The Living Rainforest

The History of The Living Rainforest

The Living Rainforest has evolved over many years. Originally home to one of Europe’s leading orchid nurseries, in the early 90’s the shoe magnate Keith Bromley led its conversion into Wyld Court Rainforest visitor centre.

In 2000, after a short time under the World Land Trust, the centre was taken over by Karl Hansen who re-established it as The Living Rainforest centre, featuring ecosystem and sustainability exhibits – and part of a global educational charity working with schools around the world, the Trust for Sustainable Living.

Find out more below on how it became the beautifully green rainforest it is today.

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It all began in 1993

For many decades, our glasshouses were home to one of Europe’s leading orchid nurseries, Wyld Court Orchids. In 1993, after a conversion led by Keith Bromley, the site reopened as Wyld Court Rainforest.

pond

1996

In 1996, the centre was donated to the World Land Trust but later faced financial challenges.

Karl Hansen

2000

In 2000, Karl Hansen re-established the venture as an educational charity.

Turaco 2001

2001

The Living Rainforest evolved into a vibrant ecosystem, with some animals including birds allowed to roam free amongst the plants, creating a more authentic experience for visitors.

School Tour

2002

As part of our school visits programme, we launched the Sustainable Future tour. Today, our award-winning team offer four different tours and welcome up to 25,000 children annually.

Human Impact

2005 - 2006

The Human Impact building (HIB) was constructed, with generous financial support from the Millennium Commission, Greenham Trust and others.

Student Competition

2012

The Trust for Sustainable Living, our parent charity, launched the International Student Competition at the UN Rio+20 Summit in Brazil. Entries have been received from over 120 countries to date.

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2016

Small Islands glasshouse opened, helping to drive climate awareness.

Screenshot of TSL Student Competition

2016-2020

The TSL International Student Debates were held in the Seychelles, British Columbia, UAE and Oxford, attracting over 200 participants a year. In 2020, the Debates went online and attracted over 1 million video views.

Prize Winners

2023

The 30th anniversary celebrations of The Living Rainforest included a reception at the Houses of Parliament and a special programme of visits to Reading and Oxford universities, attended by recent TSL Grand Prize winners.

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Present

Today, The Living Rainforest continues to give people the opportunity to experience and engage with nature, fostering a stronger bond with the natural world.

We remain dedicated to equipping schools with the knowledge needed to build a more sustainable future, empowering the next generation to take meaningful action.

We take great pride in upholding high standards of animal welfare at The Living Rainforest. As BIAZA members, we provide environments where animals can live as naturally as possible, and participate in conservation and breeding programmes for endangered species. Through these efforts, we aim to assist in the recovery of threatened species, while also educating people about the challenges they face.

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Rebuilding the Rainforest

We plan to rebuild The Living Rainforest into a zero-carbon centre fit for the 21st century. We hope to achieve this in the next five years, during the UN Decade of Action for accelerating solutions.