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Rainforest creation at Bowden Pillars
Devon to benefit from The Wildlife Trusts’ Atlantic rainforest recovery programme
Devon Wildlife Trust will begin creating Atlantic rainforest at a new site called Bowden Pillars Farm thanks to a long-term partnership with Aviva.
The 30-hectare (75 acre) site is located close to the market town of Totnes. Its position on the edges of the Dart river valley provides wonderful views of South Devon and Dartmoor. Devon Wildlife Trust has secured a 105-year lease which will allow it to plant two-thirds of the land with native species trees to create new rainforest.
The purchase of the lease has been made possible with support from Aviva, along with a generous legacy from a Devon Wildlife Trust supporter.
Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) in sesile oak forest Wales - Andy Rouse/2020VISION
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Dexter and Luing Cattle grazing at Caesars Camp, Hampshire Heathlands. The Grazing for Wildlife Project is an initiative set up by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, and working with the Ministry of Defence and livestock owners to introduce cattle or ponies back onto some of these special areas. - Paul Harris/2020VISION
Bowden Pillars Future
Find out what else is happening at Bowden Pillars“I’m very excited that we can now start to recreate rainforest in this beautiful part of South Devon. It’ll provide vital habitat for wildlife in a time of nature crisis, store vast amounts of carbon, and help restore the health of the soils and the quality of the water that drains off them. Bowden Pillars Farm will also be a fantastic asset for the people of Totnes, who will be able to walk out of the town and straight into this stunning landscape.”Devon Wildlife Trust
Tree planting at Bowden Pillars Farm is the first project in the South West of England to receive support from the Aviva fund. Devon Wildlife Trust will create new rainforest close to existing examples of the ancient, wooded landscapes in the Dart Valley and on the southern edges of Dartmoor.
Devon Wildlife Trust will involve communities in and around Totnes in the rainforest recovery project, who will benefit from increased access to nature, volunteering, educational and employment opportunities. Rainforest restoration will also provide cleaner air and water and reduced risk from flooding.
Devon Wildlife Trust’s rainforest creation is part of a wider partnership centred on Bowden Pillars Farm. Other aspects to the project include establishing a regenerative farm. The reforested landscape will sit perfectly alongside these other features, creating a truly holistic community based on the principles of living in balance with the natural environment.
Tree species in Atlantic rainforests include sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel. They are home to stoats and pine martens, and threatened birds like wood warblers, redstarts, and pied flycatchers. Wet conditions support an abundance of mosses, liverworts, lichens, and ferns – many of which grow on the trees or cover boulders and ravines. The dampness is ideal for fungi, including globally rare species like hazel gloves fungus.