Help us Secure the Future of Buckland Wood

Written by: Danielle Semple

The missing piece of rainforest restoration along the river Dart, Buckland Woods - Philip Formby/WTML. 

We are excited to announce that Buckland Wood appeal goes live today. Buckland Wood is situated on the River Dart in East Dartmoor. It is 102 hectares of rare temperate rainforest, and it sits between Ausewell and Grey Park Wood. It is the missing piece of woodland to a whopping 256-hectare swathe of rainforest. 

Thanks to the hard work of site manager, David Rickwood in Ausewell and Grey Park Wood, the owners were inspired by our woodland management approach, so the offer to purchase Buckland Wood came directly to the Woodland Trust. The existing conifer crop was expected to attract significant commercial interest, so we had to move at pace to secure the sale as soon as possible. 

Site manager David Rickwood explaining the restoration efforts of Ausewell and how they inspired the owners of Buckland to offer us to buy the wood off the open market. Philip Formby/WTML.

Buckland Wood is special as it makes up the landscape in which Pine Martens are now living, it is one of the two locations where an internationally rare lichen has been found in the UK, and it will help us unlock one of the largest wooded complexes along the Dart Valley for rainforest restoration. 

Our approach to restoration will be the same as the other neighbouring woodlands, to gradually remove the conifer and creating the right conditions for this native woodland to thrive. The balance will be to create the correct light and humidity levels to enable the broadleaf species to thrive which in turn will host the incredibly rare lichens, ferns, bryophytes and mosses found in the UK’s temperate rainforest zone.   

Buckland will undergo the same restoration as Ausewell by slowly removing the conifer to return light levels to the forest floor. Philip Formby/WTML.

We will also look at retaining the humidity levels within the wood by creating leaky dams and slowing the flow of water in the river. This is a key requirement for temperate rainforests. Our aim is to boost the biodiversity and resilience of woodland found within this valley, especially when faced with a changing climate. 

Buckland Wood is part of the rare temperate rainforest habitat where moss and other epiphytes cover most surfaces thanks to the damp and cool climate. Philip Formby/WTML.

We cannot own all the temperate rainforest that needs restoration, and a significant part of our work is to give support and advice to other landowners, to help them understand the significance of their own woodlands within the rainforest zone. We will use Buckland to inspire other landowners and policy makers to act for this important and rare habitat, either directly in their own woods or through improved protection and better policy decisions.   

We need to raise £2.8 million to cover the purchase costs and fund the restoration it desperately needs. An appeal has been launched, and we are grateful to a long-time friend and supporter of the Woodland Trust who has kindly promised to match all funds donated to this appeal up to £750,000.   

If you would like to contribute to the appeal so we can bring Buckland Wood into the best care possible, please use this link - Buckland Wood appeal - Woodland Trust.

The views of Buckland across farmland and moorland connect all the landscapes we are working on in Dartmoor. Philip Formby/WTML.