Moor Barton Wilding

Moor Barton Wilding CIC is a 120 acre project on the north east shoulder of Dartmoor dedicated to rewilding land and people. The project comprises Moor Barton Woods on the south west of the Trenchford Stream and Trenchford Woods on the north east. Around 14 years ago the larch plantation that dominated Moor Barton Woods was felled and replanted with 8,800 native broadleaf trees. 

The land is now made up of a mosaic of habitats. Much of Moor Barton Woods is developing wood pasture with rides and glades providing abundant transitional edge environment and well as wildflower meadow habitat. 

Kick-starting natural processes

Beavers were introduced to the site in December 2022, and have created a complexity of wetlands. A small herd of feral Dartmoor ponies graze the land each autumn and winter. These ponies keep the trails and rides open to maintain the important edge environment, they create pools in the more boggy areas where they go to drink and their manure is hugely beneficial for many invertebrates including dung beetles.

The site is also part of the Two Moors pine marten project. Where species cannot be reintroduced to the area, interventions are undertaken to mimic natural processes. 

Nature Based Enterprises

Regular Community Rewilding Days are undertaken on the site where members of the local community, as well as people from further afield, visit and help with rewilding work on the land. A one day Introduction to Rewilding course has also launched. Beaver tours are also offered on site and are proving popular!