Thousands of trees planted in Devon's new rainforest project

Devon Wildlife Trust has initiated a significant tree-planting project to create a new temperate rainforest at its Bowden Pillars site near Totnes, with over 2,500 native trees planted this winter by more than 100 volunteers. The project aims to transform 30 hectares of former sheep-grazed fields into a landscape with 70% tree cover, enriching local biodiversity and improving carbon storage capabilities. In the coming decades, the newly planted trees, including species such as oak, rowan, and hazel, will develop into a rainforest that once covered much of western Britain. The trust plans to plant an additional 4,500 trees this winter, bringing the total to 7,000, with more planned for future years. Project leader Claire Inglis emphasized the community's vital role in this transformation, noting that the damp forest environment will support a variety of wildlife, including birds and diverse plant life. This initiative is part of a broader effort to restore the UK's temperate rainforests, which now cover only 1% of the land area due to historical deforestation.