South West partnership aims to boost Temperate Rainforest by 130 acres

Somerset Wildlife Trust and Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA), with the support of Aviva, the UK’s leading diversified insurer, have purchased 130 acres of land in Exmoor National Park to create more Temperate Rainforest.

This transformative project will see a new 50 hectares woodland comprised of oak, hazel, lime and alder. It will connect smaller isolated clumps, copses and hedges to larger ancient woodland to create an extensive and dynamic wildlife rich landscape – a new temperate rainforest supporting a distinctive woodland ecology.

Not only is this a huge opportunity for wildlife, but once matured, it is also predicted that the site will generate a carbon return of 16,884 (tCO2e). That’s the equivalent CO2 emissions as 3,670 petrol-powered passenger vehicles driven continuously for a full year.

This ambitious native woodland-expansion project is inspired by nature, designed and developed by ENPA and created by skilled local contractors, will also need help from volunteers as it takes form.

James Grischeff, Director of Nature Recovery at Somerset Wildlife Trust said: “Rainforests are one of the most biodiverse habitats in the UK. Creating and restoring Temperate Rainforest, will improve ecosystem connectivity, enabling species to move more freely, access resources, and adapt to environmental change.”

Clare Reid, Head of Climate, Nature and Communities at Exmoor National Park Authority said: “Exmoor has an exceptional woodland heritage, and it’s fantastic to be working in partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust to create new Temperate Rainforest for future generations. This will help to kick-start delivery of the ambitious plans in the Exmoor National Park Management Plan to increase tree canopy and woodland cover by 3% (2,080 ha) by 2030.”

Claudine Blamey, Chief Sustainability Officer at Aviva said: “Exmoor has an exceptional woodland heritage, and it’s fantastic to be working in partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust to create new Temperate Rainforest for future generations. This will help to kick-start delivery of the ambitious plans in the Exmoor National Park Management Plan to increase tree canopy and woodland cover by 3 percent (2,080 hectares) by 2030.”

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New Somerset wildlife trust and Exmoor woodland site to the left of Haddon hill on the picture shown