Funding to help expand temperate rainforest
Cumbria ConnectFunding has been secured to help expand and protect one of England's last remaining ancient temperate rainforests.
Naddle Forest at Wild Haweswater, Cumbria, will undergo a year-long programme of tree planting and conservation to help safeguard the habitat.
A nature recovery programme, Cumbria Connect, will co-ordinate the planting and protection of 9,000 native trees including Sessile Oak, Rowan and Juniper.
Bill Kenmir, conservation manager at Cumbria Connect, said the "ecosystems are hanging by a thread" and "we must act now to protect them".
Naddle Forest is one of the largest remaining temperate rainforests in Cumbria, covering about 519 acres (210 hectares).
Temperate rainforests - the term for rainforests in colder climates such as the UK - once covered 20% of the country, but only 1% remains in fragmented patches, according to Cumbria Connect.
This makes them vulnerable to climate change and invasive species
'A fighting chance'
Over-browsing by red and roe deer also poses a challenge to the woodland regeneration as large populations can inhibit tree growth.
A drone survey of the Lowther Valley using thermal imaging will be carried out to map deer density and behaviour so a sustainable management plan can be put in place.
The 9,000 trees will be placed within 314 tree cages at the plant nursery at Wild Haweswater to protect the young plants from grazing pressures.
Mr Kenmir said the new trees would support wildlife such as red squirrels, salmon and lichens.
The expanded forest will also improve drinking water, reduce flood risk and positively impact climate change by locking away carbon.
"These places are breathtaking," said Mr Kenmir.
"They're wild, full of life and vital to our planet - but they need our help.
"By restoring our temperate rainforests and bringing natural processes back we give nature a fighting chance."