Rainforest recovery

With deep wooded gorges and rushing rivers cutting through its hinterland, the temperate rainforests of the South West provide refuge to species found nowhere else on the planet.

Unusual lichens and mosses help to create a diverse ecosystem home to a variety of plants and animals. But this unique habitat is incredibly rare.

That's why our aim is to nurse the South West’s temperate rainforest back to health, establishing a resilient habitat that is valued by everyone and celebrated for its remarkable biodiversity and ecological importance.

Why is restoring temperate rainforests important?

Since the Neolithic period, 90% of temperate rainforest has been lost. The fragments that remain are disconnected, remote and isolated. Yet these woodlands support specialist species such as the blackberries-in-custard lichen, hazel gloves fungus and pied flycatcher.

We need action now to restore these existing woodlands, connect the fragments that remain and create temperate rainforests of the future. This will give the precious wildlife that relies on these woods a healthier, more resilient habitat where it can continue to thrive in a changing climate.

What we're doing

As part of the South West Rainforest Alliance, our collective aim is to triple the area of temperate rainforest by 2050.

We're restoring 67 woodlands in the temperate rainforest zone, while reaching out to other landowners to support their restoration efforts too. In addition, we run inspiring walks and talks to highlight the importance of these vibrant ecosystems.

Our vision is for a bigger, better, more joined-up landscape of woods, hedges and trees where wildlife flourishes and people enjoy and value these habitats.

Our work in Devon, Cornwall and Exmoor

• We're trialling new ways of rainforest creation through innovative methods like drone seeding.
• Restoration work continues across our estate, including in Fingle Woods and Ausewell Wood (owned in partnership with the National Trust). We have also taken on a new restoration project with the purchase of Buckland Wood. By gradually removing conifer plantations and invasive species, we will enable native woodland species to thrive.
• We're managing water flows in our woods and exploring options to retain water in ways which better protect our woods, trees and associated flora and fauna from hotter, drier weather. This is especially important for temperate rainforests, which need warm and wet conditions.
• We’re bringing together organisations across the region, culminating in the launch of the South West Temperate Rainforest Alliance and the first State of the South West Rainforest report, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
• We're providing woodland creation advice and support to farmers and landowners through schemes such as Trees For Your Farm, MOREwoods and MOREhedges, and through the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest partnership.
• We're a partner in Dartmoor’s Dynamic Landscape – a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and led by Dartmoor National Park Authority. The project will support the identification of ancient and veteran trees within the project area, ancient woodland restoration on other people’s land and a demonstration of trees on farms through our work at Hall Farm Estate.
• Through our Species Survival Fund project, funded by Defra and administered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we have:
  • developed resilience within the rainforest by partnering with nurseries to grow native rainforest trees with local provenance
  • raised awareness through interactive film showings and exhibitions, working with students on rainforest research projects
  • built on our existing roving rainforest volunteers that help on our estate, by working with the University of Plymouth and Falmouth University to upskill students in practical conservation management.

How you can get involved

If you're a farmer or landowner in the South West and want to find out more about how we can support you in woodland creation, ancient woodland restoration or rainforest restoration, please email southwestoutreach@woodlandtrust.org.uk.

If you would like to volunteer your time to help us restore our woodlands or plant new ones, please contact volunteering@woodlandtrust.org.uk.

Thanks to our members, supporters and funders who enable us to work towards our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature.