Rewilding offers us a hands-off approach to nature conservation, leaving natural processes to do the heavy lifting - but is it really as simple as that? 

Nature conservation in Britain has traditionally focussed on maintaining habitats heavily influenced by human activity. Wildflower meadows, coppiced woodland, chalk grassland and heathland all rely on continued intervention to keep them rich in wildlife. Meadows are mown to maintain their diversity, scrub removed to keep grass and heathlands open, while coppicing creates a variety of woodland habitats for all sorts of wildlife.

Before people had such an impact, our landscape would have been very different. There was a complex tapestry of habitats maintained in an almost endless cycle by large herbivores like wild cattle, ponies, deer and elk - their numbers kept in check by wolves, bears and lynx. Beavers created wetlands and wild boar rooted through the earth, changing the landscape in subtle or dramatic ways.

What is rewilding?
Rewilding is a way of recreating those wildlife-rich habitats by using natural processes in place of human activity. Instead of conservation volunteers or chainsaws cutting scrub on a heathland, longhorn cattle browse and bash it, and pigs dig up the roots. 

This concept is gaining momentum - but rewilding is more than just abandoning land. In the UK it requires the reintroduction of those natural processes, like grazing, to make a significant difference for wildlife.

Rewilding can be great for wildlife
Initiatives around the world, including the reintroduction of grey wolves to Yellowstone National Park and European bison to The Netherlands, have brought dramatic benefits, with increases in both biodiversity and biomass. 

Rewilding can even reduce the impacts of climate change and help wildlife adapt, as more trees grow and habitats join up. Other environmental benefits include flood alleviation and the purification of water as it trickles through a more complex system, slowing the flow of water and filtering it.

The term ‘rewilding’ encompasses a range of activities – from reintroducing a single keystone species, to reforesting vast tracts of land by letting trees naturally regenerate.

Ecosystem engineers
Eurasian beavers are a good example of ecosystem engineers – species that significantly modify the environment to suit their needs. British Beavers were driven to extinction in the 16th century, and with it their famous dams. The reintroduction of beavers in parts of the UK, along with their dam building and digging, can create complex wetlands with pools and channels, while their grazing and coppicing changes the vegetation structure. These features support a wealth of other wildlife: breeding fish, aquatic insects, otters and water birds.

The larger American grey squirrel was introduced to England in the 1870s and has since become a major pest, damaging woodlands and spreading squirrel pox to red squirrels. Shooting, trapping and sterilisation are laborious and often ineffective methods of controlling them. Instead, reintroducing pine martens has been shown to eradicate grey squirrels from woodlands, leaving red squirrels to escape because of their smaller size.

Rewilding in practice
Larger rewilding schemes, like the famous one at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, rely on a variety of rewilding activities such as the removal of fences, the introduction of grazing and browsing herbivores (normally traditional breeds) to create complex mosaics of scrub, woodland and grassland, the restoration of more natural river forms, and the reintroduction of keystone species (beaver and European bison are an aspiration at Knepp).

New rewilding initiatives can understandably raise concerns. Beavers fell trees to make their dams and cause localised rewetting. Farmers and gamekeepers may be anxious about the reintroduction of predators like pine martens. Rewilding can also have an impact on food production, though, according to recent modelling, the least productive 20% of the UK could be rewilded without increasing our reliance on food imports. Rewilding also offers opportunities to grow high-quality pasture-fed meat and dairy that can be marketed as a premium product. 

Working with local communities is central to a successful rewilding scheme. People can continue to be employed for livestock management, tourism, and education. Any worries will be allayed as more schemes establish and their advantages become apparent.

Carving out a space
Rewilding in the busy south of England isn’t without its challenges though. Land prices are generally high and there is plenty of competition for space. Yet examples like the Knepp Estate show that rewilding can be successful and bring dramatic benefits for wildlife.

More specific rewilding projects are also possible, with beaver and red deer introductions giving nature a helping hand in the home counties. BBOWT already uses ponies and cattle to graze many of our nature reserves, helping to create wildlife-rich scrub and grassland (or heathland) mosaics.

Most of our nature reserves will continue to rely on more traditional intensive conservation management to maintain their suite of rare species, adapted to the specific habitats found on those reserves. However, we will be looking to use rewilding practices on any new land we acquire and in partnership with other landowners. Along with other initiatives such as regenerative agriculture, rewilding will help us meet our ambitious target of recovering nature across 30% of land by 2030. 

Read the second in our series on rewildling

If you own or manage a farm or estate and are considering rewilding in any form, BBOWT would love to help you deliver your aspirations. Please contact the Land Advice Service or email landadvice@bbowt.org.uk