We underestimate the elderly at our peril. They may look gnarly and a little unkempt, but Britain’s ancient woodlands are our richest terrestrial habitat, home to more threatened species than any other. They’re also vital in tackling the climate crisis – storing an estimated 77m tonnes of carbon.
Now more than ever is the time for us to get our boots on and get to know, love and protect these beautiful habitats. We’ve lost more than half of our ancient woodlands since the Industrial Revolution, and the ones that remain are weather-beaten, worn and in need of some support. This is why the Woodland Trust is on a mission to revive more than 34,000 hectares of damaged woodlands back to their former glory. Working with donors and members of the public, the UK’s biggest woodland conservation charity is planting millions of trees and reviving these damaged but magical environments.
Plans are already under way at Fingle Woods in Dartmoor’s Teign Valley, south-west England. The Woodland Trust and National Trust worked together and bought the site – a mixture of ancient, broadleaf and upland wood habitats – in 2014, and have been restoring it ever since.
