Getting to know the tree charity breathing moor life into Dartmoor

A Devon charity has been making significant strides in restoring native woodland. 

Moor Trees, established in the late 1990s, has dedicated itself to revitalising Dartmoor’s ancient woodlands and temperate rainforests, creating a future rich in biodiversity.

Helen Aldis, Chief Executive of Moor Trees, spoke with The Moorlander about the charity's origins and ongoing mission. 

ABOVE: Chief Executive, Helen Aldis

She said: “Moor Trees came about because people were concerned about the health of native woodland on Dartmoor, particularly our ancient woodlands and temperate rainforests. Inspired by a visit to a similar initiative in Scotland called Trees for Life, we established the charity around 1999-2000.”

Over the past quarter-century, Moor Trees has thrived, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of local volunteers. 

These volunteers are crucial, collecting seeds each autumn and processing them at community tree nurseries in Dartington and Dipford.

These nurseries nurture the seeds into saplings ready for planting in woodland creation schemes across Dartmoor.

Helen said: “We’re committed to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor. Our priority is connecting and expanding ancient woodlands through natural regeneration and planting where we need to while also focusing on the river valleys that are ideal for creating the temperate rainforests of the future.” 

This approach not only enhances biodiversity but can also aid natural flood management.

Moor Trees collaborates with various landowners and partners, offering advice on woodland creation and supplying local provenance trees.

ABOVE: Volunteer watering seedlings at community tree nursery

This winter, the charity expects to have at least 30,000 trees ready for planting. 

Their volunteer team will brave the winter weather to plant these trees, contributing to a healthier, more diverse landscape.

Their partnership with the Woodland Trust, supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, focuses on gathering seeds from rare and hard-to-find trees native to the UK, such as the Devon Whitebeam and the Wild Service Tree. 

This initiative ensures the woodlands they create are diverse and resilient.

This autumn, Moor Trees is launching the Great Dartmoor Tree Search, a community engagement program aimed at gathering a wide range of seeds from Dartmoor’s ancient woodlands. 

Helen said: “We’ll be visiting sites around Dartmoor every Sunday to collect seeds from various species.”

The charity invites landowners with diverse woodlands to participate and encourages the public to join these seed-gathering efforts.

ABOVE: Moor Trees volunteers arrive at Wistmans Wood 

Celebrating their upcoming 25th anniversary, Moor Trees is reflecting on significant growth and looks to the future. 

Helen said: “Our vision for Dartmoor is to see a third of the land covered in trees by 2050.” 

Reflecting on the charity’s journey, Helen noted: “Our survival can be challenging, especially with the competition for funding. But the support from landowners, volunteers, local agencies, colleges, students, and businesses has been invaluable. Recent government funding has also allowed us to improve our tree nurseries significantly.”

As the world faces a climate and nature crisis, Helen has issued a plea to the community: She said: “There is so much opportunity on Dartmoor to restore nature. We’re focused on enhancing biodiversity through woodland creation and restoration. We invite everyone to get involved, whether by volunteering, donating, or planting trees on their land.”

Moor Trees is also keen to hear from those planning tree planting or woodland creation projects.

They offer advice, support with accessing grant funding, and encourage pre-ordering trees from their nurseries.

Visit their website, www.moortrees.org, for more information and to join their mission to breathe more life into Dartmoor.

For further enquiries or to get involved, visit Moor Trees.