The University of Edinburgh's Forest and Peatland Programme (FPP) focuses on restoring peatlands and expanding forests in Scotland to combat climate change, enhance biodiversity, and support local communities. On this page you'll find all the essential information for accessing the sites for learning, research, and teaching opportunities. Image Airborne Research and Innovation field work at Drumbrae By integrating academic research, hands-on learning, and long-term environmental monitoring, the programme creates unique opportunities for education, research, and community engagement across both University-owned and partner sites.The sites serve as dynamic operational environments, where a variety of activities are actively undertaken. These include:ground preparation and tree planting for woodland creationpeatland restorationhabitat managementpublic engagement and access.While these sites are prioritised for operational functions, they also present exciting and important opportunities for education and research. One of the key benefits of having University-owned sites is the unique ability to integrate academic research, hands-on learning, and long-term environmental monitoring, providing a ‘living laboratory’ for students, staff, and external collaborators alike.Whole-institution approachThe Forest and Peatland Programme aims to be fully integrated into the University’s curriculum, research, and experiential learning opportunities. The vision, mapped out in the Learning, Teaching, and Research Strategy (LTR) 2023-2028 is for the whole University community to have opportunities to access these land assets—both our own and, where possible, those of our partners—for teaching, recreation, enhancing the student and staff experience, and for generating meaningful research impact across Scotland and internationally.Even without visiting these sites there will be access to site related datasets that enabling desk-based studies and learning. The LTR strategy outlines the objectives and actions needed to realise this vision for the University, and highlights the range of benefits from the Programme sites.Forest and Peatland Learning, Teaching and Research Strategy 2023-2028ObjectivesEnsure our forests and peatland and those of our partners are resilient to expected climate change impacts and are sustainably managed.Mobilise our sites as Living Lab opportunities for research and teaching to enhance the broader student experience across all disciplines.Implement baseline and continuous monitoring to assess land-use change and ensure sustainable management.Restore, enhance and maintain ecosystem services using best practice measures and effective management.Create a digital data strategy and implementation plan to record longitudinal data on land-use change and climate adaptabilityEngage with the University community so that the project becomes part of the life of the University, for all our students, staff and alums, through educational opportunities and recreational access.Engage with communities and businesses near our sites to identify and co-develop benefits, such as educational opportunities and recreational access to nature.As the programme is in its early stages, the team are working through the actions that still need to happen both in the short and long term for us to meet the LTR objectives over time.Watch the video HTML In this one minute, 31 second video, Community Ranger, Julie Wilson, explains the Forest and Peatland project, with Dr Matt Bell, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Ecology and Evolution.Are you considering LTR activities at the Forest and Peatland sites?As with any land-based research, one of the key steps is obtaining permission from the land managers/owners—in this case, the Forest and Peatland operational team, and in certain cases the Forest and Peatland board. For partnership sites, it may be the partners themselves.A permission process has been established to:Safeguard ongoing operations;Mitigate potential risks or harm to individuals and the environment;Maintain public access;Ensure compliance with ethical guidelines;For partnership sites, to secure approval from external landownersWhile site access cannot be guaranteed, the team will work closely with applicants, offering advice and guidelines on how to meet the necessary criteria and explore alternative solutions when needed.The approval process will vary depending on the nature of the visit/activities. For activities compliant with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC)—such as visits and walking along designated paths—the process will be straightforward. However, for field work activities, such as sample collections or going off-path, additional approvals and considerations will be required.Please read through the pre-application guidance and information document for the relevant site before submitting the expression of interst form or the site access request form. Drumbrae site informationPre-application guidanceI'm just visitingIf you are visiting the sites for recreational purposes, no permission is required. However, if you are organising a visit as part of a research group, society, scoping activity, or teaching initiative, and such like, you will need to complete a form to request site access permission.In such cases, the FPP team can provide guidance and support to ensure your visit is safe and well-coordinated, as well as inform you of any ongoing operational activities that may affect your plans.I am planning to include one or more of the sites in my learning, teaching and/or research activitiesDo you want to use the Forest and Peatland Programme sites in any of your learning, teaching and/or research activities? The development and planning stage is the ideal time to contact the Forest and Peatland team Academic Manager to express your interest. This will allow the team to respond quickly.We will guide you through:site suitabilityoperational activitiesother practical considerations that should be accounted for before submitting your proposal.We might recommend and plan for a site scoping visit. Please email the Academic Manager to start this process. When you're ready, you can complete the expression of interest formI am ready to apply for site accessThe approval process for site access requests—whether for learning, teaching, or research—follows the same general steps. However, the specific approval requirements will vary depending on the nature of the proposed activities, including their potential impact, scale, duration, and whether the site is University-owned or a partnership site (see infographic below).Ideally, site access requests should be submitted at least six months in advance for complex projects or activities. At a minimum, requests must be submitted no later than six weeks before the intended visit/activities.Site access request form Image Flow chat highlighting the process to apply for access for the Forest and Peatland sites Site approval process diagram as text for accessibility:Action: email our Academic Manager to express your interest.Action: submit your site access application form.Our team will check your application.Our team will review your application.Complex requests will be reviewed by the Forests and Peatland Progamme Board (this happens quarterly).Partnership site requests will be reviewed by partners.Final decision.Please note: You might be asked to supply information at any stage.What to know more?If your research group, department, or institute would like to learn more, please contact the Academic Manager. A presentation or discussion can be arranged, depending on timing and available resources. This article was published on 2024-10-01