First Wistman’s Wood trees planted as expansion gets underway on Dartmoor - Moor Trees
Moor Trees has been working closely in partnership with The Duchy of Cornwall, along with Natural England, Woodland Trust and tenant farmers, to expand one of the South West’s last remaining examples of temperate rainforest, Wistman’s Wood National Nature Reserve on Dartmoor.
A group of volunteers have joined forces to plant 450 Wistman’s Wood provenance saplings as the first stage of the long term ambition to create a “mirror” of the existing ancient woodland. The nearby site has been chosen due to the similar terrain of scattered granite boulders, and it’s hoped it will become a temperate rainforest of the future.
Dartmoor is home to globally rare temperate rainforest
Temperate rainforests are globally rare habitats with 90% lost since the Bronze age, resulting in only 8% remaining in Devon and Cornwall.
Wistman’s Wood is an ancient Oak woodland that covers over seven acres of the West Dart Valley on Dartmoor, Devon. It is a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in recognition of its significance for nature conservation.
Geraint Richards, Head Forester to the Duchy of Cornwall and to His Majesty The King, said: “The work at the iconic Wistman’s Wood is a flagship for the wider work that the Duchy of Cornwall and its many partners on Dartmoor have been working on in recent years. This shared approach to the enhancement of nature, people’s access to and enjoyment of the countryside will help underpin the future sustainability of Dartmoor’s farmed landscape and the vibrance of its local communities.”
Posted On: 01/04/2025
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