Allstar EcoPoint Projects

Background

The Allstar EcoPoint programme has been supporting woodland and forestry projects around the world since its inception in 2015. Initially starting with UK woodlands, EcoPoint began adding international projects from 2016 and switched over to those projects fully from 2018.  You can see the totals for the scheme here, and below are some examples of the many projects supported. 

UK Projects

All UK Projects are certified under the Woodland Carbon Code.

Madresfield, Great Malvern

EcoPoint's first UK woodland was at Madresfield, on the eastern edge of Great Malvern. It is surrounded by cropland but 3 public footpaths, well-used by local people, meet at its centre point. It also links in with a network of hedges and scattered trees. Some wildflower species previously suppressed by arable farming will also re-establish themselves. The wood will be managed as continuous cover – ie by sequential thinning that creates a permanent all age woodland – to provide wood-fuel. This practice allows more light to reach the ground which encourages development of ground flora and further natural regeneration of trees, as well as enhancing the growth of un-thinned trees. The project affords a fine view over the Malvern Hills to the west. It will enhance the landscape and biodiversity and afford pleasure to local residents. 

Overkirkhope, Borders

The aim of the planting at Overkirkhope is to create over 100 hectares of new native broadleaved woodland in 3 upland valleys and one riparian (riverside) area of the Upper Ettrick area of the Scottish Borders. The three valleys, the Kirkhope Burn, Brockhope Burn and Back Burn, feed into the Ettrick Water, a Special Area of Conservation, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an important tributary of the River Tweed. A smaller section of 4 hectares on the banks of the Ettrick Water was also planted. Very little native woodland exists in the Southern Upland Hills and this planting creates an important semi-natural habitat of considerable wildlife and biodiversity value to species such as black grouse. The majority of the planting creates upland oak and birch woodlands with areas of wet woodlands on the lower, wetter riverside areas. The range of species chosen creates diverse woodlands of maximum biodiversity and landscape value. The overall objective is to try to re-establish part of the Ettrick Forest - the ancient woodland that once covered most of Selkirk, Peebles, part of Edinburgh and upper Clydesdale. 

Headshaw, Borders

In September 2008 and July 2009 prolonged and intense rainfall caused major flooding in the north-east Cheviots, on the Scottish/English border, with significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, woodland and communities as far south as Morpeth. A review was commissioned by the Tweed Forum – a charitable body, backed by a broad public and private membership, with a brief to co-ordinate actions that lead to the sustainable management of the river and its catchment – into how best to prevent and ameliorate the recurrence of such events. The River Till and its tributaries, all in turn flowing into the Tweed, were the worst affected by the floods and the planting that has been carried out at Headshaw is part of the solution identified for those tributaries. There is a considerable body of practical knowledge and research evidence pointing to riparian woodlands as an effective means of flood management, through the following means:

By reducing the amount of water reaching the watercourses, and then lengthening the period over which the surge of water is delivered to a watercourse, flooding is either prevented altogether or reduced. Upstream flood management is also very cost-effective – removing the need for difficult to implement flood protection, or the expensive consequences of flooding, in urban areas. 

High Windy, Cumbria

The new native broadleaf woodland at High Windy, a location that lives up to its name, sits on both sides of the B6277 scenic road, which runs through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from Middleton-in-Teesdale to Alston. Part of the woodland borders the South Tyne river, very close to its source, near the village of Garrigill. From the upper section Cross Fell and Great Dun Fell, the two highest points in the North Pennines, are visible in the distance. The woodland will provide wildlife habitat, particularly for Black Grouse, and offer some flooding and water purity benefits to the Tyne catchment.

International Projects

Cochabamba, Bolivia

Allstar's first non-UK project was in Bolivia, where they supported rural  smallholders in reforestation activities with mixed, mainly native tree species for sustainable forestry management. As well as capturing CO2  the project will help halt the aggressive deforestation that has been occurring in this area of the western Amazon Rainforest and also save  CO2 losses there. The new forests will be harvested in the future, but the application of a poly-cyclic harvesting system will guarantee a  relatively high average carbon storage in the project.

The overall project aims for improved and sustainable land use with a total participation of 2,000 smallholders, production of a continuous flow of export quality hardwood timber and improved market access, and livelihood improvement through incomes generated from the sale of plantation timber under fair trade conditions.   

Instead of planting one non-indigenous tree type in a concentrated area, over 18 different species have been planted on widely dispersed small plots  of land, resulting in significant biodiversity gains.

Certified under Plan Vivo. 

Forestal el Arriero, Uruguay

This project represents the conversion of land in the east of Uruguay previously under extensive grazing by beef cattle to high quality and high value timber production, expected to be used for long-lived products and so ensuring continued carbon storage. Forests are re-planted after felling, providing continuous rotations of carbon capture. The projects contribute to sustainable development in Uruguay, mainly through (1) increased employment and quality of employment; (2) rural development (decentralization); (3) improved national balance of payments through exports and value-added activity in country; (4) biodiversity preservation and (5) improvement and preservation of soil quality. Although established on former grazing land there has not been any displacement of grazing activity. Planting is planned and laid out to protect habitat connectivity. Forestry is expected to employ more than twice as many people in the region as the displaced grazing, and also create conditions for investment in downstream timber industries.

Certified under the Verified Carbon Standard. 

Nii Kaniti, Peru

The Nii Kaniti project in Peru focuses on protecting rainforest and avoiding deforestation on community land through scaling up sustainable community forest management. It integrates conservation activities that put a value on indigenous-led development with FSC certified timber extraction and cacao agroforestry.

The project is located in Ucayali, a region in the central part of Eastern Peru, on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest. The project area is comprised of community land from seven indigenous communities located around the Ucayali River. Native communities are the second largest managers of forest land in Peru and are key actors in the success of forest, biodiversity, culture and climate protection at the world scale. The project addresses the local, economic drivers of deforestation and forest degradation by supporting the development of socially inclusive businesses.

Certified under the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.