The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole

Have you ever visited a woodland with small, twisted oak trees dripping with lichens, mosses and ferns? If so, you have probably visited one of the rarest and endangered habitats in the world- a temperate rain forest.

Rainforests are found on the west coast of Britain where the rainfall is greatest. One example is Wistman’s Wood in Devon. Exploring the ‘ghosts’ of rainforests, the author looks at place names eg Thornworthy Down, Waten Oke as well as indicator plants -bluebells and bracken  of woodland. Interesting, he also looks at myths that mention woodland as well as conventional historical evidence.

What has happened to these woods? Over millennia they have been felled for agriculture, building, forestry and industry.

Can these rainforests be restored? Left alone and protected from predation by sheep and deer trees will regenerate and examples are given of this.

This book is very interesting and thought provoking, not a Christian book but I was reminded that ‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.’ (Psalm 24:1)

I read this on my Kindle but it would be better as a book to dip into and revisit and the illustrations would be clearer.