Visiting Helman Tour

In 2023, Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) applied for funding through Cornwall Community Foundation to make their native pigs project possible. That February, they received £26,950 from the Tanner Phoenix Project. 

Now, with the project well underway, our grants team were invited to visit and see how things were progressing. Shannon, Community Outreach Officer, and Francis, Grants Officer, met up with James Webb, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Cornwall Wildlife Trust. At Helman Tor, close to Bodmin, he showed them the largescale rewilding project that the charity is undertaking. 

Rewilding is a conservation practice aimed at restoring ecosystems by reintroducing species that have been lost or diminished in the wild. Its purpose is to bring back biodiversity, letting natural habitats recover and thrive without heavy human intervention. 

By reintroducing species like wild pigs in certain areas, rewilding promotes natural regeneration of landscapes improving soil health and the habitat for other wildlife. 

So far, they’ve introduced beavers and Longhorn cattle to help manage the landscape and, with this funding, native pigs. Native pigs (Tamworths) are often referred to as ‘nature’s rotators’. On Helman Tor, they will rootle the soil so that plant life, flowers, vegetation and other species can thrive. 

On their site visit, our team saw the result of CWT’s work at Helman Tor, including a large pond system, livestock handling, and pig enclosures (the pigs were sleeping!) 

“I particularly loved my visit to Helman Tor. It was wonderful to see Cornwall at its wildest. For me, the area of temperate woodland at the bottom of the valley was magical.” – Francis Baring, Grants Officer for CCF 

Having completed a 15-month trial of pig reintroduction, CWT can show the positive impact pigs have and look forward to continuing with similar projectsA piece of work that delivers an output. going forward.