A 90-year-old veteran campaigner is set to embark on a daunting 104-mile journey down the River Thames on a water-bike. Robin Hanbury-Tenison's extraordinary endeavour from Oxford to Richmond aims to raise £100,000 for a pioneering research station dedicated to Britain's temperate rainforests. With a packed schedule of navigating 31 locks, potential east winds, and a heatwave, he remains resolute: "I'm 90 for goodness sake. Of course things begin to hurt but one pedals through the pain threshold."
Hanbury-Tenison, founder of Survival International, has spent decades advocating for tropical rainforests worldwide. However, his focus has shifted closer to home after discovering a significant temperate rainforest on his Cornish hill farm. He highlights the alarming decline: "Temperate rainforest that used to cover a fifth of Britain is now down to less than 1%". The proposed research station on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, will be Europe's first dedicated facility for studying temperate rainforests – a critical step given the lack of such centres elsewhere.
The journey from Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, to Teddington Lock in Richmond is expected to conclude on International Rainforest Day on Monday. His son, Merlin, will provide support, riding alongside him. Despite physical ailments, including a bad knee and issues with balance and upper body strength, Hanbury-Tenison has been training on an exercise bike, preparing for the multi-day challenge.
The £100,000 target will contribute to the Thousand Year Trust's efforts to complete the research station. The initial phase, utilising locally sourced timber, is already underway, but several hundred thousand pounds more are needed. The project has garnered support from over 20 university research partnerships, including Exeter and Plymouth universities, and is described by the Trust as "a once-in-a-generation effort to save Britain's rainforest".
A significant boost to the fundraising campaign comes from actor Russell Crowe, who has pledged to match the first £25,000 raised, potentially doubling initial donations to £50,000. Hanbury-Tenison expressed pride in his past work for tropical rainforests and now feels a renewed sense of urgency for the temperate rainforests: "At my age, if I'm going to do something about it, I'd better get on with it."