RBS staff bank on future of Scotland’s woodland with workplace tree nursery

ROYAL Bank of Scotland staff have launched a tree nursery at its headquarters on the edge of Edinburgh, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, who aim to connect people to nature, and to nurture green spaces for local communities.

The nursery is part of the NatWest Forest initiative, which invites the banking group’s staff to help plant and nurture trees across Scotland. Since autumn 2021, it has grown to encompass 150,000 trees across the UK, with 3800 currently at Gogarburn.

Overseen by The Conversation Volunteers, tree seeds collected by staff are being grown in the Gogarburn nursery. They will be tended to for the next two years and will then be planted around Scotland, creating a legacy of locally sourced and grown trees for many years to come.

All the saplings at the site are native species, including Scots pine, field maple, holly and birch. The site will support the country’s biodiversity, protecting native habitats for wildlife.

RBS staff have contributed more than 26,000 hours of volunteer time with The Conservation Volunteers in 2023.

Michael Duncan, head of giving strategy and programmes at RBS, said: “We are delighted to launch the Gogarburn Tree Nursery.

“Through this project, our colleagues will support by collecting local native tree seeds and growing these at our tree nursery on our campus. This will enable indigenous trees to be planted across Scotland leaving a true legacy for years to come.”