A new €400,000 European project will help teachers create digital learning content for use in the classroom.

The project is a collaboration between Learnovate, a global research and innovation centre in the future of work and learning in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and the TCD School of Education.

TD3C (Teacher Digital Content Creation Competencies) is co-funded by Erasmus+, the EU and Léargas, the Irish national agency managing programmes in youth work, education, and training. The project will run from October 2023 to March 2026.

The use of digital devices in the classroom has become increasingly common in recent times. However, there has not been significant attention to-date on teachers as creators of their own digital educational content.

This is despite teachers being required to play a bigger role in providing accessible digital learning content for students, and content creation for learning becoming a priority for the European Commission under the EU Digital Education Plan.

Led by Learnovate and The School of Education in Trinity College Dublin, TD3C brings together schools, universities and research organisations from across Ireland, Portugal, Finland and Italy, to firstly identify the knowledge and skills that enable teachers to create digital learning content in their respective countries, and secondly, to develop a framework to guide teachers' content creation.

A small group of teachers across the four countries will be recruited to take part in a small-scale pilot of the framework in February 2025. This will then be followed by recruitment for participants in a much larger trial to start in September 2025, involving 80 teachers and more than 4,000 students.

Learnovate and The School of Education in Trinity College Dublin will host a promotion event to mark the end of the project in March 2026.

Along with The School of Education and Learnovate in Trinity College Dublin, the partner organisations are: Edmund Rice College Dublin, University of Jyväskylä (JYU) and Konnevesi High School in Finland, Agrupamento de Escolas Gil Paes and NUCLIO in Portugal, and Instituto Comprensivo Toniolo in Italy.

While TD3C is in its early stages, researchers expect that competencies identified by the project will include the ability of teachers to pinpoint the learning outcomes they wish to achieve with digital content, and the knowledge of how to tailor their teaching and learning approach accordingly.

The TD3C framework will also include guidance on using relevant applications for content creation and modifying off-the-shelf content to suit teachers' needs, as well as guidance on ethical considerations around copyright and fair use.

Learnovate Programme Manager Deirdre Green says:

"Teachers now have to deal with the increased use of smart and digital devices in the classroom. That means there's an expectation on teachers to come up with innovative digital teaching resources.

"The TD3C project is at the core of Learnovate's research expertise. It is a great opportunity to work with the TCD School of Education and our European partners to really examine the current level of use of digital content around Europe, identify the gaps in teacher competencies, and then feed all that into outputs for the pilot programme beginning in February 2025."

TCD School of Education and TD3C project lead Keith Johnston says:

"TCD School of Education is proud to be working with Learnovate and all our other European project partners on TD3C. Very little work has been done to identify competencies that teachers need to create their own digital content. Similarly, very little has been done to create a framework to guide teachers' efforts.

"We are working with teachers to create this framework and the approach is about putting teachers front and centre, acknowledging their role in bringing creativity to the project, and working with teachers to develop a process for content creation.

"We're looking forward to the pilot phase and the recruitment of teac...

Mai Santamaria joins me once again as guest co-host as we riff on the intersection of digital identity, digital wallets, blockchain, CBDCs, and how the political regime under which an individual lives influences your senses of trust and risk. We also blow to bits my expectation that the new EU digital identity wallet will have anything to do with blockchain, contrary to what we're seeing with digital identity frameworks in Latin America.

Mai is one of the most helpful people I know and always has a uniquely incisive insight or two on what's going on at the crossover of finance and emerging tech. Mai originally featured on episode 5 of MoneyNeverSleeps back in 2018, she made a cameo on our 200th episode last year, she's a Techstars mentor, and she recently helped me make sense of the crossover of blockchain and AI in episode 241. Mai is the Head of the Financial Advisory Unit for the Department of Finance in Ireland.

In this episode, Mai and I riff on the topic of digital identity through the lens of the new European Digital Identity Wallet brought forth by the eIDAS2 legislation, and look at digital identity regimes in Latin America through the latest news on Nubank's expansion.

With the investments I'm making right now in early stage ventures in blockchain, topics like decentralization, over-centralization, and the elements of trust and risk when it comes to how individuals feel about who has access to their data are also a focal point of this conversation.

STORIES COVERED:

Digital ID Europe

The EU Lays The Techno-Legal Tracks For Its Rising Digital Ecosystem (Forbes, 29-Jan-24)

European Union Finalizes Digital ID Wallet Agreement, Hints at Digital Euro Integration (Bitcoin.com News, 11-Nov-23)

Digital ID Latin America

Nubank sets sights on becoming Latin America's biggest financial group (FT, 7-Feb-24)

Brazil rolls out blockchain-based digital ID (Cointelegraph, 30-Sep-23)

Buenos Aires to issue blockchain-based digital ID (Cointelegraph, 28-Sep-23)

Colombia is using digital ID to fight its village hackers (Biometric Update, 25-Dec-23)

Digital ID in USA

Digital ID Cards Spread Across US States With Range of New Uses (Bloomberg Law News, 13-Sep-23)

LINKS:

Follow our guest co-host Mai Santamaria on LinkedIn

Subscribe to our MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter on Substack

Leave a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Check out our MoneyNeverSleeps website and email us at [email protected]

Follow us on X(Twitter): Pete Townsend | MoneyNeverSleeps

Follow us on LinkedIn: Pete Townsend | MoneyNeverSleeps

Wise, the international money account, is harnessing the power of long-distance payments to bring people together and keep them connected this Valentine's and Galentines weekend. Wise surveyed 1,000 Irish consumers and found that:

60% of Irish people plan on splurging this Valentine's Day. Of those splurging, they plan to spend at least €80 this Valentine's weekend wooing their partners and/or treating their friends

Couples jetting off to romantic locations are set to spend over €400 this Valentine's on their romantic getaway

Almost 4 in 10 (40%) of Irish people are in long-distance relationships/friendships and of those, 7% plan to travel to spend Valentine's with their loved one

One in 10 (10%) plan to only spend €20 or less on Valentine's classics like flowers or chocolate, perhaps saving funds to focus on travel plans.

16% of those who said they were in a long-distance relationship/friendship send their loved ones money at least once a month

Roisin Levine, Head of Partnerships, UK & Europe at Wise said:

"International couples don't want to be on the back foot when it comes to money, especially on Valentine's Day.

If your partner is living in or is from a different country to you, it can be tricky. They will likely have a foreign bank account and will get paid in another currency, causing stress for you both when you want to send a bunch of flowers or a card this year.

A lot of people aren't aware that most of these transactions will be more expensive due to hidden fees tacked on by banks when sending or spending money abroad.

Using a tool like Wise can limit the impact of these fees and ensure that the time you spend with loved ones abroad this Valentine's / Galentine's Day is focused on the things that really matter."

With thousands of Irish citizens emigrating (64,000 in 2023) and living abroad in countries like Australia, Canada and the US, digital payment providers like Wise have proved essential for long-distance couples and friends who want to easily transfer money, spend in their loved ones' currency or split bills when travelling together.

Of those Irish people surveyed who are in long-distance relationships:

26% of couples believe that digital banking makes it easier to send secure, cross-border payments to loved ones

25% of those in a long-distance couple state it makes online purchases in different currencies easier and allows them to send orders directly to their long-distance partners and friends

22% say it allows them to send money in their currency instantly at a fair price

16% state it allows them to more easily split bills when booking flights, accommodation or travel with friends or their partner

15% state it allows them to easily save together through digital features like Vaults, Pockets and Jars

Roisin Levine, Head of Partnerships, UK & Europe at Wise added:

"And not all international relationships are romantic. This is true for family and friends, too. Splitting dinner and drinks can end up costing the friend or family member visiting you from abroad a lot more money in hidden fees. It's important to make sure your loved ones always pay for a meal in the local currency".

See more stories here.

In accordance with this week's Children's Mental Health Week, Spectrum.Life, a leader and innovator in digital health technology, is excited to introduce its new services dedicated to the mental health of children and young individuals. This service offers evidence-based and best-in-class interventions by highly specialised experts in the field of child and youth mental health.

Under the overarching theme 'My Voice Matters', the campaign focuses on empowering children and young people by equipping them with the necessary tools to express themselves. The aim is to create an environment where young voices are heard, recognising the positive impact on their well-being. Children who feel acknowledged and heard, tend to develop stronger connections within their communities, fostering higher self-esteem.

Unfortunately, many children face challenges in expressing their emotions and concerns. Those services need to be easily accessible to offer the therapeutic support by specialists that those children and young people need.

Dr Emelina Ellis, Chief Clinical Operations Officer at Spectrum.Life commented on the launch of its latest service offering, developed and designed by professionals explicitly for children and young people: "I am extremely proud and excited about the launch of our Child and Young Person Mental Health Services and to offer evidence-based and best-in-class interventions and services provided by highly specialised experts in the field of mental health for children and young people.

We understand the importance of early intervention and support for children and young people struggling with their emotional health. No child or young person should have to face their mental health challenges alone, and we are here to provide the professional support they need."

Children's mental health conditions are increasing with no signs of slowing down. 1 in 10 children between 5 and 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, rising to 1 in 5 for children and young people between 8-25 for a probable mental health disorder.

For young Irish adults, just under 1 in 10 had engaged in deliberate self-harm and 1 in 5 had experienced suicidal thoughts over their lifetime.

50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14, underscoring the critical importance of early intervention and support for mental health. Early experiences and challenges can have a profound impact on the developing brain, making it essential to address mental health concerns as they arise.

A recent study conducted by Barnados has suggested that almost a quarter of Irish parents reported feeling anxious most of the time, while one in five felt overwhelmed. The study showed that 48% of parents who experienced poor mental health said it had a moderately negative impact on their children and worryingly more than one in ten said it had a considerable negative impact on their children.

Dr. Emelina Ellis continued: "We recognise that starting a conversation about mental health with a child can be daunting for parents. That is why our Child and Young Person Mental Health Services are specifically designed to address the individual needs of each child in an age-appropriate and empathetic manner. Our team of expert mental health specialists are experienced in working with children and young people, ensuring that they receive the care and support they deserve.

"Across Ireland, many children and young people are suffering, and our goal is to provide them with timely access to the correct interventions and help they need. Our comprehensive service ensures that they receive the support they need to build resilience and navigate life's challenges with confidence.

"We believe that every child and young person, regardless of their needs or family background, should have access to quality mental health support. Our Child and Young Person Mental Health Services aim to empower children, young people and their families to take control of their mental health and...

A recent Coincub report showed activity dynamics in cryptocurrency exchanges globally last year. The United States, Europe, India, Indonesia, and Turkey lead the list of countries with the most traffic, each for unique reasons tied to their economic and regulatory characteristics.

Crypto Exchanges In 2023

The report also revealed a looming paradigm shift with heightened competition from emerging exchanges threatening the positions of established Binance and Coinbase. In the following sections, we explore the busiest crypto exchanges in the world, peeling back the layers of the extraordinary global interest in cryptocurrencies and specific platforms.

Europe Dominates Global Per Capita Visits

Europe topped the list for the most per capita visits to crypto exchanges. The spike can be attributed to increasing regulations after the European Union approved the world's first comprehensive set of regulations to govern crypto assets, bringing some order to the previously unregulated "Wild West" crypto industry.

The new E.U. legislation introduced a "travel rule" similar to traditional finance, aiming to make crypto transactions traceable and block suspicious and illegitimate transactions. More recently, they tried to tilt the scale in favor of local firms and limit non-EU crypto companies.

Despite facing multiple legal battles worldwide, Binance emerged as the dominant player across several countries, including Sweden and Ukraine, with 56.3% of the Swedish traffic and 48.9% of the Ukraine traffic. The preference for Binance is partly because the exchange aimed to offer some of the lowest fees in the industry. However, the exchange has also invested heavily in advertising, using iconic sports personalities, social media, mobile application ads, and other opportunities to push the brand in front of everyone's eyes.

Binance is one of many dominant forces in Europe, while exchanges like Coinbase and Tidex boast strongholds in specific countries like the United Kingdom and Italy. Tidex, based in Italy, has 29.7% of its traffic from the country, while 30% of the U.K.'s visitors preferred Coinbase.

The Netherlands also stands out, accounting for a remarkable 79.0% of all traffic to the Bitvavo exchange. Hungary and Malta also have significant market share in their respective crypto exchanges, with Tidex dominating the market share in both countries.

These exchanges are building traction in individual countries, which hints at a future fragmented market where multiple players are forced to share equal pieces of the pie.

Smaller countries like Lichtenstein and Monaco also have notable crypto exchange activity dominated by unique players like Whitebit and Kraken, further highlighting the competitive landscape emerging in Europe.

United States Maintains Top Spot for Most Traffic

The United States remained a dominant force in 2023. With more than half of all exchange visits, the North American market is the focus of many top crypto exchanges, despite the country's criticism for its sluggish approach to crypto rule-making.

Federal agencies like the SEC, CFTC, FTC, and Treasury, including the IRS, OCC, and FinCEN, had shown interest in cryptocurrencies, praising the technology, but little formal rulemaking occurred.

When innovators began moving away from the country, the congressional committee was prompted to pass a major crypto bill, which turned out to be a significant victory for the cryptocurrency industry. The government also warned that it would cut off exchanges that failed to block and report illicit crypto transactions.

Selva Ozelli Esq., CPA, Author of "Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets", explained - "In the US, digital assets, particularly post-2022 bear market, have been the focus of much attention by both federal and state governments.

Investors should beware that federal agencies Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN), Internal Revenue S...

Kerry based Irish success story, Xavatar, has announced that its new multimedia CGI-animated, metaverse talk show, The Xavatar Show will be aired to over 64 million US homes via America's premiere arts network - Ovation TV, and family-friendly cable television network - UPtv.

The Xavatar Show will be the first CGI-animated show to be broadcast straight from the metaverse. The talk show explores the impact and artistry of music in film, TV, and Broadway through enlightening conversations with globally recognised filmmakers, actors, and songwriters.

The Xavatar Show will be hosted by film and television star, Colin O'Donoghue (ABC's "Once Upon a Time"), legendary indie film producer, Rose Ganguzza (Fatima, Kill Your Darlings), and Xavatar show creator Jason P. Rothberg. The high concept talk show will welcome some of the biggest names in music and film to discuss their lives, experiences, and accomplishments.

Irish musician and songwriter, Paddy Casey has also joined as the musical director for the Xavatar show.

Using state-of-the-art technology to take the experience one step further, the show provides a portal for viewers to actively join the talk show, allowing viewers to explore the very places the guests talk about during the show. Once inside Xavatar's metaverse, the "Xataverse," viewers can download their Xavatars and connect to the show in a new way.

Initially previewed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, The Xavatar Show featured prominent musicians and filmmakers including David Lynch, Donovan, Elvis Costello.

Based in the RDI Hub in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, Xavatar is an immersive, experiential media company bridging the worlds of technology and entertainment and leading the way to connectivity in the new media era.

"I'm thrilled to be involved in this ground-breaking series", says host and executive producer, Colin O'Donoghue. "I'm delighted to have this opportunity to discuss two of my favourite topics, movies and music with fellow actors, musicians and filmmakers.

"The relationship between film and music has been around since the birth of moving pictures and creating a platform that delves into the rich history and symbiotic relationship between mediums has been fascinating," says co-host and producer, Rose Ganguzza. "The Xavatar Show presents unique stories from top-level creatives, artists and legends that wonderfully showcase the interplay between these two creative mediums."

"The Xavatar Show is poised to lead the way in the new digital frontier of immersive media allowing viewers to expand their horizons within the Xataverse by attending the show as their Xavatar selves on the Xavatar space station." said chief executive officer, Jason Rothberg. "These are really exciting times for individuals, like us, who deeply care about the connective tissue between music and film and how each medium progresses in a world with an increasing digital footprint."

See more stories here.

More details about title image -> Example of a peatlands restoration project in County Wicklow. The €600k rewetting initiative announced by Transport Research Arena will restore 100 hectares of degraded blanket bog in Wicklow Mountains National Park, in a collaboration bringing together TRA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Transport.

The organisers of Transport Research Arena (TRA2024) have launched a €600,000 peatlands rewetting project in County Wicklow as preparations continue for the conference taking place in Dublin in April. TRA is the largest European event to address all aspects of transport and mobility and it is estimated that bringing it to Dublin will be worth €7 million to the Irish economy.

Peatlands restoration scheme in Wicklow

The rewetting initiative will restore 100 hectares of degraded blanket bog in Wicklow Mountains National Park, in a collaboration bringing together TRA2024, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Transport.

Healthy peatlands are the most efficient, long-term and concentrated carbon stores and sinks in our planet's biosphere. One hectare of restored blanket bog avoids 10 tonnes of carbon loss per year, and with a lifetime of thousands of years it will carry on capturing carbon long into the future.

Director of TRA2024 Dublin Dr Albert Daly says making a positive environmental impact is important to the organisers: "Hosting TRA2024 in Dublin is a fantastic opportunity and as an island nation, we are conscious that bringing people here contributes to the event's carbon footprint. This major Peatland Restoration project - which will prevent the release of nearly 1000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere annually for many years to come - serves as a reminder of the importance of developing low-carbon transport, which is one of the priorities at TRA2024".

Dr Billy O'Keeffe, senior geologist/hydrogeologist at TII, who will lead the initiative, said: "This Wetlands Restoration Project harnesses the power of one of our greatest natural assets. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, healthy blanket bogs can improve water quality, prevent flooding and reduce the risk of drought and wildfires. They are also richly biodiverse, offering habitats for a massive array of plants, birds and insects."

The TRA2024 Dublin event will run from 15 - 18 April and will discuss all modes of transport including road, rail, air, water and cross modality, in urban, inter-urban and rural settings. The importance of developing sustainable transport is a significant part of the event programme, while one of the four days is fully dedicated to discussing themes of decarbonisation and improving transport sustainability.

Attendees at the event in the RDS will include two European Commissioners and three Director Generals, Government representatives from the EU, UK and US, and officials from leading global businesses including Google, Collins Aerospace, BMW, SNCF and Stena.

Over 1,200 submissions from researchers around the globe have already been received and over 940 of these will be presented throughout the week in Dublin as researchers plot a way to a more sustainable transport future for the planet.

TRA2024 is supported by the European Commission and the Irish Government. For more information and to register, please visit https://traconference.eu/

See more breaking stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] ...

SciFest, Ireland's largest and most inclusive STEM fair programme for second-level students has announced its return for the 19th consecutive year. The competition attracts 12,000 student participants annually and organisers have kicked off the 2024 competition with a call for entrants to the SciFest regional fairs around the country.

Attending a launch event at Oatlands College, Mount Merrion, County Dublin today, students from the college and from St Raphaela's Secondary School displayed some of their innovative SciFest projects.

SciFest is free to enter and open to everyone across the island of Ireland, no matter their background or circumstances. The goal of SciFest is to help students develop research, problem solving, critical thinking, and presentation skills while fostering an interest in STEM fields. Project entries will be accepted across a range of scientific disciplines.

Winners from each regional SciFest STEM fair will go on to compete at the National Final in November 2024. The winner(s) of the SciFest National Final 2024 will be presented with a trophy and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio next year.

Speaking at the launch of SciFest 2024 at Oatlands College in Dublin, Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO said: "We are thrilled to announce the return of SciFest for its 19th consecutive year, marking nearly two decades of fostering innovation and passion for STEM among Irish students. Our aim is not just to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators but to equip them with the critical skills needed in research, problem-solving, and communication.

We welcome entries from a wide array of scientific disciplines, encouraging students to explore their interests and curiosity in the sciences. We are not just celebrating science; we are preparing our students to be global leaders in innovation. We look forward to seeing the creative and impactful projects our students will bring to the 2024 competition."

Dr Avril Gaynor, Oatlands College. said: "We are immensely proud to be launching SciFest 2024 at Oatlands College this morning. The competition continues to play a crucial role in STEM education by offering a unique platform for students to showcase their talents, creativity, and passion for the subjects.

Students wishing to participate should log on to the SciFest website and enter online. Completed entry forms for SciFest 2024 must be submitted by Friday 8 March 2024.

A University of Galway delegation has taken part in a national fact-finding mission as part of Ireland's proposal for membership of CERN - the European Organization for Nuclear Research, where physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe.

Professor James Livesey, University of Galway's Vice-President for Research and Innovation, and Dr Aaron Golden, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation, at the University's College of Science & Engineering, visited the world's largest particle physics laboratory as part of an Irish delegation.

An intergovernmental organisation based in Geneva near the border between Switzerland and France, CERN has 23 member states. Almost 3000 people are employed on the huge campus which every year plays hosts about 12,000 people from scientific institutions from more than 70 countries.

CERN currently operates the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where proton beams moving at a fraction of the speed of light are smashed together, recreating, for an instant, explosions of energy that have only ever occurred at the origin of the universe, unlocking the fundamental constituents of matter. Vast experiments sweep up the blizzard of fragments, and painstakingly identify new physics - in the form of new types of matter.

Work at CERN has resulted in no less than 5 Nobel prizes to date, most recently for the discovery of the Higgs Boson in 2012.

Professor James Livesey, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, said: "This visit really emphasised to us all on the delegation the incredible value to University of Galway that Irish membership of CERN would bring, across so many levels. It is difficult to identify any other scientific facility in Europe that is such a source of wonder and inspiration and CERN's outreach mission is second to none.

The creativity in physics and mathematics essential to understanding the most fundamental science possible using the LHC is mirrored in the creativity needed by the engineering and technical teams to build and operate these astonishing 'discovery machines'. Having Galway in the community of practice around CERN would make us members of one of the most creative and innovative groups in the world."

The Irish delegation took part in a day-long visit to CERN, including tours of several of the currently operating particle and nuclear physics experiments on the campus, along with presentations and Q&A sessions with CERN personnel, highlighting the breadth of activities to which membership would give access to.

Beyond its core mission of pushing the frontier of fundamental physics, CERN is heavily involved in the application of technology transfer to areas as diverse as algorithm development, network and computational infrastructure, materials science and medical physics.

CERN operates a unique access programme for members, that provides funding for undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers to visit and work on site in areas that cover the full spectrum of its activities, with the graduate engineering training programmes being widely considered one of the best in Europe.

Dr Aaron Golden, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation, College of Science & Engineering said: "It was eye-opening to find out directly CERN's medtech innovation activities, from novel radiotherapeutics to medical device development to tumour biology modelling, and their support of member state colleagues in these areas. The University of Galway is uniquely placed to engage with such access, particularly with the recent opening of UHG's Saolta Radiation Oncology Centre."

CERN will be sending a delegation to visit Ireland in April of this year to assess Ireland's application for membership.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor....

A new project from Trees for Life and Woodland Trust Scotland aims to discover Scotland's 'lost' native pinewoods - home to wild Scots pines with an ancestry that can be traced back to the end of the last ice age - so they can be saved and restored before it's too late.

What are Scotland's 'lost' native pinewoods?

Caledonian pinewoods are globally unique and support rare wildlife including red squirrels, capercaillie and crossbills. Yet less than 2% of the Caledonian forest, which once covered much of the Highlands, survives. Just 84 individual Caledonian pinewoods are now officially recognised, having been last documented more than a quarter of a century ago.

But Woodland Trust Scotland and Trees for Life have become aware of other lost wild pinewoods, and from historical documents and anecdotal reports, more are thought to exist.

The charities have teamed up to identify and save these forgotten pinewoods through the Wild Pine Project, beginning with the western Highlands, where Scots pines form part of Scotland's rare temperate rainforest.

Wild pinewoods have declined over the centuries, and today their recovery is often hindered by overgrazing by herbivores.

"Lost pinewoods are at particular risk because they are unrecognised and undocumented. We want to find them, assess their condition, and revive them before they are lost forever," said Jane Sayers, Wild Pine Project Officer.

"Finding these pinewoods requires a lot of detective work. They are often small and remote, hidden in ravines safe from deer. Pines, or their remains, are often found scattered among birchwood too."

The Wild Pine Project is identifying lost pine sites by tracing their history through the centuries using historical evidence, including maps which date as far back as the 1500s.

Once potential sites are found, historical, ecological and landscape evidence will help establish whether they are wild or planted, and their health and resilience will be assessed. The charities will then work for the recognition and recovery of the discovered wild pinewoods, including by presenting findings to landowners and managers.

The unique status of Caledonian pinewood was first documented by HM Steven and A Carlisle in their 1959 book, The Native Pinewoods of Scotland, which included 35 sites. In the 1990s, the then Forestry Commission Scotland compiled a register, which became the Caledonian Pinewood Inventory. Last updated in 1998, the Inventory recognises 84 sites.

Last year, a major Trees for Life study into the health of 72 of these known pinewoods concluded many are on a 'knife-edge' - with high deer numbers, non-native conifers, lack of long-term management, and climate breakdown representing major threats to their survival.

The rewilding charity is calling on the Scottish Government to help tackle the nature and climate emergencies through landscape-scale action to save the woodlands, including through targeted funding for restoration and major reductions in deer numbers.

The need for urgent upscaling of political and public action to save the Caledonian pinewoods was spotlighted by a parliamentary debate held in the Scottish Parliament on 24 January, held to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Scots pine becoming Scotland's national tree. This followed a motion put forward by Ariane Burgess MSP.

The new Wild Pine Project is funded by Woodland Trust Scotland, thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, and by Trees for Life, thanks to support from the TreadRight Foundation.

For more details, visit treesforlife.org.uk.

See more breaking stories here.