True North is our positive impact coffee, raising £1 in each retail bag for Trees for Life’s work to re-wild the Scottish Highlands.

We first got involved with Trees for Life in 2018 when we started our annual tree planting mission to offset our carbon footprint. The team has been out in sharp autumn winds and rain to plant a mix of Scots Pine, Rowan and Birch at Drundreggan estate and Grey Willow in Glen Affric.

Since the charity was founded in 1993 Trees for Life has planted an incredible 1.7 million trees with 10,000 volunteers, re-wilding some 4,000 hectares of land in the Scottish Highlands. About 6,000 years ago an estimated 1.5 million hectares of Scotland was covered in rich native pinewoods. Now only about 1% of this original forest is left, broken down into small and isolated fragments. Much of the wildlife dependent on the forest has been lost.

Trees for Life is committed to a much more ambitious vision than just tree planting. The charity is also at the forefront of promoting re-wilding as a new approach to land management that can benefit both wildlife and rural communities.

Other initiatives that Trees for Life have worked on include an assessment of the health of remaining pine wood fragments in partnership with The Woodland Trust. The Trees for Life Skills for Rewilding programme is an amazing opportunity for five people each year to spend 12 months, fully funded, learning practical skills required to gain employment in the Scottish environmental sector.

50% of funds raised by our True North blend will go directly to planting trees and the remaining 50% will be dedicated to rewilding. As Trees for Life’s Head of Fundraising & Engagement Colin Mackenzie-Blackman puts it: “Rewilding requires long-term vision and commitment, which is why we are delighted to be working with Glen Lyon Coffee and the launch of True North. The Trees for Life vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Scottish Highlands, enabling communities to thrive and wildlife to flourish. With Glen Lyon’s generous support we are a step closer to realising that vision.”

As Gandhi famously once said: Be the change you wish to see in the world. So at Glen Lyon Coffee we are delighted to be supporting Trees for Life with this new blend. We believe that in this age of climate change and habitat loss the rewilding vision for ecological restoration is an essential ‘work of hope.