Months after Storm Goretti, the entrance to woods near Camborne, Cornwall, remains filled with fallen Scots pines and oak trees. Just over a mile away, a gorse break on the coastline is still scarred from a late-summer wildfire.
The area's streambed nearly ran dry a few months ago, highlighting the impact of this year's weather. The damage seen in Cornwall is attributed to the climate crisis.
However, initiatives elsewhere in the UK suggest ways to mitigate such impacts. The Dartmoor Headwaters Project in Devon has shown that native woodland increases water infiltration and restoring peatland improves water storage, helping to slow runoff during heavy rainfall. Near Truro, beavers have aided water storage and absorption into floodplains.
Further north, in Tywi Forest, rewetted peatlands have demonstrated resilience to fires, partly due to sphagnum moss. Preserving and planting hazel and sweet chestnut canopies can also help cool the air during high heat.
While future intense winter storms and wildfires are anticipated, these natural approaches could influence how the land copes with extreme weather.