Nurtured By Nature

Fiona MacKay

Do you care deeply about the natural world? Have you struggled with eco-anxiety, overwhelm & despair due to the constant negative narrative about the environment & the mass depletion of biodiversity? Do you feel a sense of powerlessness & hopelessness in the face of the inaction at governmental level?

I’m on a mission to shift the conversation, searching out empowering solutions & evidence of what’s already being achieved, to restore our collective hope & remind us that we are not powerless bystanders.

At Nurtured By Nature I bring together a fascinating diversity of guests, offering their unique perspectives & guidance, as we discuss ways to marry ancient wisdom & modern culture in a synergy that enables us as a society to restore balance to our lives & environment & fully take responsibility for our role in healing our world.

I provide you with a space that you can return to for constant hope and inspiration, knowing that by coming together as a community, it allows us to amplify our impact, as we discover the tangible solutions of how we can all get involved & embrace these ideas to create a powerful movement for positive change.

Expect to hear stories & advice from authors, artists, photographers, musicians, health & wellness practitioners, incredible businesses prioritising nature, foragers, gardeners, farmers, food producers, scientists, conservationists & charities involved in habitat restoration, species protection & rewilding, & many more diverse voices, all united by our deep & abiding love for the natural world & a desire to make a positive impact.

So pull up a chair, join us in conversation & help weave these important messages into the world, whilst being empowered to make your own positive impact, to be part of the solution as we rediscover our true place in nature’s incredible tapestry.

Episode

Welcome to episode 61 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I’m delighted to bring you a special bonus episode in support of Podcasthon, a fast-growing non-profit initiative that has united over 1700 podcasters around the world to raise awareness for the charitable cause that are close to our hearts. It’s an opportunity to use the podcasting community as a vehicle for social change by amplifying the voices and work of non-profits around the world, being the change we want to see.

I make no secret of my love of trees and having had the opportunity to spend time with their team in person, for this special episode I choose to shine a spotlight on the amazing work of the Devon based charity Moor Trees, who are dedicated to recreating native woodland across Dartmoor. I share a brief introduction to some of their incredible work, from collecting seeds from the native trees on Dartmoor to nurturing them into healthy saplings in their community nurseries and then the meticulous planning that goes into preparation the for planting these trees to ensure they will grow into the thriving woodland habitats of tomorrow.

Learn More About Moor Trees:

Moor Trees is dedicated to recreating native woodland across Dartmoor and surrounding areas. Although our region seems to be well wooded, much of the forest is commercial softwoods, Victorian game plantations and shelter belts. True natural woodland, rich with native birds & butterflies, is rare, mostly found in the steep valley fringes of Dartmoor.

We aim to restore native broadleaf woodland by growing trees from locally collected seed in our community tree nurseries, & planting them as new woodland on private & public land.

We use the local provenance trees that we grow at our two community tree nurseries in our woodland creation schemes. Each autumn we gather thousands of seeds with the aim of germinating & growing new seedlings. We currently have more than 100,000 growing in our nurseries getting ready for a future in the woodlands of tomorrow.

We are regenerating vital woodlands on Dartmoor, including Wiseman’s Wood. With your support we can grow local trees and restore habitats. We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout 2025, help do your bit for nature by supporting us to achieve our vision of a wilder more natural Dartmoor.

Website: https://moortrees.org/

DONATE: https://moortrees.org/support-us/donate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moortrees.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moor-trees/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moortrees/

Podcasthon unites podcasters globally, raising awareness for various charitable causes. If this resonates with you, learn more at www.podcasthon.org Then, help spread the word.

Nurtured By Nature

17 min

Podcasthon - Supporting Moor Trees: Restoring Native Woodland on Dartmoor

Moor Trees

The charity and its cause

Moor Trees

Established at the turn of the Millennium, Moor Trees is a Devon-based charity dedicated to recreating native woodland across Dartmoor and surrounding areas. Although our region seems to be well wooded, much of the forest is commercial softwoods, Victorian game plantations (often made up of trees from elsewhere in Europe, such as sweet chestnut) and shelter belts. True natural woodland, carpeted by bluebells or daffodils in Spring, rich with native birds and butterflies, is rare, mostly found in the steep valley fringes of Dartmoor. We aim to restore native broadleaf woodland by growing trees from locally collected seed in our community tree nurseries, and planting them as new woodland on private and public land. Moor Trees is dedicated to working with landowners and the local community to restore native woodland on Dartmoor and surrounding areas. We advise on the design of woodland creation and habitat restoration and can support with grant applications. We offer the full supervision of tree planting days over winter from early November until around Easter each year. We use the local provenance trees that we grow at our two community tree nurseries in our woodland creation schemes. Each autumn with the support of the local community we gather thousands of seeds with the aim of germinating and growing 40,000 new seedlings annually. We currently have more than 100,000 growing in our nurseries getting ready for a future in the woodlands of tomorrow. Moor Trees is reliant on our partners, funders and supporters for the work that we do. This includes the dedication and commitment of our team of volunteers joining in with our year-round, weekly volunteering opportunities. We have links with local education providers including the University of Plymouth and Cornwall College Group. Through our annual woodland monitoring programme we participate in citizen science as well as ad hoc research projects. We are regenerating vital woodlands on Dartmoor, including Wiseman’s Wood. With your support we can grow local trees and restore habitats. We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout 2025, help do your bit for nature by supporting us to achieve our vision of a wilder more natural Dartmoor.

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