Year of the Storm

Ninian Stuart,  Reforesting Scotland and the Centre for Stewardship

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It came in the night and transformed the landscape. It took a while to take it in – one neighbour’s chimney had fallen through their kitchen skylight and another neighbour had two rows of pan-tiles ripped off their roof. Gradually the true extent of the storm became clear. Nearby Markinch station was closed for three days, with 900 trees down along the line. Falkland Estate lost an estimated 10,000 trees, and those living in the heart of the estate spent three days without power. 

Devastating, transforming, invigorating…The devastation showed the power of nature, if not an act of God. Whilst it is impossible to prove whether or not the hand of man caused this particular storm, scientific evidence is clear and strong that human carbon emissions are contributing to a rise in extreme weather events from high winds to rising tides and melting glaciers. And certainly Falkland, Fife, Scotland, Europe and most of the world experienced more than normal extreme weather events in 2012.

Back to reality on the ground, the capricious wind of 3rd January transformed our landscape, tearing out trees of all sizes and driving a wedge through whole plantations. A young plantation of young Sitka spruce was taken out whilst some great cedars next to it were left untouched. A few old oaks in the policy woodlands were lost whilst a battalion of Scots pine on the black hill was wiped out. It seemed like annihilation – but as time passed and the shock wore off, the storm opened up possibilities for new growth and helped change the way we do business on the estate, learning a lesson or two from nature. 

We brought in some big kit contractors to deal with the storm’s mass demolition but also turned the crisis into an opportunity to manage the process directly – our new forester and five young unemployed lads on a Community Jobs Scheme were worth more than their weight in gold. By early spring, our new team had begun to open up paths and restore the landscape through the generosity of new volunteers and contributions of money from those keen to help. In a real sense, the storm not only transformed the physical landscape but also provided the conditions for us to experiment with a new economics of the forest – which involved working with nature and with community.  

In fact 2012 started out and ended up being an invigorating year. The pace of change was rapid and the inspiration humbling – from those who rolled up their sleeves as volunteers to the couple that sponsored the “After the Storm” installation. This book tells the story in the context of the forest and the community that love it:

• the small acts of heroism and solidarity in the aftermath of the storm;

• the volunteers and trainees who stepped up to the plate;

• the potential of the forest to provide a therapeutic and inspiring landscape;

• and the ways people rallied around to build huts and create art from the devastation.

It is also a story of a community rediscovering the power and beauty of a woodland and realising the transformative power of forest culture and creative teamwork. Without a doubt, 2012 will long be remembered at Falkland as the Year of the Storm.