Seed champions are being sought for Skye and Argyll to help preserve the nation’s tree heritage in a collection at Kew Gardens in London.
Volunteer tree seed collectors are already in place at seven sites around the country, but volunteers are still needed to cover Uig on Skye, Crinan in Argyll and Aldouran Glen in Galloway.
The appeal is being made by conservation charity Woodland Trust Scotland, which is a partner in the UK National Tree Seed Project.
This has been set up by Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Tree seeds collected as part of the project will be safely banked in the underground vaults of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank – forming the UK’s first national collection of tree seeds.
Woodland Trust volunteer manager Kylie Knight said: “There are many threats facing our native trees and shrubs and we need to do all we can to safeguard their future.
“These seed collections will support research and conservation work to better protect and understand our trees but, before any of that can happen, someone must collect the seeds.”
“If you think you can tell your ash from your oak and want to make a valuable contribution to the UK’s precious trees then become a seed collection champion.”
Training and equipment will be provided for volunteers.