Dartmoor tree charity looking for new trustees

Moor Trees, thought to be the single biggest creator of new native woodland on Dartmoor this century, has had another successful planting season. The charity’s volunteers have planted over 7,000 trees this winter and a similar number have been supplied directly to landowners from Moor Trees’ nurseries. The native broadleaf trees are grown there from seeds collected by volunteers in local, mostly Dartmoor, woodlands. The winter’s planting programme included five sites in the National Park and two nearby at Ivybridge and North Huish.

Moor Trees has a Vision for Dartmoor by mid-century with rapidly recovering valley woodland helping to reverse the decline of the National Park’s wildlife and biodiversity. It’s now on the look-out for new volunteer trustees to help take it forward.

Moor Trees is a registered nature-restoration charity whose policy guidelines are set by a volunteer board of trustees for implementation by a paid Chief Executive. The trustees also discuss matters of strategy, culture, style and image and approve budgets. Meetings are roughly every two months on weekday evenings, usually in South Brent.

Chair of Trustees, Jenny Isaac, said; “We would like to recruit up to three new trustees in 2023, to broaden the range of skills and experience on the board and help us grow; in both senses of the word! Some of the skills we’re looking for are fund-raising, finance and budgeting, marketing (especially via social media) and management in general. We would also welcome landowners and people with good contacts in Dartmoor’s farming and land management communities.”

Applicants will be interviewed by existing trustees and, if successful, put forward for election by the members at the AGM in September.

Jenny added: “If you are interested in joining us, please read the Our Story and New Vision for Dartmoor pages of our website. If you wholeheartedly support the aims and activities described there and think you have appropriate time, skills and experience, please email info@moortrees.org for more information.”