Moor Trees joined other campaigners at Black-a-Tor copse to launch a major new campaign to restore Dartmoor’s rare temperate rainforests. Spearheaded by Dartmoor Nature Alliance, together we are calling for rainforest cover on the moor’s commons to be doubled.
The campaign aims to expand and reconnect fragments of ancient woodland such as Black-a-Tor Copse, Wistman’s Wood and Piles Copse - some of Britain’s last surviving temperate rainforests. DNA wants to see rainforest cover on Dartmoor’s commons to increase from around 1,882 acres to more than 3,700 acres.
Restoring rainforest will help tackle Dartmoor’s nature crisis while also storing carbon, reducing flood risk and creating richer habitats for wildlife. The campaign will push for changes to commons legislation and land management rules that campaigners say currently prevent woodland recovery on Dartmoor’s commons.
As part of the campaign launch, we gathered yesterday at Black-a-Tor Copse, one of Dartmoor’s last surviving upland rainforests, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
Guy Shrubsole, rainforest campaigner and DNA core group member, said: “Black-a-Tor Copse is a rainforest on its last legs - hollowed out by a honey fungus outbreak and nibbled to death by sheep. It urgently needs to be given the space to naturally regenerate and spread - an assessment backed by the government’s nature watchdog, Natural England.
“The Duchy and Okehampton commoners must urgently work together to make positive change happen here, following the encouraging progress being made at Wistman’s Wood. What is needed is a large ‘exclosure’ fence around the north-east side of Black-a-Tor Copse to protect it from yet more overgrazing, and allow fresh saplings to grow. It’s time to bring back Dartmoor’s rainforests.”
In response to the campaign launch, Emma Magee, Head of Communities and Nature at The Duchy of Cornwall said: “At the Duchy, we’re committed to supporting nature recovery across the communities and landscapes in which we operate. Dartmoor is a significant part of this work. Last year we launched our Dartmoor Landscape Vision, focused on driving long-term nature recovery across the moor. This will be supported by significant investment, with £8m recently committed into peatland restoration.
An important strand of our Dartmoor work is the preservation and restoration of its Atlantic rainforest, including Wistman’s Wood and Black-a-Tor Copse. Working with organisations including the Dartmoor Nature Alliance, Natural England, Moor Trees and the Woodland Trust, we are supporting the long-term recovery and expansion of these internationally important landscapes. Our ambition is to double the extent of Duchy-managed Atlantic rainforest on Dartmoor by the early 2040s.
We welcome the focus this campaign brings to these rare, beautiful and important habitats. We'll continue to take practical, collaborative and evidence-led approaches to restoration and regeneration so these nature-rich landscapes can recover and thrive for generations to come.”
Lisa Schneidau, storyteller and DNA core group member, said: “Black-a-Tor Copse shows us what Dartmoor once looked like and what it could look like again. These woods are alive with mosses, lichens and wildlife, but they’re trapped as tiny fragments and unable to spread. There’s no reason why Dartmoor’s river valleys couldn’t once again support thriving rainforest. What’s needed now is ambition, determination and public support to make it happen.”
Helen Aldis, Chief Executive of Moor Trees, said: “As a charity at the forefront of the restoration and expansion of native woodlands on Dartmoor we are acutely aware of the impact that land management practices on the moor have on the ability of these precious habitats to naturally regenerate and be resilient. Working with partners on these schemes highlights the actions we need to take to protect these woodlands as well as the damage being done. This is why we are backing this campaign, as part of our mission to see the restoration of Dartmoor’s river valleys where temperate rainforests exist, so they can be thriving with trees, nature and life once more.”
DNA is inviting the public to support the campaign by sending messages, artwork, poetry, and photographs inspired by Dartmoor’s rainforests and by its vision for the moor’s future. Moor Trees will be encouraging its supporters to get behind this campaign and share their passion for these globally significant habitats.
To find out more about the campaign read Dartmoor Nature Alliance’s blog by Guy Shrubsole
You can support our work to restore Dartmoor's rainforests here: SUPPORT US - Moor Trees
