Rewilding together: connecting a vibrant community of practitioners

The Rewilding Network is a growing community of people who are rewilding land and sea, and membership ranges from farmers looking to diversify to conservation professionals to community groups. We connect over 250 large-scale projects and hundreds of smaller rewilding projects, meaning they can navigate the complexities of the rewilding journey with support. 

While we have a thriving online forum and regular specialist webinars to help facilitate knowledge exchange between members, something really special happens when you bring a group of rewilders together in a room (or a field!)…

This year was our fourth Gathering, with 60 practitioners travelling to Cumbria for the event. With clear blue skies and sunshine galore, we visited RSPB Haweswater, near Penrith, to hear about the challenges and opportunities of working within not only an upland setting, but a ​‘cultural landscape’ and a national park. 

We got to see the impact of rewilding efforts so far, in an area that ranges from temperate rainforest habitats to areas of river restoration – where salmon are spawning again, otters come hunting up the river and the water meadows sport a profusion of wild flowers. It was clear that the changes they’ve made in grazing from sheep to cattle and ponies are already starting to create a rougher mosaic of habitats that’s attracting a diversity of species. Indeed many of us in the group heard our first cuckoo of the year during the visit. 

We also headed up to Castletown Estate to see their brand new bison and beaver enclosure, introduced to improve woodland structure and diversity, as well as help restore wetlands to the area. The bison have come from the herd at Kent’s Wilder Blean project, and it’ll be fascinating to see the impact this combination of species has on the area. 

Sharing knowledge and experiences are a big part of every Gathering, and a number of members from Cumbria and beyond gave others an insight into their projects through presentations and discussions. These ranged from coastal restoration at the Solway Coast and Marine Project to how the Landscape Recovery Scheme is unfolding at Lowther Estate to an update on one of the largest nature recovery programmes in the UK, Cumbria Connect. 

We recognise that rewilding can be challenging and can often feel isolating for practitioners. So the Gathering isn’t just about knowledge exchange, but is to help rewilders to share the pain as well as the wins, and to feel part of a vibrant and passionate community. We also had a bit of fun, letting our hair down for an evening ceilidh.

The feedback that has come from those who were there tells us that it’s working. One member told us ​“I’ve been feeling burnt out lately, but have come away feeling more rejuvenated and inspired.” Another said ​“It enabled some really useful conversations and information sharing and learning, as well as cheering me up just to be with such a positive and progressive group of lovely rewilders.”

It’s clear that inviting people to come together face to face to see just what is possible goes such a long way in helping galvanise members in their mission. One attendee said of the trip to the bison and beaver enclosure ​“Seeing it makes you believe it!”

And the same goes for me. I’ve left the Gathering feeling connected to those on the ground working so hard to rewild our landscapes and seascapes, and inspired by the amazing work that they do. We still have a long way to go before we see rewilding at the scale which is so desperately needed here in Britain to reverse nature decline, but connecting with each other is essential if we’re to grow this movement. We can achieve so much more when we work together!