Latest news with #ThousandYearTrust
Belfast Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Veteran explorer to celebrate 89th birthday with 22-mile charity row
Robin Hanbury-Tenison, 88, from Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, will row along the River Tamar across two days in May. Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who climbed Cornwall's highest peak aged 84, five months after surviving coronavirus, hopes to raise £200,000 for Thousand Year Trust, a charity dedicated to tripling the amount of temperate rainforest in the UK. The author and explorer said he is determined to complete his rowing challenge despite his family's objections. 'My theory is that as long as bits of you are still working, you might as well use them to your advantage,' Mr Hanbury-Tenison told the PA news agency. 'My legs are pretty well given out now, so no more running or climbing mountains, but the arms are still pretty strong. 'I'm just going to get out and have a nice row up and down and I think I'll do it all right, and I hope I'll raise quite a lot of money.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who has travelled to some of the world's most remote places, said he has always enjoyed rowing. 'I actually spent most of my childhood in Ireland in a tree house on an island on the lake, rowing back every morning about a mile to shore,' he said. 'Then when I became an explorer, my first big expedition was to cross the first crossing of South America from east to west in 1958 and from north to south in 1964 to 1965.' He also led the Royal Geographical Society's largest expedition to date, taking a group of 115 scientists into the rainforest in Borneo for 15 months from 1977 to 1978. Now he is supporting his son Merlin Hanbury-Tenison's efforts to preserve Britain's temperate rainforest. Merlin, who founded the Thousand Year Trust in 2023, is crowdfunding to raise £750,000 to create the UKs first Rainforest Research Station and Community Hub. The station will be built on the site of the family's former farm on Bodmin Moor which has become a retreat centre and rainforest restoration project. 'Merlin, my son, and daughter-in-law have started a retreat there, where people come and detox in the wood itself,' said Mr Hanbury-Tenison. 'He suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after being in the Army and a lot of people come and get therapy from being in the woodland. 'The trust is to triple the size of the remaining temperate rainforest. 'At the moment there's only little fragments and valleys. We hope to join them all up and in the next 30 years have a million acres of temperate rainforest.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison will embark on his rowing challenge on May 7 and 8, marking two special occasions: his birthday and the 80th anniversary of VE Day. He aims to complete the feat in a little wooden boat which he likens to an image of The Owl And The Pussycat. 'The idea is that I'm just doing that with a few supplies, some jelly babies on the bench in front of me, and a bunch of bananas, and off we go.'
The Herald Scotland
24-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Veteran explorer to celebrate 89th birthday with 22-mile charity row
Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who climbed Cornwall's highest peak aged 84, five months after surviving coronavirus, hopes to raise £200,000 for Thousand Year Trust, a charity dedicated to tripling the amount of temperate rainforest in the UK. The author and explorer said he is determined to complete his rowing challenge despite his family's objections. 'My theory is that as long as bits of you are still working, you might as well use them to your advantage,' Mr Hanbury-Tenison told the PA news agency. 'My legs are pretty well given out now, so no more running or climbing mountains, but the arms are still pretty strong. 'I'm just going to get out and have a nice row up and down and I think I'll do it all right, and I hope I'll raise quite a lot of money.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who has travelled to some of the world's most remote places, said he has always enjoyed rowing. 'I actually spent most of my childhood in Ireland in a tree house on an island on the lake, rowing back every morning about a mile to shore,' he said. Robin Hanbury-Tenison fishing on Lough Bawn, Co Monaghan, where he grew up (Robin Hanbury-Tension/PA) 'Then when I became an explorer, my first big expedition was to cross the first crossing of South America from east to west in 1958 and from north to south in 1964 to 1965.' He also led the Royal Geographical Society's largest expedition to date, taking a group of 115 scientists into the rainforest in Borneo for 15 months from 1977 to 1978. Now he is supporting his son Merlin Hanbury-Tenison's efforts to preserve Britain's temperate rainforest. Merlin, who founded the Thousand Year Trust in 2023, is crowdfunding to raise £750,000 to create the UKs first Rainforest Research Station and Community Hub. The station will be built on the site of the family's former farm on Bodmin Moor which has become a retreat centre and rainforest restoration project. 'Merlin, my son, and daughter-in-law have started a retreat there, where people come and detox in the wood itself,' said Mr Hanbury-Tenison. Robin Hanbury-Tenison during a visit to Borneo in 2015 (Robin Hanbury-Tenison/PA) 'He suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after being in the Army and a lot of people come and get therapy from being in the woodland. 'The trust is to triple the size of the remaining temperate rainforest. 'At the moment there's only little fragments and valleys. We hope to join them all up and in the next 30 years have a million acres of temperate rainforest.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison will embark on his rowing challenge on May 7 and 8, marking two special occasions: his birthday and the 80th anniversary of VE Day. He aims to complete the feat in a little wooden boat which he likens to an image of The Owl And The Pussycat. 'The idea is that I'm just doing that with a few supplies, some jelly babies on the bench in front of me, and a bunch of bananas, and off we go.' You can learn more about Robin Hanbury-Tenison's challenge and the Thousand Year Trust at: and
The Independent
24-04-2025
- The Independent
Veteran explorer to celebrate 89th birthday with 22-mile charity row
A veteran explorer is aiming to celebrate his 89th birthday by rowing 22 miles to help restore Britain's temperate rainforests. Robin Hanbury-Tenison, 88, from Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, will row along the River Tamar across two days in May. Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who climbed Cornwall's highest peak aged 84, five months after surviving coronavirus, hopes to raise £200,000 for Thousand Year Trust, a charity dedicated to tripling the amount of temperate rainforest in the UK. The author and explorer said he is determined to complete his rowing challenge despite his family's objections. 'My theory is that as long as bits of you are still working, you might as well use them to your advantage,' Mr Hanbury-Tenison told the PA news agency. 'My legs are pretty well given out now, so no more running or climbing mountains, but the arms are still pretty strong. 'I'm just going to get out and have a nice row up and down and I think I'll do it all right, and I hope I'll raise quite a lot of money.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who has travelled to some of the world's most remote places, said he has always enjoyed rowing. 'I actually spent most of my childhood in Ireland in a tree house on an island on the lake, rowing back every morning about a mile to shore,' he said. 'Then when I became an explorer, my first big expedition was to cross the first crossing of South America from east to west in 1958 and from north to south in 1964 to 1965.' He also led the Royal Geographical Society's largest expedition to date, taking a group of 115 scientists into the rainforest in Borneo for 15 months from 1977 to 1978. Now he is supporting his son Merlin Hanbury-Tenison's efforts to preserve Britain's temperate rainforest. Merlin, who founded the Thousand Year Trust in 2023, is crowdfunding to raise £750,000 to create the UKs first Rainforest Research Station and Community Hub. The station will be built on the site of the family's former farm on Bodmin Moor which has become a retreat centre and rainforest restoration project. 'Merlin, my son, and daughter-in-law have started a retreat there, where people come and detox in the wood itself,' said Mr Hanbury-Tenison. 'He suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after being in the Army and a lot of people come and get therapy from being in the woodland. 'The trust is to triple the size of the remaining temperate rainforest. 'At the moment there's only little fragments and valleys. We hope to join them all up and in the next 30 years have a million acres of temperate rainforest.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison will embark on his rowing challenge on May 7 and 8, marking two special occasions: his birthday and the 80th anniversary of VE Day. He aims to complete the feat in a little wooden boat which he likens to an image of The Owl And The Pussycat. 'The idea is that I'm just doing that with a few supplies, some jelly babies on the bench in front of me, and a bunch of bananas, and off we go.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Veteran explorer to celebrate 89th birthday with 22-mile charity row
A veteran explorer is aiming to celebrate his 89th birthday by rowing 22 miles to help restore Britain's temperate rainforests. Robin Hanbury-Tenison, 88, from Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, will row along the River Tamar across two days in May. Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who climbed Cornwall's highest peak aged 84, five months after surviving coronavirus, hopes to raise £200,000 for Thousand Year Trust, a charity dedicated to tripling the amount of temperate rainforest in the UK. The author and explorer said he is determined to complete his rowing challenge despite his family's objections. 'My theory is that as long as bits of you are still working, you might as well use them to your advantage,' Mr Hanbury-Tenison told the PA news agency. 'My legs are pretty well given out now, so no more running or climbing mountains, but the arms are still pretty strong. 'I'm just going to get out and have a nice row up and down and I think I'll do it all right, and I hope I'll raise quite a lot of money.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison, who has travelled to some of the world's most remote places, said he has always enjoyed rowing. 'I actually spent most of my childhood in Ireland in a tree house on an island on the lake, rowing back every morning about a mile to shore,' he said. 'Then when I became an explorer, my first big expedition was to cross the first crossing of South America from east to west in 1958 and from north to south in 1964 to 1965.' He also led the Royal Geographical Society's largest expedition to date, taking a group of 115 scientists into the rainforest in Borneo for 15 months from 1977 to 1978. Now he is supporting his son Merlin Hanbury-Tenison's efforts to preserve Britain's temperate rainforest. Merlin, who founded the Thousand Year Trust in 2023, is crowdfunding to raise £750,000 to create the UKs first Rainforest Research Station and Community Hub. The station will be built on the site of the family's former farm on Bodmin Moor which has become a retreat centre and rainforest restoration project. 'Merlin, my son, and daughter-in-law have started a retreat there, where people come and detox in the wood itself,' said Mr Hanbury-Tenison. 'He suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after being in the Army and a lot of people come and get therapy from being in the woodland. 'The trust is to triple the size of the remaining temperate rainforest. 'At the moment there's only little fragments and valleys. We hope to join them all up and in the next 30 years have a million acres of temperate rainforest.' Mr Hanbury-Tenison will embark on his rowing challenge on May 7 and 8, marking two special occasions: his birthday and the 80th anniversary of VE Day. He aims to complete the feat in a little wooden boat which he likens to an image of The Owl And The Pussycat. 'The idea is that I'm just doing that with a few supplies, some jelly babies on the bench in front of me, and a bunch of bananas, and off we go.' You can learn more about Robin Hanbury-Tenison's challenge and the Thousand Year Trust at: and
The Guardian
07-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Bid to build Europe's first research station on Atlantic temperate rainforest in Cornwall
Europe's first research station for the study of Atlantic temperate rainforest is set to be built beside an ancient wood in Cornwall. The Thousand Year Trust charity is crowdfunding an initial amount to build the £750,000 facility, which will enable students and academics to study this historically overlooked but biodiverse natural habitat. The research station, which has planning permission, will be built at Cabilla, a former Cornish hill farm on Bodmin Moor that has become a retreat centre and rainforest restoration project with a swath of ancient woodland at its heart. 'The reason why everyone whether they are eight or 80 knows and loves tropical rainforest and understands that they are the lungs of the planet is because they've been so comprehensively researched but there's a lack of love and knowledge about temperate rainforests,' said Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, the founder of the Thousand Year Trust. 'A lot of that lack of knowledge is because there aren't scientists spending time dedicated to Atlantic temperate rainforests.' Atlantic temperate rainforest thrives in the mild, wet, oceanic climate of far western Europe, stretching from Bergen in Norway to Braga in northern Portugal. It is often oak woodland notable for its spectacular epiphytes such as moisture-loving lichens, mosses and ferns. Swaths of the woodland, which is a valuable carbon sink, once covered western Scotland, Wales and south-west England, as well as Ireland, but it has been reduced to tiny fragments, a fraction of its former size. Globally, temperate rainforest covers less than 1% of the Earth's land surface, making it one of the rarest ecosystems on the planet. Awareness of the Atlantic rainforest was raised by Guy Shrubsole's book The Lost Rainforests of Britain. In 2023, the government published a temperate rainforests strategy for England, including a commitment to invest £750,000 on research into protecting England's rainforests. Those funds are yet to be allocated. Shrubsole has called for a target of doubling the area of British rainforest by 2050. Hanbury-Tenison, who manages Cabilla, hosted 20 MSc students last year, with a further six PhDs being partly based in its Cornish rainforest from six universities that the Thousand Year Trust has partnered with. He hopes to double that number this year but lacks the facilities to host further scientific endeavours – until the research station is built. It will be constructed from local wood sourced by the Woodland Trust and comprise bunkhouse accommodation for students, senior academics and volunteers, a laboratory/work station, canteen facilities and a modest amphitheatre area where talks and informal meetings can take place. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion According to Hanbury-Tenison, Cabilla is the ideal location for Europe's first temperate rainforest research station because it is situated in the middle of the habitat's climatic envelope, with Bodmin Moor approximately halfway between Bergen in the north and Braga to the south. As well as its crowdfunder, the Thousand Year Trust is in discussions with other larger charities, philanthropists and the government about potential funding for the research station. The charity is also receiving a helping hand from Hanbury-Tenison's father, Robin, an explorer who founded Survival International. Robin is celebrating his 89th birthday next month by doing a sponsored row 25 miles along the River Tamar, the boundary between 'Cornwall and England' – as the Cornish often put it – to raise money for the research station. 'We hope it will serve as a nexus for temperate rainforest research across the whole range,' said Merlin Hanbury-Tenison. 'I truly believe that we'll only be able to make headway in protecting and expanding the Atlantic temperate rainforest when we love it and we'll only love it when we understand it and that comes from scientific research. 'In 10 years' time, when my children are beginning their GCSE studies, I'd like for the British public and education system to know that we are a rainforest people living on a rainforest island, just as people in Brazil or Borneo are proud of their rainforests.'
