Wistman’s Wood 2.0
Written by: Alejandra Hart
Moor Trees volunteers, WT Rainforest Recovery Team, Natural England and the Duchy of Cornwall. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice
On the 26th of March, a team of volunteers from Woodland Trust and Moor Trees arrived at Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor for a vital rainforest restoration day. Together, we planted 450 oak and rowan saplings, grown from locally collected seeds, and installed protective guards around naturally regenerating trees.
These efforts are part of the ambitious plan to expand Wistman’s Wood, one of the UK’s last remaining fragments of temperate rainforest. With just 8% of this rare habitat left in Devon and Cornwall, this work is urgently needed to protect what is left and expand it across the landscape.
The charismatic, gnarly oaks and mossy rocks of Wistman's Wood. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice.
Wistman’s Wood is an ancient oak woodland in the West Dart Valley on Dartmoor. Designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Special Area of Conservation, it is home to a variety of mosses, lichens, and other rainforest species, some found nowhere else in England.
Our long-term vision is to reconnect this fragmented habitat by creating a ‘mirror image’ of Wistman’s Wood on the opposite side of the valley. The trees planted this spring mark the first step toward that future.
This restoration is a collaborative effort between the Woodland Trust, the Duchy of Cornwall, Natural England, Moor Trees, local farmers, and the wider community. It is a great example of how partnership working is essential to achieving landscape-scale change.
Sam Manning, Woodland Trust Temperate Rainforest Project Officer, said:
“Wistman’s Wood is an important site and a great example of what’s possible when organisations, landowners, and local communities work together. It’s hugely encouraging to see such strong support for rainforest restoration.”
The Woodland Trust's role in this project was to provide funding to buy fencing that will be used to protect young trees from grazing animals, an essential step in helping woodland regenerate and thrive. Thanks to this funding, Volunteers from Plymouth University were able to lend a hand on the day, planting saplings and gaining valuable rainforest conservation skills!
Sam Manning, South West Temperate Rainforest Project Officer, at Wistman’s Wood. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice.
The saplings planted in March were grown by Moor Trees, a Devon-based charity that has been collecting seed from Wistman’s Wood since 2021. By using locally sourced seed, we are giving trees the best chance of surviving and adapting to their environment.
Helen Aldis, Chief Executive of Moor Trees, said:
“Using trees grown from local seed gives them the best chance of adapting and thriving here. It’s fantastic to see those efforts now taking root in the landscape.”
Volunteers are at the heart of this project. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave their time and energy on the day. Their work directly supports the recovery of temperate rainforests and helps bring our shared vision to life.
We are always looking for new volunteers to join our rainforest recovery work. Whether you are keen to plant trees, learn conservation skills, or support our work in other ways, we would love to hear from you! Every contribution helps.
Thank you to the Duchy of Cornwall, Natural England, Moor Trees, and all our volunteers for their ongoing support in restoring the UK’s temperate rainforests.
Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoon. Credit: Charles Sainsbury Plaice.
Rainforest Recovery is the South West strand of The Rainforest Restoration Project. It is being led by the Woodland Trust in partnership with Plantlife. This project is funded as part of the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered on behalf of Defra by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
