Volunteers have planted 450 saplings from Wistman’s Wood, an ancient oak woodland covering seven acres in the Dart Valley, on Dartmoor, Devon, and installed protective guards around naturally regenerated trees. Newly planted trees are being established in small groups and in a newly fenced area, by the Duchy of Cornwall, working with Natural England, Moor Trees, the Woodland Trust and tenant farmers, with a long-term ambition to create a “mirror image” of the existing wood. Temperate rainforest is one of the most precious habitats in the UK (Duchy of Cornwall/Charles Sainsbury-Plaice/PA)Atlantic temperate rainforest is one of the UK’s most precious habitats. Wistman’s Wood has numerous protections for its significance for nature conservation, including some of the rarest species of mosses and lichens, and is rich in folklore and mythology, the Duchy said. Volunteers have planted saplings to expand Wistman’s Wood (Duchy of Cornwall/Charles Sainsbury-Plaice/PA)Acorns and rowan seeds have been gathered and grown on in the past two years by Moor Trees’ community tree nursery in Dartington, south Devon.

Source: The Times March 31, 2025 12:04 UTC