RAZOR: Restoring Britain's lost rainforests

Some of the rarest habitats on Earth exist right here in Britain - temperate rainforests draped in ancient moss and home to species found nowhere else. Yet only fragments remain, scattered across the Atlantic west of the British Isles. RAZOR's Russell Beard meets the scientists that are pioneering methods to restore these vanishing ecosystems, combining cutting-edge research with traditional farming practices to bring Britain's forgotten forests back to life.

The wildlife trust of South and West Wales has set out to restore 120 acres at Trellwyn Fach in Pembrokeshire's Gwaun Valley. The project received £38 million in funding from Aviva supporting rainforest restoration across Wales, Scotland, Devon, and the Isle of Man, the goal is to create 1,755 hectares of new rainforest by 2050, sequestering 440,000 tonnes of carbon by 2060 and reconnecting isolated habitat fragments into continuous corridors for wildlife.

Britain's temperate rainforests aren't lost, they're dormant, waiting to be woken. The science is advancing, funding is in place, and practical methods are being developed. While the work will take centuries to fully mature, the foundation is being laid now. The temperate rainforests of Britain are beginning to reclaim their place in the landscape.

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