Rewilding network expands across Scotland

A rewilding project in Scotland has expanded its work to 50 sites in just 18 months, stretching from the Highlands and Aberdeenshire to the Scottish Borders, and the initiative now boasts more than 13,000 acres of farm, community woodlands and private estates.

Landowners and land managers partnered with the project make commitments to expand or enrich native woodlands, restore wetlands or create wildlife corridors.

James Nairne, the project leader at Northwoods, said:

“Rewilding is ultimately about restoring dynamic natural processes and Northwoods was established to help remove the barriers to taking action.

“We support our land partners with ecological knowledge, practical advice and funding opportunities.”

“The thread that runs through the Northwoods Rewilding Network is a determination to be part of the solution to climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.”

Fiona Torrance PIEMA, chair of IEMA’s Scotland East regional steering group and Scottish Grey Partridge Recovery Project Research Assistant at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, said:

“I believe initiatives such as the Northwood Rewilding Network which involve various stakeholders are particularly valuable, as they allow for joined up approaches and bottom-up thinking.”

Fiona went on to discuss her own work, and said:

“In my work with the PARTRIDGE project, we aim to show how the decline of farmland biodiversity can be reversed, and it is good to see that farmers are involved in the network as we seek to get the balance right between productive farming and biodiversity stewardship.

“Key to this project will be the connectivity of the various sites, with landscape-scale conservation proven to be more beneficial for wildlife.”

You can find full information about the Northwoods Rewilding Network project here.