Bring Back Britain's Rainforests!
Britain is a rainforest nation. So where are all the rainforests?
It’s hard to imagine now, but 20% of Britain was once covered in rare temperate rainforest. Just picture it: lynx, pine martens and bears once roamed amongst twisted oaks and dripping lichens whilst eagles and cranes soared overhead.
Tragically today less than 1% of Britain’s rainforests survive and most of these are unprotected and poorly managed for nature. So how are ordinary citizens like us going to bring them back?
Since 2022 Wild Card has been tirelessly campaigning for the UK’s biggest landowners to play their part. In 2023 we collected one of Britain’s biggest ever rewilding petitions, signed by over 75,000 brits, calling on Prince William to restore rainforests on Dartmoor.
Britain’s biggest landowners are failing in their duty to restore our rainforests.
Some of Britain’s biggest landowners, especially the Crown Estate, The Ministry of Defence and the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, own large amounts of land in Britain’s temperate rainforest belt - land that is crying out to be restored. Sadly these landowners are dismally failing in their sacred duty to bring these habitats back to life.
Some efforts are being made, but they are almost comically lacking in ambition. After intense pressure from campaigns like The Lost Rainforests of Britain and from our own petition, the Duchy of Cornwall (an ancient estate owned by Prince William) made the headline grabbing commitment to double in size one of Britain’s most famous rainforest fragments, Wistman’s Wood.
Sounds great right? If only. Wistman's Wood is only 3 hectares in size. This amounts to a seriously underwhelming 0.01% of the total land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall on Dartmoor. Whilst we desperately want to celebrate this positive gesture we have to call this out for what it is: small potatoes.
Some of Britain’s biggest landowners, especially the Crown Estate, The Ministry of Defence and the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, own large amounts of land in Britain’s temperate rainforest belt - land that is crying out to be restored. Sadly these landowners are dismally failing in their sacred duty to bring these habitats back to life.
Some efforts are being made, but they are almost comically lacking in ambition. After intense pressure from campaigns like The Lost Rainforests of Britain and from our own petition, the Duchy of Cornwall (an ancient estate owned by Prince William) made the headline grabbing commitment to double in size one of Britain’s most famous rainforest fragments, Wistman’s Wood.
Sounds great right? If only. Wistman's Wood is only 3 hectares in size. This amounts to a seriously underwhelming 0.01% of the total land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall on Dartmoor. Whilst we desperately want to celebrate this positive gesture we have to call this out for what it is: small potatoes.
Starting with Dartmoor, we are building an unstoppable movement to bring back rainforests in Britain’s National Parks.
Wild Card’s first local group formed in Dartmoor in 2023. With hundreds of active citizens taking part already Wild Card Dartmoor is challenging the Duchy and other landowners in this precious National Park to take real action for nature. Building on their success we’re now working hard to launch local groups in other national parks up Britain’s atlantic coast where rainforests should naturally grow.
If you'd like to join Wild Card Dartmoor please email us to be connected with the coordinators. We're now actively seeking volunteers to start Wild Card groups in other National Parks up Britain's Atlantic west coast.
Wild Card’s first local group formed in Dartmoor in 2023. With hundreds of active citizens taking part already Wild Card Dartmoor is challenging the Duchy and other landowners in this precious National Park to take real action for nature. Building on their success we’re now working hard to launch local groups in other national parks up Britain’s atlantic coast where rainforests should naturally grow.
If you'd like to join Wild Card Dartmoor please email us to be connected with the coordinators. We're now actively seeking volunteers to start Wild Card groups in other National Parks up Britain's Atlantic west coast.