider woodland creation programme, which aims to improve biodiversity and lock up carbon emissions, while also helping protect source water quality against climate change at operational reservoirs across the country.
Once complete, the Cocksburn scheme will see over 4,000 saplings planted over a 2.5 hectare area at the reservoir. Over the next 60 years, it is estimated that the new woodland will capture around 1,350 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – the same as 364 return flights between Glasgow and Tokyo.
Scottish Water and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) partnership ranger Helen Rountree helped to organise and deliver the planting sessions with support from delivery partner Bell Ingram and Laurent Bienfait Woodland Services, which saw the volunteers planting saplings and attaching biodegradable tree tubes.
She said: “It was brilliant to be out at Cocksburn Reservoir with lots of enthusiastic volunteers to help bring this woodland creation project to life – despite the challenging weather everyone brought so much energy to the sessions and it was great to see so many different people getting involved, including the two attendees that spontaneously decided to join us!
“We know that the reservoir is well used by the local community and this was evidenced in the number of volunteers that were keen to be involved in helping out – we would like to say a big thank you to all those who came along.”
Scottish Water woodland creation programme manager Stephen Garbett said: “We have loved hosting these sessions at Cocksburn Reservoir and working with the local community to create something which will enhance the existing biodiversity at the reservoir.
“Once established, the new Scottish Water woodland will connect up with two larger woodlands – Forestry and Land Scotland’s Pendreich forest to the south-west and the University of Edinburgh Drumbrae forest to the north-east - providing a valuable wildlife and biodiversity corridor around the reservoir.”
Andrew Lacey, Chief Operating Officer from Stirling-based company iGii, was one of those who took part in the event.
He said: "Sustainability is at the core of our business. We actively look for opportunities to support our community and encourage our team to partake in events where we can build an environment, give back and work towards a greener future, together.
“We were delighted to partner with Scottish Water to help achieve their net zero goals by planting trees to offset their carbon emissions. Though it was cold and windy, we had a fantastic time and all benefitted mentally from the outdoor activity. We hope to see the fruits of our labour in the coming years as the trees grow and the forests connect."
Biodiversity improvements
The wider 2.5 hectare scheme will see over 4,000 native broadleaf trees planted at the reservoir once it is complete.
