Image by Ben Porter
Temperate Rainforest Restoration Project
Cornwall Wildlife Trust plans to restore incredible temperate rainforest habitat at West Muchlarnick Farm, near Looe. Our aim is to connect land around this reserve through a combination of planting native trees, allowing for natural regeneration, and protecting native species to bring back this lost ecosystem.
Left as a legacy to Cornwall Wildlife Trust in the early 2000s with a wish that the land would be used to benefit wildlife, West Muchlarnick Farm has huge potential. The site is over 150 acres, split between four areas. The majority of it comprises mostly grassland fields, with some trees and small strips of woodland. However, one area of the site is already covered by temperate rainforest.
The land at West Muchlarnick Farm in 2024. Graphic by Lou Jones Design
Temperate Rainforest restoration by 2074. Graphic by Lou Jones Design
Set within a network of woodlands along West Looe River, West Muchlarnick Farm is an ideal location to bring back the lost temperate rainforest that existed here in the past. The local river valley creates just the right kind of damp conditions – and connecting up woodlands in this area will help wildlife, which relies on these habitats, to thrive.
West Muchlarnick Farm from above (April 2024). Image by Atlas Film Co.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust will only use sites for temperate rainforest restoration where there are limitations for food production, actively avoiding using grade 1 or 2 agricultural land; West Muchlarnick Farm comprises grade 3 and 4.
Area of the site at West Muchlarnick already covered by temperate rainforest. Image by Atlas Film Co.
Graphic by Lou Jones Design
Image by Ben Porter