by Rachael Forsyth | 11 Sep 26 | Commercial Landscaping, Landscape Architecture, Nature & Biodiversity, News, Sustainability
Almost two-thirds (62%) of the public want the UK Government to invest more in nature restoration as a way to address future extreme weather events, according to a new opinion poll.
The YouGov polling, commissioned for Rewilding Britain, also shows that 74% of people believe the UK Government is not preparing well for events such as flooding, droughts and heatwaves.
Meanwhile, just 15% of the public think enough is being done already when it comes to investment in nature to address future extreme weather, and only 3% want less to be done.
The findings come as Rewilding Britain urges people to sign an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling for large-scale nature recovery to be at the heart of how Britain prepares for and prevents climate shocks.
Kevin Cumming, rewilding director at Rewilding Britain, says:
“Healthy ecosystems retain water where it should be in Britain’s landscapes – helping to protect homes, communities and wildlife from wildfires, droughts, flooding, and record-breaking heat. The message from the public is clear. People want to see more investment by the government in nature restoration, to help Britain prepare for and withstand the increasing threat of extreme weather events.”
Rebecca Wrigley, Rewilding Britain’s chief executive, says:
“With high fire-risk days set to double by 2050, and flooding an increasing risk, we must move past finger-pointing. We must unite land managers, policy makers, and rural communities to protect and restore our landscapes. Rewilding can play a key role because large-scale nature restoration puts the water back into the landscape in the places where it’s meant to be.”
by Holly Chapman | 05 Nov 25 | Nature & Biodiversity, News
Rewilding Britain is calling for an increase in resources and investment opportunities for rewilding after being limited to helping only 11 projects in its most oversubscribed funding opportunity to date.
The rewilding charity has awarded over £140,000 to 11 rewilding projects through its Rewilding Innovation Fund.
A bi-annual fund that helps to foster the scale and ambition of rewilding in Britain, the charity says this year has seen the highest standard of applications.
“The appetite for rewilding is clearly outpacing the resources available; we could have funded more than £600,000 worth of projects this round alone,” says Rebecca Wrigley, chief executive of the charity.
Without the resources, the charity is limited to funding less projects. “With more resources and greater investment in rewilding, we could enable so much more valuable work,” explains Wrigley.
Funded projects include exploring reintroducing lost frogs, whilst others are exploring ways to better connect communities with nature and rewilding to improve mental health and wellbeing and help combat climate anxiety.
In addition, the fund contributes to the Discover Nature Award, which is a youth-led initiative from charity Borders Forest Trust which is designed to reconnect young adults in Scotland with nature and empower them to take action.
The charity then provides free transport to its rewilding site to help young people understand their place in the climate crisis.
by Nina Mason | 19 Apr 23 | Nature & Biodiversity, News, Topics
More than £120k has been awarded across 10 rewilding projects across Britain to boost their efforts to combat the nature and climate crises through rewilding. Several of the successful projects are based in the South West.
National charity Rewilding Britain has awarded up to £15k to 10 projects in the latest round of its Rewilding Innovation Fund. The biannual fund supports innovative approaches to rewilding land and sea.
Sara King, rewilding manager for Rewilding Britain, says: “The recent UN climate report was crystal clear: we need swift and drastic action to avert the nature and climate crises, and rewilding is a proven method by which to do that.
“All these projects – plus the 13 others we have already funded through the Innovation Fund – are actively working to restore damaged habitats, reintroduce lost species and recover fractured ecosystems. They are also delivering a myriad of other benefits offered by rewilding, such as implementing natural carbon solutions, strengthening the green economy and improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.”
The Thousand Year Trust, which protects Celtic temperate rainforest environments, will be operating in the Cabilla Valley at the heart of Bodmin Moor. Through its Thousand Year Project, the Trust is looking to triple the 100-acre temperate rainforest in the valley and return all the species missing from it, including the wildcat. The Trust is expanding from this initial site to restore rainforests across the UK.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust recently acquired 97 acres of nature-poor land on the borders of its largest nature reserve, Helman Tor, increasing the reserve to 734 acres – almost twice the size of Hyde Park. Funding from the Rewilding Innovation Fund will fund a report with detailed recommendations for rewilding.
Two marine projects are also being supported. A further six projects have received funding from £6,350 to £15k.
