There’s been huge momentum in recent months to protect & restore Britain’s lost rainforests.
From David Attenborough raising the alarm, to politicians voicing support, to landowners taking action, here’s a thread summarising developments: 1/
From David Attenborough raising the alarm, to politicians voicing support, to landowners taking action, here’s a thread summarising developments: 1/
2/ Just this past weekend, David Attenborough discussed Britain’s temperate rainforests for the first time, in his #WildIsles series:
"These are temperate rainforests... They have now been reduced to a fraction of their original range across western Britain & Ireland"
"These are temperate rainforests... They have now been reduced to a fraction of their original range across western Britain & Ireland"
3/ Before @LostRainforests starting campaigning in 2021, ‘temperate rainforest’ had never been mentioned in Parliament or by a Westminster politician.
Since then, temperate rainforest has been mentioned at least 12 times (& counting) by MPs & in UK Govt policy documents:
Since then, temperate rainforest has been mentioned at least 12 times (& counting) by MPs & in UK Govt policy documents:
4/ And it’s not just words: we’ve persuaded the UK Govt to start funding temperate rainforest restoration in England via ELMs: gov.uk/government/pub… and via Regional woodland restoration Innovation Funds: gov.uk/guidance/regio…
And we'll keep pushing Ministers to do more.
And we'll keep pushing Ministers to do more.
5/ Nature conservation charities, meanwhile, have been ramping up their work on temperate rainforests.
In February, the @WildlifeTrusts were given £38m by pension fund Aviva to expand temperate rainforests in Britain. Channel 4 reported the news
In February, the @WildlifeTrusts were given £38m by pension fund Aviva to expand temperate rainforests in Britain. Channel 4 reported the news
6/ The @WoodlandTrust held a great public event in Exeter, ‘Rethinking Rainforests’, at which 500 people turned up – essentially to hear about lichens!
They’ve also launched a fundraising appeal with a brilliant short film about our rainforests woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/giv…
They’ve also launched a fundraising appeal with a brilliant short film about our rainforests woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/giv…
7/ This past week I attended a fab event organised by @RSPBScotland with @ASRainforest & hosted by @HughRaven at Ardtornish Estate on restoring Scotland’s rainforests.
The RSPB have also recently acquired Glencripesdale, an amazing rainforest on Morvern rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-…
The RSPB have also recently acquired Glencripesdale, an amazing rainforest on Morvern rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-…
8/ The @NationalTrust look after some awesome temperate rainforests in Devon, Wales and the Lake District.
A new officer has recently been appointed to manage the Atlantic oakwoods they own in Borrowdale in the Lakes reed.co.uk/jobs/national-…
A new officer has recently been appointed to manage the Atlantic oakwoods they own in Borrowdale in the Lakes reed.co.uk/jobs/national-…
9/ Plantlife (@LovePlants) have launched new management guidance on how to care for temperate rainforests – and their citizen science project has rediscovered 15 fragments of lost rainforest in the south west of England: plantlife.org.uk/uk/about-us/ne…
10/ NGOs, landowners and farmers are all starting to collaborate on rainforest restoration in new ways. Last month saw the formation of a new South West Rainforests Alliance, comprising the 18 organisations shown in the slide below, and others since signed up:
11/ On the eastern flank of Dartmoor, temperate rainforests cling to the banks of the Dart, Bovey and Teign rivers. The new East Dartmoor Landscape Recovery pilot project – a partnership of NGOs, landowners & farmers – aims to reconnect these fragments: devonwildlifetrust.org/east-dartmoor-…
12/ Cornish farmer @MerlinHanbury, who’s restoring Atlantic oakwood at Cabilla near Bodmin Moor, has been setting up a new organisation to promote the practical restoration of temperate rainforest across western Europe. For more details, watch this space & follow Merlin!
13/ Invasive Rhododendron ponticum is choking our rainforests, yet could take 250 years to eradicate from England at current rates of removal: theguardian.com/environment/20…
But community foresters like @philsturgeon @ProtectEarthUK are mobilising to help:
But community foresters like @philsturgeon @ProtectEarthUK are mobilising to help:
https://twitter.com/ProtectEarthUK/status/1636353819008196608?s=20
Lastly, I’ve been excited by how many people have read my book, The Lost Rainforests of Britain, & been inspired to become amateur botanists & ‘landscape detectives’ searching for signs of lost rainforests.
Support indy bookshops – buy a copy from: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-lo… (Ends)
Support indy bookshops – buy a copy from: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-lo… (Ends)
(Sorry, that should've been @Love_plants tagged here - darn it, still no edit button on Twitter!)
15/ But wait, there's more!
The amazing @wildcardrewild launched this great petition last month calling on Prince William to bring back rainforests on land owned by his Duchy of Cornwall estate, by expanding places like Wistman's Wood: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/prin…
The amazing @wildcardrewild launched this great petition last month calling on Prince William to bring back rainforests on land owned by his Duchy of Cornwall estate, by expanding places like Wistman's Wood: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/prin…
16/ Yet more momentum on Atlantic rainforests:
University of Plymouth academic @ThomasRMurphy88 has recently started supervising two PhD students researching temperate rainforests in Britain & Ireland.
You can read some of Tom’s previous research here: plymouth.ac.uk/news/study-sho…
University of Plymouth academic @ThomasRMurphy88 has recently started supervising two PhD students researching temperate rainforests in Britain & Ireland.
You can read some of Tom’s previous research here: plymouth.ac.uk/news/study-sho…
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