FREE trees are being given to Exmoor landowners and community groups to encourage them to support the pine martens which were reintroduced to the moor last autumn after a 150-year absence and have just produced their first young.

The Two Moors Pine Marten Project, supported by the Woodland Trust, is also offering community grants of up to £500, and up to £1,000 for larger projects, to help improve land and support woodland wildlife.

The project released nine pine martens on Exmoor last September in secret locations owned by the National Trust and Exmoor National Park Authority, and all are said to be ‘doing well’.

The tree packs contain fruiting tree species to provide food for woodland creatures and come in packs of 30, 100, or up to 600 for large hedging projects.

A spokesperson for the project said: “Community grants are also available to support the monitoring of pine martens.

“Every record helps us understand how pine martens are doing on Exmoor, learn more about their behaviour, and keep track of where they are.

“We aim to provide rapid payment, turn-around, and appropriate support throughout the entire process and the next grant application deadlines are Thursday, October 1, Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, December 1.”

Found to be shy, curious, and playful, the pine marten is a woodland hunter, perfectly adapted to life among trees.

Once a familiar part of woodlands, pine martens became critically endangered in England and Wales and disappeared entirely from the Westcountry.

The spokesperson said: “Now that story is beginning to change.

“As predators of small mammals, pine martens play an important role in maintaining balance in nature and supporting healthy woodland habitats.

“Following two successful translocations, they are once again living wild on Exmoor for the first time in more than 150 years.”

More information can be found by emailing [email protected].