What do we do?

There are at present a wide variety of activities related to the Trust’s four main purposes that are carried out by the FHT and its members:

Conservation.  The FHT promotes integrated land management and works collaboratively with local landowners and stakeholders. Some of our conservation work includes scrub clearance on nationally important lichen beds, restoration of bare sand dune habitat, monitoring biodiversity and regular surveys of insects, bryophytes, mosses and other flora and fauna. Other regular jobs include maintaining fire breaks, replanting native trees, pond management and erecting bird boxes.

Education. The FHT encourages groups to use the land for a wide variety of educational purposes. These include local and international school groups, adults with learning or physical difficulties, courses held within Findhorn Ecovillage, other conservation organisations and private workshop groups.

We offer a variety of hands-on workshops, including the art of beekeeping, chunky bench-making and nature connection, as well as educational studies of the flora and fauna found on this land.  The FHT regularly hosts talks and public events to promote different aspects of the charity’s educational work.

Recreation. The Trust maintains and develops paths in the woods and to and from the dunes, to encourage the safe and respectful use of the land by people while preserving the rich biodiversity found here. During lockdown a labyrinth was constructed by one of our member, for walking meditation and it continues to be well-used.

The FHT offers informative weekly walking tours of the hinterland, and offers a number of facilities including a woodland shelter, fire pit, outdoor learning space and wild camping pads, that can be booked via our Land Steward. We also have a pony field that is currently home to three horses belonging to community members.

We work with the Moravian Orienteers to help make sure that the land can be used for this sport with little impact on the land’s important features.

Community Building. We are regularly involved in public consultation and attend events hosted by partner organisations such as the Community Woodland Association. We provide opportunities for people to meet and collaborate through monthly work parties on the land, which are also a learning opportunity.

We host annual events to help build community, including May Day celebrations at our maypole and a Christmas gathering where people come to collect a Christmas tree and share time around the fire.

Green Burial. The natural burial ground in the middle of Wilkies Wood is owned and managed by the Findhorn Hinterland Trust. This local resource creates community connection through bringing people together at a tender time. A tree is planted on each plot and thus it also helps to restore the ‘fallen acre’ with native trees. Our community members can stay close after they have passed and the burial ground helps fund much of our charitable work to conserve the land.