Devon is where it all began for us. Now, 50 years on, thanks to your generous support, we're celebrating the creation of Yonder Oak Wood - a vast wooded landscape in east Devon.
We've got wonderful news to share. Thanks to thousands of donations, a very special piece of land near Exmouth in Devon is ours.
We're so excited to begin realising this site's potential, creating a thriving new woodland for threatened species of bats, birds and butterflies.
Our urgent appeal has been a fantastic success, but we still need help to fund the land's transformation into a mosaic of habitats where one day rare wildlife like the adder, dormouse and beaver can take up residence.
Please help us realise our vision for this magical landscape. Thank you
We've seized an exciting chance to buy a 54-hectare (134-acre) woodland creation site near Lympstone in Devon and transform it into a thriving haven for nature.
Set on the slopes of a scenic rural valley in East Devon, the newly named Yonder Oak Wood has areas of broadleaf woodland studded with stately veteran oaks.
What makes this land such a prize is the outstanding array of rare wildlife which can be found nearby, and which we hope will move in once the right habitat has been established.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of the general public, partners and our supporters we have now been able to purchase this important piece of land and its transformation is underway.
Local people took part in a vote to name the wood, and Yonder Oak Wood was the easy favourite. It harks back to old field names and reflects the views of veteran oak trees that dot the site, and which we’ll be preserving for the future.
We are absolutely thrilled with the success of the appeal so far, although we still need to raise £126,000 to enable us to manage the transformation of this site into a resilient and thriving wooded landscape.
Planting of wild cherry, oak and other native species is getting underway at Yonder Oak Wood, bringing huge benefits to both people and wildlife.
Credit: Russell Cooper / naturepl.com
The rich array of species we anticipate will one day colonise our new woodland include rare birds such as the nightjar, several threatened species of bat, the hazel dormouse, the dingy skipper butterfly and a whole host of unusual invertebrates. We are even hoping to attract beavers to the site from a nearby river, once the streams and waterways have been restored and colonised with native trees such as alder and willow.
Credit: Ben Lee / WTML
With its proximity to Exeter, stunning views and picturesque valley-side location near the Exe Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest, Yonder Oak Wood will become a flagship woodland for the Trust in the south-west, with a 1.5km network of paths giving easy access to visitors and the local community.
Credit: Papilio / Alamy Stock Photo
Volunteers will play a key part in creating the new wooded landscape, and we’ve also pledged to create the wood without using plastic tree shelters – heralding our new commitment to have a plastic-free estate.
Thanks to the incredible support for our appeal we've now raised £2.35 million towards the acquisition and management of this site, but we still need another £126,000* to enable us to create a new haven for Devon’s wildlife.
Will you help us realise our vision? Any donation you can give, however large or small, will bring us nearer to our target. We really need your support.
We need help creating a haven for nature. We have plenty of local volunteering opportunities if you are interested in rolling your sleeves up and getting actively involved.
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*Every pound we raise will now be spent on managing this woodland creation site in Devon. If additional funds are raised once we’ve hit our fundraising target, they will go towards our work elsewhere in the UK.
