Project to protect rare pine martens backed by Forest Holidays

Forest news

13/09/16

After discovering a family of 20 playful pine martens at our Strathyre location, Forest Holidays has become the first key sponsor of a project aimed at protecting the survival of this rare woodland species.

‘What’s a pine marten?’ we hear you ask! You’re not alone; a survey revealed 60% of the population have no idea what a pine marten is. 35% of people assume that it’s a bird and 12% think it is a type of tree.

In fact, the pine marten is a close cousin of otters and weasels. With glossy reddish brown fur, a distinctive yellow ‘bib’ on its chest and a long fluffy tail, this cheeky customer is roughly the same size as a domestic cat and spends most of its time in the trees.

Pine martens used to be seen regularly across the UK but now they’re almost extinct in England and Wales. In Scotland however, forest restructuring brought about by the Wildlife and Countryside Act in the 1980s has meant that pine marten populations are thriving.

At Forest Holidays we’re committed to contributing to the survival of this iconic species and are the first key sponsor of a study in England which is assessing the feasibility of translocating the pine marten back to previously occupied areas of the UK.

Andrew Stringer, Pine Marten Project Manager for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, praised Forest Holidays for its support:

“Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust fully applauds Forest Holidays in their support for pine marten conservation, and their commitment to promoting the importance of native wildlife in the UK. We look forward to working with them as we explore the feasibility of translocating pine martens to improve their conservation status in England.”

Learn more about the conservation project

Find out more about the pine marten family at Strathyre