TV naturalist Iolo Williams has welcomed the success of the campaign by the Woodland Trust to acquire 550 acres of ancient woodland, pasture and heathland near Llandecwyn in the Snowdonia National Park.

The Llennyrch site lies in the middle of a biodiversity hotspot and connects to two National Nature Reserves and an existing Woodland Trust wood, Coed Felinrhyd.

It has been described as a Celtic rainforest.

The woods on both sides of the gorge at Ceunant Llennyrch have more than 200 species of mosses and liverworts that thrive in the very humid conditions created by a mountain river flowing through a spectacular wooded gorge.

The area also boasts over 200 species of lichens and is among the richest woodland lichen sites in Wales.

The site is a vital part of the Meirionnydd Oakwoods Special Area of Conservation – of European importance for its extraordinary plant life.

The Woodland Trust launched an appeal to raise £1.5m for the acquisition and management of Llennyrch at the National Eisteddfod in August­.

The aim is to protect and improve its unique wildlife by creating a some new native woodland while maintaining the farm as an attractive and functional mosaic of woodland, meadows, woodland pasture and moorland.

The trust plans to carefully open up parts of the site for the public to enjoy, allowing access from the visitor centre at Llyn Trawsfynydd.

Mr Williams said: “People are quite rightly concerned about the future of the tropical rainforests, but with over 200 days of rain every year, Llennyrch is no less a rainforest, and that rain creates special conditions which have helped make this area such a biodiversity hotspot.

“It’s a site that needs special care so I’m delighted that the Woodland Trust has managed to acquire it.”

As part of its plans to protect and enhance the wildlife interest of Llennyrch, the Woodland Trust intends to work with the current farmer to demonstrate the many benefits of trees on farms, showing that productive farming and woodland conservation can go hand in hand.

Arwel Evans, who has been farming the site for some time, said: “I’m pleased Coed Cadw is investing in this land, restoring boundaries. We are now working together to maintain productive and conservation friendly grazing”.

Woodland Trust chief executive Beccy Speight added: “This is brilliant news at the start of a new year.

“Llennyrch really is a magical place, a beautiful rocky gorge surrounded by primeval ancient woodland, pasture and heathland, with lichen that are found nowhere else in the UK.

“Our campaign to acquire Llennyrch has already benefited from a very generous legacy.

“I’m hugely grateful everyone who has supported the appeal.

“And I’d like to say a particular thank you to Natural Resources Wales for providing £50,000 towards the acquisition.

“We’ve now raised sufficient funds we to give us the confidence to purchase the land, but we still have a job on our hands to raise the remaining £331,000 needed to meet the full costs of the project.”

Dr Emyr Roberts, chief executive of NRW said: “Coed Llennyrch is one of Wales’s best, wildlife-rich woodland sites.

“The purchase of the woods is a good example of how we can protect some of our most precious sites and at the same time support local agriculture.

“This is an important step in bringing the whole woodland area under conservation management.

“It could also play a part in promoting green tourism in Snowdonia.”