Cultivating regenerative growth in English woodlands | Time Travel in Britain's Lost Rainforests

With a deep view of time, a regenerative forester extracts resources to cultivate growth in an ancient English rainforest.
Director: Hugh Hartford
Producer: Anson Hartford
Banyak Films: banyak.co.uk/
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Living and working in the woodlands of the Teign valley in Devon, England, the regenerative forester John Williamson has cultivated a deep connection to and unique understanding of this rare patch of English rainforest. This includes knowing that a healthy ecosystem means an eclectic variety of landscapes rather than perfect tree cover; that no parcel of land in Great Britain has gone untouched by humans; and that, while storms can mean devastation for people, for woodlands they’re simply another phase in an ancient cycle. In this short documentary, Williamson explains how, through viewing these woodlands in terms of the deep past, present and future, he’s developed a sustainable method of extracting wood and creating charcoal that actually encourages biodiversity.

[@paulm2467]

The Lake District is the main area of temperate rainforest left in England, there is more in Western Scotland, Wales and Ireland but it still only occupies 1% of the land in the British Isles. It’s one of the rarest and most endangered environments in the world.

[@hobi1kenobi112]

Lancashire has quite a bit, as does Yorkshire, from the Dales right over to Sheffield.

[@user-bq3ch1ps8q]

here in devon its pretty much all gone

[@mick4862]

Don't miss out Cornwall.

[@user-bq3ch1ps8q]

@@mick4862 devon?

[@mick4862]

@@user-bq3ch1ps8q we have a few patches on dartmoor and a larger area on the fringe of exmoor, however the point I was trying to make was that no one had yet mentioned cornwall as a location of rainforest yet there is quite a few areas of it around helford.

[@DaveG-rs3xp]

Thank you for mentioning the ferns! So often ignored in videos about UK rainforest. Great video. 😊

[@Mish_Da_Mash]

Very surprised this doesn’t have millions of views

[@manicmandownup]

People don’t appreciate authenticity. They like tat…

[@dubbingsync]

Well it’s a rather niche topic. I didn’t hear about Britain having any Rainforest until the autumn of last year. So hopefully more people here about it and start to care about it soon.

[@phily8093]

Probably because we've been told that the countryside is racist now.

[@sophiareygrace6656]

You guys should definitely invite more youtubers to make videos about this site!! Especially like Mossy Earth and Leave Curious etc!! ❤

[@diddlyempress]

The thing that concerns me is that, if encouraged then people en masse trample the forest. Such a tricky balance 😢

[@Gamonista]

@@diddlyempressnot if they actually watch the videos and learn the respect for forests. Also people tend to stick to public footpaths, so “trampling” a forest isn’t really a concern

[@diddlyempress]

@@Gamonista thank you, I agree. However , I don't know why responses have to be so snarky nowadays. I was merely reflecting upon the nature of when many people go to a place it inevitably will have an impact, even with the best of intentions. Masses of course will have an effect. I was considering my own desire to go to ancient forests but it's nice to imagine wild places where humans have seldom been. As a country many of us have nature deficit and we need to protect our right to roam, our fundamental requirements to connect to the land. Britain also is a small island nation and now that many of us have the ability to travel far and wide now, it's naive to think that we don't cause some problems. I believe we are in relationship with nature too, but all things must be in balance. So yes, many viewers of such channels will be conscious of the impact they make but there are also many that see wild spaces as leisure spaces alone, therein, issues can arise. We've seen this with Instagram culture and a bucket list mentality of places to visit. Stonehenge is now commodified for example, a gift shop and everything, you have to pay to access lands end so on and so forth. We must protect the sacred parts of this Isle, even if that means that we must occasionally forgo our desire to experience a place. 🍄

[@yonmusak]

What a lovely documentary - thanks for all the effort you went to explore this mystical space.

[@doina-karma804]

Wonderful film, thank you for profiling his work!

[@Henrikbuitenhuis]

I love to go with my metaldetector and find old stuff. But my best find is a stone axe (tapkile) 10.000 - 13.000 year old and just look at it and know that someone was using it for so many years ago and how important it was for the person back then. I just love history. Thanks so much for the video and info.

[@Justin1337Sane]

Har selv gået en del med metaldetektor. men jeg har dog alligevel aldrig oplevet at de slår ud på stenalder redskaber :D

[@Henrikbuitenhuis]

@@Justin1337Sane Ha ha ha nej det gør de heller ikke. Den fandt jeg på jorden ved et muldvarpe skud.

[@Justin1337Sane]

@@Henrikbuitenhuis Kunne jeg da godt regne ud :D var bare for at mobbe dig lidt da du jo nævner metaldetektor og så slet ikke har fundet noget og så nævner du en sten istedet for :D hehe

[@Henrikbuitenhuis]

@@Justin1337Sane lol min fejl..Jeg nævnte bare mit bedste fund og den tapkile fandt jeg da jeg gik med metaldetektor, men det var mine øjne der så den og man finder jo en del når man bruger sine øjne også. Men jeg har da fundet en Dobbeltknap fra en bronzealder grav og lidt fibler fra vikingetiden og selvfølgelig en masse knapper fra forskellige tidsperioder.

[@AyoHues]

This is great so atmospheric & it really draws you in. It’s a wonderful subject, beautifully shot and well edited etc. Love the music too. Thanks.

[@charlie_wood_filmmaker]

Great film, really interesting and beautifully shot - thank you

[@sophiareygrace6656]

Loveee the video !!❤

[@talen888]

It's Tom Bombadil (and Goldberry) if I'm not mistaken.

[@lifeoutdoorsneil8092]

Keep up your fantastic work. You are an inspiration. Thank you ✌️♥️💪👍

[@Tomexplores_]

Incredible!!

[@TheWatev123456789]

This is amazing!

[@daz7834]

Great video ... thank you

[@satern8466]

Beautiful video

[@deepiet4126]

Excellent one bais

[@debatthebeach433]

💖💖💖

[@Mish_Da_Mash]

Is hard fern seriously edible like coca

[@AlexHand]

Amazing. 10,000 year old Celtic forests. King Arthur has nothing on that. If fairies and gnomes live anywhere it would be there. Don't let them put a Starbucks in.

[@hoon_sol]

Well, I'm glad to see some actual regenerative forestry, as opposed to the severe delusion that is "regenerative agriculture" (i.e. the insane delusion that grazing, which totally destroys soil, will ever regenerate soil).