The National Trust and Devon Wildlife Trust are celebrating years of hard work as woodlands in South Devon welcome a new pine marten resident.

Two years since pine martens were reintroduced to the South West through the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, these once native woodland animals have now established themselves across Dartmoor and Exmoor.

This year, camera-trap footage captured shots of a pine marten setting up residence in woodlands in South Devon, confirmed evidence that this individual has travelled at least 25 miles to secure their new territory.

In autumn 2024, 15 pine martens were released in woodland locations on Dartmoor; while in autumn 2025 a further 19 animals were released on Exmoor. This pioneering project of reintroductions is the work of the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Daniel Brown, Devon Wildlife Trust Field Officer for Dartmoor said:

“Our continued monitoring, with the use of wildlife cameras, shows that the pine martens have settled well into the southwest landscape. South Devon offers species such as pine martens a fantastic mosaic of scrub, grass and woodland habitats. It’s been fantastic working with National Trust staff in South Devon to support monitoring and habitat creation.” 

Once a familiar feature of English woodlands, pine martens have been missing from the region for over 100 years, having been hunted and trapped to almost extinction. The size of a small cat, they belong to the mustelid family and are one of six native mustelid species in Britain: badger; otter; stoat; weasel; polecat; pine marten.

Pine martens have excellent climbing skills that allow them to live in forested habitats and adapt their diet throughout the year to take advantage of what is most locally abundant. This can include small mammals, such as grey squirrels, as well as invertebrates, birds, plants and fungi, helping to keep the forest ecosystem in balance.

The South Devon Ranger Team, along with Devon Wildlife Trust, have constructed pine marten den boxes. Pine martens’ make their dens in tree cavities, a rare occurrence now in natural woodlands, and so these den boxes will provide more opportunities for females to raise their young, avoid predators and to shelter from bad weather.

Each pine marten had been given a tracking collar before release, allowing the project to monitor each individual’s progress. This official sighting of a pine marten residing in South Devon signals a huge step in nature recovery across South Devon. National Trust Rangers along with partners and private landowners have been working for years to connect green corridors and restore native woodlands, allowing a once extinct species to thrive.

Emma Reece, National Trust Lead Ranger added:

“The Ranger Team have been really excited to partner with Devon Wildlife Trust on this project. We’ve been working hard locally for many years to improve habitats for wildlife, so having a pine
marten present in South Devon is a great indication that the sites are rich with wildlife and a health ecosystem is being restored."

The Two Moors Pine Maren project is led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust and is a partnership between seven organisations: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust. 

Read the whole story about bringing back pine martens here.

If you’d like to get involved in monitoring woodland wildlife, there’s exciting opportunities available. Find out more about the Citizen Science: Woodland Wildlife Survey here and how you can help play your part.