Tech helps sows seeds of success for Highland land management
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Land management is being revolutionised thanks to cutting-edge technology that identifies land use opportunities, while protecting the environment.
Cawdor Forestry is using Geographic Information System (GIS) software to administer spatial data, produce bespoke maps and plans and assist landowners in making informed decisions.
The software takes into account local environmental, landscape and ecological opportunities and constraints to ensure wildlife is protected while maximising an area’s potential.
Cawdor Forestry’s GIS data manager Amy Taylor and colleague Jenny Johnstone have been able to take the product to a wider range of customers and expand the business after participating in the Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Pathfinder Accelerator programme.
Dr Taylor said: “The software and mapping allows us to visualise felling and restocking schemes, enable strategic planning and support estate management.
“Its accuracy can combine factors like habitats and ground conditions to ensure high quality forest design, ultimately allowing for a more responsible management of land and the environment.”
Pathfinder is a six-month programme which is part of HIE’s Northern Innovation Hub, which received
£11 million as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal.
Ms Johnstone said: “We have really benefited from Pathfinder, being two self-confessed computer geeks, the skillset required to pitch a product and get people’s attention was not our forte but we’ve been given the tools and the confidence to showcase our offering and as a result we’ve won new business.”
Recruitment is under way for the next intake which will start in autumn, and a free Pathfinder taster session will be held at An Lòchran in Inverness Campus on August 28.
