A collaborative approach has enabled more than 343,500 seeds to be collected since August. Seed gathering is a key feature in the volunteer calendar and was supported by funding from the Woodland Trust, thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery with funds awarded by Postcode Green Trust. Over 23 days, Moor Trees volunteers gave a total of 824 volunteering hours. 89 people volunteered to give their time to help in this vital task. The charity works with landowners to arrange seed gathering from a range of local woodlands. These include ancient woodlands, which require special permissions and consent to visit from the government agency Natural England.

Moor Trees collected from a total of 23 different sites on Dartmoor and the surrounding area this year and would like to thank the Woodland Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust, Duchy of Cornwall, National Trust, Natural England, Dartington Estate, Kingskerswell Parish Council, Susan Widlake, South West Lakes Trust, Dartmoor National Park and Rewilding Hillcrest for welcoming the charity to their woodlands.

Sam Manning, Rainforest Project Officer, Woodland Trust, says: “Creating biosecure sources of tree seeds genetically adapted to Dartmoor is key to establishing the healthy, resilient forests of the future. The funding of a network of local tree nurseries and seed collection is a crucial part of this vision, which the Woodland Trust is delighted to support.”

Once the seeds have been gathered, they are brought back to Moor Trees’ two Community Tree Nurseries where they are weighed and recorded. With this bounty of a harvest, the volunteers are working harder than ever. Already four times the quantity of seed has been processed compared to 2024 – a whopping 271,637 individual seeds. Earlier in the year, the charity invested in a special piece of equipment to help with processing seeds, such as from Hawthorn and Blackthorn and hosted a demonstration event for other Community Tree Nurseries on Thursday, 30th October, which was also supported with funding from the Woodland Trust. The more specialised species, such as Guelder Rose and Small Leaved Lime, need to be processed by hand by the volunteers.

Moor Trees Operations Manager Dave Lewis says: “It has been an incredible year for seeds and the woodland floor has been covered with acorns. This is called a mast year and gives a real boost to any business, charity or group growing trees."

Having access to local trees can bring added benefits to the woodlands that Moor Trees and its partners are creating on Dartmoor. By carefully selecting the species that are grown and collecting from a wide range of sites, it is possible to ensure that greater genetic diversity is possible in the tree supply. The saplings of the Moor Trees will also be adapted to the conditions in which they will eventually grow in the woodlands that are created, helping to ensure healthy and resilient woodlands in a changing climate. Community Tree Nurseries are also a vital and growing part of the UK tree production sector.

The charity is grateful for the continued support of its volunteers who help out year-round, growing trees and creating native woodland to help Moor Trees breathe more life back into Dartmoor. To support the charity’s ongoing work, please donate at www.moortrees.org/donate or register to volunteer via the website.