Prince William has faced a blow as trees planted as part of a nature project on his Dartmoor land have been deliberately poisoned in what’s being called a shocking act of environmental sabotage.
Natural England has launched an investigation, while some experts have slammed the incident.
Trees on Prince William’s Dartmoor land deliberately poisoned
The trees, mainly willows, were planted on Duchy of Cornwall land to stop peat erosion, store carbon and reduce the risk of flooding.
The area has become a protected nature zone known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Meanwhile, the trees were fenced off to protect them from livestock. However, experts believe someone sprayed them with glyphosate, a powerful weed killer, killing many of the young saplings.
Natural England has confirmed they will investigate but can’t share more details yet.
Environmental author Guy Shrubsole, known for The Lost Rainforests of Britain, did not mince words.
In an interview with The Guardian, he called the poisoning “an outrageous act of sabotage, one which points a dagger at the heart of efforts to restore nature in this part of the country”.
He explained that much of the moor is already bare of trees due to centuries of overgrazing by sheep, and that this kind of damage should be strongly condemned.
Shrubsole warned that deliberate destruction of restoration projects is “deeply disturbing”.
Prince William’s environmental work
The attack strikes at the heart of the work that Prince William has long championed.
The Prince of Wales has always supported environmental protection and land restoration.
The Duchy also reacted with disappointment to the tree poisoning.
Emma Magee, Head of Communities and Nature at the Duchy of Cornwall, said the act goes against the work being done by local people to restore Dartmoor.
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“We are committed to working with our partners to secure a better future for Dartmoor,” she said.
Meanwhile, the South West Peatland Partnership, which funded the planting, condemned the attack as “an attack on everyone working… to restore our peatlands”.
A spokesperson has promised to replant the vandalised areas as soon as possible.
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