Britain's Lost Rainforest

LYDFORD, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Temperate rainforest grows around Whitelady Waterfall in Lydford Gorge on June 13, 2023 in Lydford, England. Once covering a large part of the western British Isles, rainforests have largely been destroyed by deforestation and now cover less than 1% of the country, it is thought they are among the world's most endangered rainforests and are home to a unique biodiversity including extremely rare lichens, ferns and mosses as well as migrant birdlife such as the pied flycatcher and wood warbler. Many of the forests are made up of ancient oak trees which are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old and thrive in the humid, moisture-rich environment along Britain's west coast. Efforts are being made to preserve and regrow rainforests. Devon Wildlife Trust is bringing new rainforest to an area near Totnes while environmental activist Guy Shrubsole created the website Lost Rainforests of Britain to crowdsource locations of temperate rainforest across the UK so the information can help efforts to establish protected rainforest areas. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)