Climate change predictions suggest that water temperatures on exposed headwaters will increase to potentially lethal levels for salmon and freshwater pearl mussels. To counteract this, The Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland ‘pearls in peril’ project is restoring and improving riparian habitat by planting native trees and fencing riverbanks – bringing trees to the uplands and shading rivers. Essentially, the trees provide a shielding effect, which means that the waters which home species' such as salmon and mussels do not increase in temperature. While the planting of trees is extremely helpful, it is a temporary solution to a bigger problem. Our actions to halt climate change completely are what is needed to protect species' of all kinds before it is too late.
Sacha Dench, Round Britain Climate Challenge, Climate Change, Climate Crisis, COP26, Cairngorms, Rewilding, Reintroduction, Mussels, National Park, Cairngorms National Park
