Growing a wilder future: Meet the latest rewilding projects awarded a funding boost

In the Orkney Isles, the Growing Sanday – Land & Sea project is taking a community-led approach to tackling the urgent threat of coastal erosion. Much of the island of Sanday lies just a few metres above sea level, with dune losses of up to 37 metres already recorded in some areas.

Rather than relying on short-term fixes, the project is restoring natural coastal systems to provide long-term protection. By revitalising kelp forests, saltmarshes and dune habitats, it aims to create a self-sustaining defence for the island’s 500 residents. In doing so, it offers a powerful example of how communities can work with nature to adapt to a changing climate.

The Tarras Valley Nature Reserve stands as one of Britain’s most inspiring examples of community-led restoration. As the largest community buy-out in the South of Scotland, it represents an ambitious vision for ecological recovery – from restoring native woodlands and rewetting peatlands to re-naturalising rivers and introducing regenerative grazing.

Funding will support this vision, strengthening the project’s scientific capacity through the addition of an ecologist. This investment will deepen understanding of the landscape while enhancing opportunities for local involvement.

The Menai-Connecting Coasts project, led by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Bangor University, aims to create a plan for seascape-scale habitat recovery and partnership working across the Menai Strait and Conwy Bay in Wales. Central to this work is exploring opportunities for the recovery of native oyster reefs, which when restored can provide ecosystem service benefits, such as improved water quality and clarity, providing a habitat to support marine biodiversity and knock on benefits for local communities and industry. 

As part of this initiative, the project will undertake a feasibility study to assess the potential for native oyster recovery in North Wales, aiming to help identify suitable recovery sites and contributing to broader, ecosystem-scale marine recovery efforts in the region.

Lincolnshire is one of England’s largest and most intensively farmed counties, with some of the lowest levels of biodiversity and limited access to nature. While interest in rewilding is growing, many farmers, schools and community groups remain unsure how to begin, often feeling isolated in their efforts.

Lincolnshire Rewilding Network seeks to change that. By bringing together individuals and organisations, the initiative creates a supportive space to share knowledge, build skills, and grow confidence. Through collaboration and practical learning, it aims to embed rewilding into the county’s future land use, empowering more people to play an active role in nature recovery.

In the Cairngorms National Park, the Dalnacardoch Estate has experienced significant ecological degradation after centuries of intensive land use. A new chapter began in 2023 with a 100-year lease agreement, establishing an ambitious plan to restore peatlands, woodlands, freshwater systems, and fragile upland habitats.

Central to this vision is the understanding that successful rewilding must also deliver for people. Funding will support the creation of a Community Benefit Plan, ensuring that restoration efforts generate social, cultural and economic value. By prioritising community involvement, the project aims to become a leading example of how conservation and local needs can work hand-in-hand.

West Dorset Wilding are expanding their vision for landscape-scale restoration by focusing their efforts on the Char River and Monkton Wyld Stream catchments, where challenges such as poor water quality and nutrient pollution continue to affect ecosystems.

Rather than viewing these as barriers, the project treats them as opportunities for transformation. By restoring natural systems, it aims to enhance biodiversity, reduce flood risk and capture carbon. Working across a wider landscape and involving a range of stakeholders, the initiative is laying the groundwork for long-term environmental recovery alongside sustainable land management.