Urgent Appeal for Funding: Europe's First Temperate Rainforest Research Station
The Thousand Year Trust is the only charity in the UK solely dedicated to the restoration of our temperate rainforest landscapes. Our name is inspired by the longevity of the Sessile oak, a paramount species in our rainforests. These beautiful trees can take 300 years to grow, can live and thrive for over 400 years and can take 300 years to slowly die, rot and return their goodness to the soil. We believe that if we are truly to heal our natural habitats, we need to think like an oak tree – over a thousand-year timespan.
Growing the roots of a thousand-year legacy, we are on a mission to catalyse the movement to triple the amount of temperate rainforest growing across the UK over the next thirty years.
Once covering up to 20% of the British Isles, our vibrant temperate rainforests have dwindled to less than 1%. The time to reverse that destruction is now. Our founder, Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, grew up in one of the last remnants of this habitat. Inspired by his personal experiences and the healing power of these forests, Merlin and his wife Lizzie established the Thousand Year Trust to revive this crucial ecosystem.
Our Mission: A Call to Action
In the depths of our rainforest valley on Bodmin Moor, we are on a mission to build Europe’s first temperate rainforest research station to facilitate ground-breaking thinking and collaboration with tangible impact in Cornwall and across other temperate biomes.
Our rainforest site provides the ideal location for conducting comparative and experimental research all year around. With its diverse range of ecosystems ranging from ancient temperate rainforests to degraded farmland, and forest ecosystems at different levels of intactness, it is the perfect place to study both the value of temperate rainforests for biodiversity, climate and people, as well as effective strategies to protect, restore and expand this rare ecosystem.
The Need for Immediate Funding
We urgently need funds to construct a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to research, education, and visitor engagement. This includes a collaboration hub, a laboratory with climate-controlled storage, and sustainable design elements powered by renewable energy. Our smart roof, hosting epiphytes and bryophytes, will facilitate innovative research and conservation efforts.
Why This Matters: Climate, Biodiversity, and People
Climate: Rainforests are often called the lungs of the planet because they play a vital role in regulating the Earth’s climate by capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While traditionally referring to tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests also store substantial amounts of carbon in their trees, soils, and vegetation. The dense vegetation and slow decomposition rates in these ecosystems allow them to sequester carbon over long periods. Our research station will support world-leading science to better understand the comparative role of temperate rainforests in mitigating climate change and the resilience of our rainforest ecosystems amid environmental changes.
Biodiversity: British temperate rainforests are home to a diverse tapestry of plant, fungi and animal species. A relatively wet and mild environment provides ideal conditions for epiphytic ferns, lichens, mosses, and liverworts species (some globally rare) that characterise temperate rainforest ecosystems. In the past, these lush ecosystems would have also hosted predators such as pine martens, wild cats and lynx. However, alongside the effects of land use changes, deforestation and non-native invasive species (e.g. sheep, deer, and Rhododendron) are choking our rainforest growth and disrupting the delicate ecological balance. Our research efforts are crucial to developing a deeper understanding of these intricate ecosystems and informing conservation action to safeguard their future.
People: Spending time in temperate rainforests has been shown to have positive effects on our physical and mental health and wellbeing. Beyond supporting biodiversity and climate change mitigation, our enchanting rainforests also provide vital ecosystem services like water purification and soil stabilisation. Moreover, they present valuable socio-economic opportunities for environmental stewardship, income generation, and the preservation of ecological integrity for future generations. Our research station will facilitate researchers exploring rainforest ecosystem services for people, reconnecting our rainforest communities as ecosystem guardians.
Act Now to Save Our Rainforests
Time is running out to save our temperate rainforests. Your support is crucial to the success of this pioneering project. Together, we can build a beacon of hope for conservation and climate action. Donate now to the Thousand Year Trust and help us create a legacy of ecological restoration that will grow beyond us all.