Rewilding in Britain is gaining momentum – white storks have returned and are breeding in Sussex, pine martens are breeding in England and Wales, white tailed eagles have been reintroduced to Scotland and England and rewilding is being debated in parliament. These are all massive achievements. But our nature in the UK is still faring worse than in most other countries. In this blog, Sara King, from Rewilding Britain, gives a sneak preview of a new network being launched this Autumn to connect up and support rewilding initiatives across the country.
Rewilding Britain are excited to launch a new rewilding network this Autumn! It will become a central hub of information and practical guidance on how to rewild, both big and small scale, as well supporting projects already on their rewilding journey. This pioneering and collaborative network will be the first of its kind in the UK and will provide the practical tools and connections needed to upscale rewilding across Britain.
New rewilding tools and resources
An integral part of the network will be a new interactive map of local groups, allowing rewilders a ‘central meeting point’ to connect with others. There will be two types of local groups in our network: landowner groups who are looking to connect their projects with others in the area to create larger rewilding clusters; and community action groups.
Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems where nature can take care of itself. It seeks to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species – allowing them to shape the landscape and the habitats within. It is also about people, communities and livelihoods. Our network will be accessible to all.
Alastair Driver’s field visit to Haweswater in May 2019. We hope our new network will encourage land managers and landowners to connect with each other and to develop networks of rewilding that couldn’t be achieved individually.
The hub of local rewilding groups will encourage communities to work together to enhance their local green spaces, get involved with local rewilding projects, share local knowledge, and lobby to relevant stakeholders such as Local Authorities. It will allow those interested in getting involved with rewilding the ability to easily connect with a local community group.
The network will also encourage land managers and landowners to connect with each other and to develop networks of rewilding that couldn’t be achieved individually. It will be a powerful tool to help connect smaller landowners and land managers where opportunities to reinstate natural processes and rewild are limited, to develop clusters of land linked with a common mission.
How to get involved
The Rewilding Network will be launched this Autumn. We are currently open to applications for local groups looking to be included on the network. Whether you are an established landowner community, community interest group, or you are looking to set up your own group, please get in touch with us at: network@rewildingbritain.org.uk . Following a short application process, we will put your group on the map to start connecting with others!
Not ready to go public yet with your local group ambitions? Please still get in touch to discuss how we can assist you with making local connections.
More details on the network can be found on the Rewilding Britain website.