2024 Yearly Recap

Biodiversity Milestones

This year, Forêt Caperdu made significant strides in enhancing and tracking biodiversity. A sustained effort went into transforming the 6-hectare “Farthings” land acquired in 2022, with the introduction of wildflower meadows, ponds, and Diversity Hot-Spots (DHS).

These initiatives have started to bear fruit, with sightings of a range of mammals, including deer, hares, wild boars, foxes, and even a rare pine marten.

Using the Merlin app, we identified 52 bird species, ranging from raptors to woodpeckers; And amphibians thrived, with a new generation of frogs emerging from ponds in the Farthings.

We began using iNaturalist to document biodiversity across the project, with full details on the iNaturalist project page.

Ranger Highlights

Rangers worked tirelessly in 2024, committing 4–5 hours daily to rewilding tasks. A major achievement was the planting of 3,200 trees during autumn—our largest reforestation effort to date.

Beyond tree planting, rangers:

• Created and maintained ponds and DHS, deepening habitats for aquatic life.

• Planted wildflowers to boost insect populations.

• Installed owl and pine marten boxes to provide safe homes for wildlife.

• Protected young trees with measures against deer, brambles, and drought.

Additionally, two new bridges were built to improve access to recently acquired land, while firewood recovery from Storm Cieran added to sustainable resource management. True to AFC’s ethos, all this work was done with petrol-free techniques, reinforcing our commitment to low-energy rewilding.

2025 Plans

The coming year promises exciting developments as we continue to refine and expand our efforts.

Plans for 2025 include:

• Reviewing all 25 existing DHS and exploring opportunities for new ones.

• Planting nut-bearing trees to enhance habitats for wildlife.

• Expanding the use of innovative rewilding techniques to maximize bio-complexity.

Each small step brings us closer to our dream of a restored, biodiverse forest—complete with wolves and bison. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to leave a legacy of thriving ecosystems for future generations.