A CELEBRATION is being held this week by the National Trust of women working across West Somerset’s coast and countryside, from rangers and apprentices to tree specialists, community officers, and volunteers.

The trust is marking International Women’s Day on Sunday (March 8) to show how women play a vital role in shaping landscapes, restoring wildlife habitats, and inspiring the next generation of conservationists.

Women make up a significant proportion of the ranger team on the trust’s Holnicote estate on Exmoor, between Minehead and Porlock, including permanent rangers, apprentices, and specialist roles.

Ranger Aislinn Mottahedin-Fardo is leading a 10-year survey of ancient and veteran trees across the 12,500-acre estate, some of which are more than 500 years old and home to rare species, including a lichen found nowhere else in the world.

Ms Mottahedin-Fardo said: “These trees give us a glimpse into our past.

“Now, they are among our most ecologically important habitats, supporting species that depend on them to survive.”

Holnicote tree nursery officer Zoe Hill is working with volunteers to rediscover historic orchards, visually identifying forgotten fruit trees and safeguarding their future.

Ms Hill said: “There is something special about knowing the seeds in my hands could become a future woodland.”

Last month, women apprentice rangers also helped to deliver the charity’s Hedgefest, near Glastonbury Tor, which was ‘a celebration of hedgerows and rural skills’ designed to engage women, young people, and LGBT communities in conservation.

National Trust general manager Simon Larkins said: “International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise the vital contribution women make across our Somerset countryside.

“Their work strengthens nature, supports communities, and helps shape resilient landscapes for the future.

“Seeing women in these roles matters, because it shows that conservation is a path open to everybody.”