Record year for pine marten sightings at Wentwood Forest, Wales

Wentwood Forest has experienced its best year on record for pine marten sightings, with 15 confirmed records received by Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) during 2026. 

The total is the highest recorded at the site since the Trust began surveying pine martens in Britain more than 40 years ago.

Prior to 2026, pine martens were recorded only twice previously at Wentwood Forest – two records in 2021, followed by two further records in 2022. With 15 confirmed records already this year, 2026 represents a significant increase in sightings of this rare and elusive mammal at Wentwood.

The records come a year after the launch of the Martens on the Move Pine Marten Haven at Wentwood Forest in partnership with Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales. The project has been made possible thanks to a grant of over £1 million from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It also marks 20 years since Coed Cadw acquired parts of Wentwood Forest and began a long-term programme to restore this nationally important woodland landscape.

The records, gathered through monitoring by VWT and Coed Cadw local volunteers, provide encouraging evidence that pine martens are using the woodland and highlight the benefits of long-term habitat restoration projects, partnership working and the contribution of volunteers to conservation.

Over the summer, volunteers working with VWT helped install three den boxes and trail cameras across the woodland. Within weeks, a pine marten was recorded investigating one of the newly installed den boxes. Additional trail camera footage captured visits to monitoring feeder boxes, contributing to a total of 15 confirmed pine marten records this year.

Lucy Nord, Project Officer for Martens on the Move at the Vincent Wildlife Trust, said:

"Pine martens are notoriously difficult to see, so every confirmed record helps us build a better understanding of how they are using the woodland.

While these exciting records confirm pine martens are using the woodland, further monitoring will be needed to understand the extent of their presence in the area.

Pine martens are an indicator species, which means that their presence reflects the health of the forest ecosystem. The hope is that soon there will be evidence of pine martens settling in the forest and establishing a breeding population.”

Rob Davies, Site Manager for The Woodland Trust, said:

"As we celebrate 20 years of caring for and restoring Wentwood, it is particularly encouraging to see species such as pine martens being recorded within the forest.

"These records are a reminder that habitat restoration is a long-term investment in nature. By restoring the woodland and working alongside partners, volunteers and local communities, we are helping create a richer and more resilient landscape for wildlife."

The Wentwood records form part of the wider story of pine marten recovery in Wales. Once widespread across Britain, pine martens experienced severe declines due to habitat loss and persecution, surviving only in small numbers in parts of Wales and Scotland.

Today, the species is making a comeback. Between 2015 and 2017, Vincent Wildlife Trust translocated 51 pine martens from Scotland to suitable woodland habitat in Wales. The project has proved highly successful, with breeding recorded every year since the releases and populations continuing to expand into new areas. VWT also managed the translocation of a further 35 pine martens from northern Scotland to the Forest of Dean in partnership with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England between 2019 and 2021.

Dr Jenny MacPherson, Principal Scientist at Vincent Wildlife Trust and former Pine Marten Recovery Project Manager, said:

“We now think there are pine martens present right across Wales. Pine martens need large, healthy, diverse woodland. They need structurally diverse woodland with good ground cover, lots of fruiting shrubs and trees and opportunities to den in above-ground tree cavities. In some of the woodland sites, where those cavities aren’t available, the Martens on the Move project has been putting up artificial den boxes, which pine martens will readily use and which also makes a good monitoring tool.”

Volunteers continue to play a vital role in that work. At Wentwood, they help maintain den and feeder boxes, review trail camera footage and collect information that contributes to the National Pine Marten Monitoring Programme and the Marten Map, which tracks the species' distribution across Britain.

Sam Tillett, Martens on The Move Volunteer at Vincent Wildlife Trust, said: 

“It has been extremely rewarding to be able to provide so many records of pine marten to the VWT and Woodland Trust. Growing up locally it has been nice to check my feed station camera and share with family and friends about pine marten ecology and behaviour. 

A very enjoyable moment was seeing a pine marten in-person with my partner Maddi, this sighting it’s extremely rare and felt like a reward for all the time and dedication spent surveying them this year.”

Visitors can learn more about pine martens at the Wentwood Pine Marten Haven near Newport, which features a wildlife viewing hide, interpretation boards, a nature trail and life-sized pine marten silhouettes hidden throughout the woodland.

Anyone who spots a pine marten, captures photographs or video footage, or finds potential evidence of their presence can submit records to the National Pine Marten Monitoring Programme.