In a groundbreaking initiative, the Thousand Year Trust is crowdfunding to build Europe’s first temperate rainforest research station in Cornwall, England, with the aim of studying and preserving this unique and biodiverse ecosystem.
The Thousand Year Trust is crowdfunding an initial £750,000 to build a research station in Cornwall, England, dedicated to studying the unique and biodiverse ‘Atlantic temperate rainforests’.
Located in the southwestern tip of England, Cornwall is a region steeped in history and natural beauty.
With its rugged coastline, picturesque villages, and stunning landscapes, Cornwall has become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.
The region is home to numerous ancient monuments, including Stonehenge and the Hurlers, which date back over 4,000 years.
Cornwall's unique cultural heritage is also reflected in its language, known as Kernewek, which is still spoken by some residents today.
Temperate rainforests thrive in the mild, wet climate of western Europe, stretching from Norway to Portugal. These ecosystems are often oak woodlands with spectacular epiphytes like moisture-loving lichens, mosses, and ferns. However, swaths of the woodland that once covered western Scotland, Wales, south-west England, Ireland, but has been reduced to tiny fragments.
Temperate rainforests are found along the Pacific coast of North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
These forests receive high levels of rainfall, typically between 2,000 to 4,000 mm per year.
The dense canopy is dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, fir, and hemlock.
Temperate rainforests support a wide range of plant and animal species, including giant ferns, mosses, and salamanders.
The unique ecosystem is adapted to the mild temperatures and high humidity, making it one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
The research station at Cabilla, a former Cornish hill farm on Bodmin Moor, will enable students and academics to study this overlooked but biodiverse natural habitat. Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, the founder of the Thousand Year Trust, notes that there is a lack of love and knowledge about temperate rainforests due to limited scientific research.
Cabilla is situated in the middle of the Atlantic temperate rainforest’s climatic envelope, with Bodmin Moor approximately halfway between Bergen in the north and Braga to the south. This location makes it an ideal spot for the research station.
The Thousand Year Trust has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the initial £750,000 needed to build the facility. The charity is also in discussions with other larger charities, philanthropists, and the government about potential funding for the research station.
Hanbury-Tenison hopes that the research station will serve as a nexus for temperate rainforest research across the whole range. He believes that scientific research is essential to protecting and expanding the Atlantic temperate rainforest and wants the British public to know that they are a ‘rainforest people living on a rainforest island.’
Temperate rainforests are complex ecosystems characterized by high rainfall and mild temperatures.
These forests cover a significant portion of the Pacific Northwest region in North America, with notable examples including the Hoh Rainforest and the Redwood National and State Parks.
Scientists conduct extensive research in temperate rainforests to study the effects of climate change on tree species, examine the role of fungi in forest ecosystems, and investigate the impact of human activities on biodiversity.
