Our forests are at risk from pests and diseases. These affect the health of our trees and upset the delicate ecosystem balance. This can devastate large areas of woodland.

Pests and diseases hitch a ride in mud and debris on shoes, paws and tyres. They can spread fast in environments with no natural resilience. We're doing everything we can to fight this, but we need your help too.

What you can do to help protect our trees

You're the best defence our trees have. Before leaving home, remember to:

• clean your shoes
• clean your bike
• clean any toys or equipment
• clean your dog

For this, brush off any visible dirt and give everything a good wash with soapy water. This helps slow down the spread of diseases. We need to preserve our woodlands now and for future generations.

You only need to do this before you arrive and when you get home. This applies to daily visitors and those intending camp overnight.

The industry has similar biosecurity measures in place.

Together we can keep our forests healthy

Together we can keep it clean.

Top tips

Can you help us protect Scotland's precious forests? Find out how with our top tips for keeping it clean:

Biosecurity and You