Overview
Moor Trees is proof that a small, local charity can do serious restoration work. Founded in 2000, it set out to rebuild native broadleaf woodland in and around Dartmoor, a landscape that looks wild but is in truth heavily grazed and short of trees.
Its method is deliberately slow and deliberately local: gather seed from nearby native trees, grow it on with volunteers, plant it where it will survive, then look after it. No shortcuts, no imported saplings.
Community Tree Nurseries
The charity runs two main nurseries, at Broadley near Diptford and at Dartington, where volunteers sow, prick out, pot on and tend thousands of young trees. Species include oak, birch, rowan, hazel, holly, alder and willow, all grown from seed collected within the region.
Local provenance is not a nice-to-have. Trees grown from local seed are adapted to local rainfall, soil and season length, and growing them here removes the biosecurity risk that comes with importing stock from abroad.
Woodland Creation
Planting runs through the winter months on sites across Dartmoor and South Devon, often with landowners and farmers who want to bring trees back to steep ground, river corridors and field edges. Volunteer groups do most of the work, in most weathers.
The charity also supports others to set up their own community nurseries, which multiplies its impact well beyond the trees it grows itself.
Devon's Temperate Rainforest
South-west England holds fragments of temperate rainforest, the same globally rare habitat found on the Welsh and Scottish western coasts: mossy, lichen-rich oak woodland in a wet, mild climate. Devon's remnants are small and scattered.
Expanding and connecting those fragments is one of the highest-value woodland jobs in Britain, and it is exactly the kind of patient, local work Moor Trees is built for.
How to Support Moor Trees
You can volunteer at a nursery or planting day, donate, dedicate a tree to someone, or set up regular giving. Details are at moortrees.org. If you are outside Devon, the model itself is worth copying: a local seed source, a shed, some volunteers and time.
Further Resources
Watch
Plant the Future: The Power of People | Moor Trees
The volunteers, nurseries and planting days behind Moor Trees' native woodland work in Devon.
Learn More
Moor Trees
Moor TreesOfficial site with volunteering, tree dedications and donation options.
Our Tree Nurseries
Moor TreesHow the charity grows native trees from locally collected seed at Broadley and Dartington.
Volunteering with Moor Trees
Moor TreesNursery sessions, seed collection and winter planting days in Devon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Moor Trees?
Moor Trees is a Devon charity founded in 2000 that restores native broadleaf woodland in and around Dartmoor. It grows its own trees from locally gathered seed in volunteer-run community nurseries, then plants them out on suitable land.
Why does Moor Trees grow its own trees?
Because local provenance matters. Trees grown from seed collected nearby are better suited to local conditions, and growing them in the UK avoids the biosecurity risk of importing saplings carrying pests and diseases such as ash dieback.
Where does Moor Trees plant?
It works across Dartmoor and the wider South Hams and South Devon area, planting new native woodland and helping to expand and connect existing fragments, including remnants of Devon's temperate rainforest.
Can I volunteer with Moor Trees?
Yes. Volunteering is central to the charity. Sessions run at its tree nurseries near Diptford and at Dartington, with seed collection in autumn and planting days through the winter. No experience is needed.
Continue Reading
Stay Updated on Rewilding
Join our newsletter for the latest rewilding news, guides, and updates from The Grange Project.