The rainforest could be restored in 50 years

There are “exciting” plans to restore an ancient rainforest in Cornwall over the next half century.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said there were only small patches left of a much larger rainforest at West Muchlarnick Farm, near Looe.

It wants to restore “one of Cornwall’s most diverse ecosystems” after being offered the 150 acres (61 hectares) in 2002.

The trust is launching a £50,000 appeal to kick-start the 50-year project.

Callum Deveney, director of nature recovery at the trust, said: “Our plan is to plant more native trees to connect these pockets, allowing this lost ecosystem to regenerate naturally.”

The trust called it “an exciting chance to restore this important habitat on a site in Cornwall”.

The project would expand the farm’s rainforest cover from about 8.4% to about 87.2%.

Rainforests have “a huge potential to store carbon in trees”, so they can help fight climate change, the trust said.

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