This is the bottom of the biodiversity bell curve, and could be the moment when we put the brakes on the brakes as we begin our efforts to align with the natural world, restore equilibrium, and live in harmony with the incredible abundance that surrounds us. there is.
rainforest
Thousands of years ago, up to 20% of mainland Britain would have been covered by the richest ecosystem our islands have ever grown: the Atlantic Temperate Rainforest.
This pure, ancient habitat existed along the west coastline from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis to Land's End in Cornwall. Over time, as the population grew, farmers were forced to cut down trees and clear forests in order to scrape a living from increasingly remote areas.
The main animals that can be kept in these windswept highlands are sheep imported from the Mediterranean, which eat almost everything they can see, especially young seedlings.
By the early 21st century, less than 0.4% of ancient temperate rainforest remained in the UK. We have lost most of them, but not completely.
Temperate rainforests are defined by rainfall (at least 1,400 mm per year), mix of native species, rich organic matter in the soil, and epiphytes covering the tree canopy.
Among the many different types of natural habitats and forests that exist in the UK, these rainforests sequester carbon, restore ecosystem services and provide mental health and wellbeing benefits to humans who spend time there. One of the best environments to offer.
These are our most valuable, romantic and exciting pockets of wonder, and there has never been a more important time to work towards their restoration and protection.
childhood
We may not always be familiar with the term „temperate rainforest,“ but don't get us wrong. You probably know them from your childhood stories.
These are the damp, moss-covered, lichen-strewn forests of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Arthurian legend, Tolkien's Fangorn Forest, and Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.
These ancient Talgay spaces contained glades where brave knights gathered for battle, Ents patrolled for orcs, and furious Bandersnatch were shunned by brave boys.
They are as much a part of our culture and history as our habitats and land management practices.
In a thousand years, nature will restore all its glory to our islands. We will bounce back from the nadir of 0.4% rainforest to the 20% rainforest that once sucked carbon out of the atmosphere, cleaned our rivers, and provided shade for our wanderings. Sho.
Wolves and lynx chase the ever-alert roe deer, which glide silently from clearing to hiding place, while bison and hardy ponies roam in wet places, stripping the bark of trees with their long abrasive tongues.
Beavers rule the rivers and eagle owls rule the skies. Humans will live in these forests, but we will learn to live with them, not against them. Harmony will return to our mountains and valleys.
change
The only question we have to ask ourselves in the 21st century is when and how this change will occur.
Will we be the catalysts for change that join the movement that will gradually return us to this state of balance and harmony with nature, or will our society become a catalyst for the inevitable if we continue to do business the way we are? Will we always keep moving forward, waiting for the catastrophic collapse that will bring? The usual?
The most important, hopeful, and positive initiative any of us can undertake is to facilitate the transition to a society that lives as part of nature, rather than separate from it.
This article was originally Resurgence Magazine January/February 2024 Edition.
The Thousand Year Trust is the UK's first and only charity dedicated to protecting, promoting and expanding the Atlantic Temperate Rainforest. Start this journey with us and help us reclaim the rainforest. www.thousandyeartrust.org
Merlin's article will be the focus of a Resurgence reader group discussion on January 16th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Information and tickets.
Merlin Hanbury Tennyson is Managing Director of the Thousand Year Trust. His mission is to promote a movement to triple the amount of rainforest growing across the British Isles. Starting in Cornwall, these vibrant, unique and vibrant habitats will restore balance to the natural world and remind us all that we are part of nature, not separate from it. To remind you, it spreads throughout the West.