Sow, Grow, Revive! Dartmoor's Temperate Rainforest

Aim

We are regenerating vital woodlands on Dartmoor, including Wistman’s Wood. Your support grows local trees and restores habitats.

We are regenerating vital woodlands on Dartmoor, including Wistman’s Wood in response to the climate and nature crisis. Your support grows local trees and restores habitats. 

The importance of Temperate Rainforests 

In the UK there are only a small number of temperate rainforests remaining, they are exceptionally rich in biodiversity, providing a home for a wide variety of species including rare plants, fungi and animals, some of which are found only in the unique conditions found in the temperate rainforest.

Dartmoor was once covered with trees, including temperate rainforests. It is our vision to increase the area of woodland on Dartmoor to a third by 2050, which will have a significant impact on biodiversity and climate change. 

We invite you to make the vision a reality, donate today and join us on this journey.

Seed collecting taking place at Wistman's Wood following a special licence being granted by Natural England.

Wistman’s Wood 

One project we are working on is at Wistman’s Wood, one of the last remaining temperate rainforests in the UK. It is ecologically rich, with an abundance of rare lichens, mosses, and ferns under the canopy of the iconic dwarf oak trees.

Moor Trees is proud to be working in collaboration with the Duchy of Cornwall to expand and regenerate this unique ecosystem. The plan, which has been two years in the making, works alongside natural regeneration to double the size of the woodland by 2040. Our role is to collect acorns and rowan berries from Wistman’s Wood, take them back to our tree nurseries where they will germinate and then nurtured for around two years, before being planted back on the periphery of the woodland and in the valley opposite. These saplings are hoped to have genetic qualities which will allow them to be more resilient to the landscape and have a greater survival rate than saplings from elsewhere.

Dedicated volunteers support all areas of the Moor Trees mission. This photograph shows some supporters heading out to Wistman's Wood this October to collect rowan seeds and approximately 5,000 acorns. 

Who are we?

Moor Trees exists to grow and plant native broadleaf trees on Dartmoor in response to the nature and climate crisis. As a registered charity, our small staff team and over 250 dedicated volunteers, nurture trees from locally sourced seed into saplings at our community tree nurseries in Dartington and Broadley, before planting them out in their thousands each winter. To date, we have planted more than 155,000 trees and created 151 new woodlands. We have 63,000 trees growing in our nurseries at this time, with 20,000 ready to plant on sites across Dartmoor this winter.

We provide the local community with unrivalled access to locally sourced and grown native trees.

Whilst oaks are a prominent species at our tree nurseries, we grow 30 different native broadleaf tree species.

Where will your support go?

Wistman’s Wood is one of the many woodlands on Dartmoor that we are regenerating. Many more are needed as nature recovers across the country and Dartmoor is leading the way. With your support we can continue to grow trees from local seed, creating and regenerating native woodland and habitats across Dartmoor. 

Whatever you choose to give, donating today will create woodland for tomorrow.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made