Bringing Back the Green

Restoring a lost temperate rainforest in Cornwall.

When you think of a rainforest, the images which come to mind are probably of exotic tropical places on the other side of the world. But long ago, Cornwall would have had many places just as special. With the help of their supporters, Cornwall Wildlife Trust are launching a project to bring one back.

Temperate rainforests are incredible habitats, characterised by a mild and wet climate. Also known as Atlantic rainforest, they occur in areas where the oceanic climate produces high humidity, regular rainfall and mild temperatures that remain fairly stable throughout the year. This means they teem with an array of wildlife, including hundreds of species of lichens, mosses, ferns, rare fungi, woodland birds and mammals.

In the past, these special places would have thrived across Cornwall, hosting amazing biodiversity. Now only small, fragmented patches are left. They were destroyed to provide timber and create space for agriculture, transport and development. What remains continues to be threatened by air pollution, overgrazing and invasive species.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has launched a public appeal to restore this globally rare habitat, which covers less than 1% of the world’s surface. The charity will soon begin work at a 150-acre site near Looe (West Muchlarnick), which was left as a legacy to Cornwall Wildlife Trust with the wish it be used to benefit wildlife.

Callum Deveney, Director of Nature Recovery at Cornwall Wildlife Trust says: “Set within a network of woodlands along West Looe River, West Muchlarnick is an ideal place to bring back the lost temperate rainforest that existed here in the past. The local river valley creates just the right kind of damp conditions – and connecting up woodlands in this area will help wildlife, which relies on these habitats, to thrive.

“We have an exciting chance to restore this important habitat. As temperate rainforests have a huge potential to store carbon, they are essential for winning our fight against climate change. We plan to plant more native trees and allow for the natural regeneration of this lost ecosystem.”

DISCOVER MORE…
To find out more about the project, watch the film or support, visit cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/temperaterainforestappeal

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST
Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Five Acres,
Allet, Truro TR4 9DJ
www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk