Ausewell Wood

Wildlife and habitats

Animals

This special wood is home to a number of unusual animals that thrive in its temperate rainforest conditions. Barbastelle bats and pied flycatchers hunt flying insects here, and the moisture is perfect for molluscs like the ash-black slug – the largest slug species in the world! The huge nests of southern red woods ants can also be found.

Trees, plants and fungi

Dense woodland and damp temperate rainforest lie along the famous River Dart, perfect for ferns, mosses and lichens such as royal fern and string-of-sausages lichen (Usnea articulata).

Habitats

About Ausewell Wood

The Woodland Trust and National Trust are working together to protect and restore this precious landscape, for the benefit of the rare wildlife found within it.

The diverse range of habitats – from moorland scrub and craggy rocks to old ‘granny’ pines and ancient semi-natural oak woodland – formed over many millennia.

The wildlife found here has endured centuries of human intervention including mining, charcoal making and, in more recent history, the planting of non-native trees on what was once ancient woodland.

Ausewell is ripe for restoration. The dark and gloomy plantation blocks of Douglas fir and spruce are ready to be harvested. In just 20 years these damaged parts of the wood could be transformed as we carefully let the light reach the woodland floor once more. The wildflower and tree seeds buried deep in the soil are patiently waiting for their day in the sun.