Crowdfunder launched to rewild 1,000 acres in Wales
Stephen Price
An environmental group supported by Iolo Williams has launched a crowdfunder to rewild 1,000 in acres in Wales – a campaign they call ‘Wales’ largest ecosystem restoration project.
Tir Natur has identified a ‘huge opportunity’ to establish the largest rewilding site in Wales, and the charity is calling on members of the public to donate to their early crowdfunder, launched on 25 November.
Funds raised will contribute towards the deposit and associated costs, due in Spring 2025. The location of the land will be revealed after this point.
Besides rewilding with native broadleef trees and other native fauna, they hope to introduce ancient breeds of grazing animals to the land to roam and shape the landscape, allowing wildlife to flourish alongside thriving communities, while informing and inspiring further nature-led restoration.
More than anything, they say, “it would offer hope for nature – gobaith i natur”.
Natural grazing
Tir Nature hope that the land will showcase ‘natural grazing’, with ancient, cultural breeds of cattle, ponies and pigs allowed to roam free, as their wild ancestors (the Auroch, Tarpan and Wild Boar) once did. These ‘ecosystem architects’ will drive the recovery of a diverse and dynamic landscape that sees wildlife and people flourishing alongside each other.
Crucially, nature will lead the way in a model of nature recovery that they say can be scaled up, and that confronts the scale of the nature and climate emergencies.
It also lays a platform for animal husbandry and food production, demonstrating the natural overlaps between rewilding and more traditional farm systems. ‘Wild range’ meat will serve local communities and contribute to the local economy.
With its vast provision of public goods, Tir Natur expects this approach to score highly with the new Sustainable Farming Scheme, due to be implemented from 2026. They hope to inspire conservationists and farmers alike to adopt the same principles of nature-led restoration.
Concern
Tir Natur was established in 2022 by a group of Welsh individuals deeply concerned about the state of nature in Wales, with the strong belief that a new way forward is possible.
They came together with a shared understanding of the scale of the problem that faces us and a determination to act.
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Tir Natur is the only charity in Wales solely focused on rewilding and is the country’s leading voice for the movement.
Their mission is to rewild and regenerate Welsh landscapes, “providing hope and momentum for wildlife to flourish alongside thriving local communities” at a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss and the impact of climate change exacerbated by our misuse of the environment, as seen with the devastating floods in Wales this month.
Showcasing the key role that grazers play in regenerating our landscapes, and therefore the important part that farming has to play, is an important part of their work, as is advocating for nature recovery and climate mitigation in Welsh policy.
Solutions
According to the group, Wales is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.
They say that, despite ambitious governmental targets, the response is still far from what is needed to deal with the scale and pace of nature’s decline with one in six species now at risk of extinction from Wales.
They write: “On top of loss of habitat, unpredictable and severe weather events caused by the climate crisis pose an additional threat to our wildlife, while making life harder for our agricultural communities, who play a vital role in sustaining Welsh language, culture and heritage, and whose livelihoods are already being affected by rising input costs and marketplace volatility.
“Rewilding methods offers solutions to both these challenges.”
The flagship site’s potential for large-scale rewilding is unmatched, according to Tir Natur.
It has many natural features including, rivers, peat bogs and scarce ancient trees (many of which are in poor condition).
The land will bridge existing isolated nature reserves providing wildlife corridors fundamental to restoring and preserving biodiversity.
“Nature needs this”
According to the group, rewilding could also improve the health of multiple rivers which run through the land, while mitigating the flooding increasingly suffered by downstream communities and land owners.
TV Presenter and Naturalist, Iolo Williams shared: “As ambassador for Tir Natur, I am hugely excited by their efforts to purchase land and showcase the benefits of rewilding, not only to wildlife and the physical environment, but to farming, Welsh communities and culture.
“Nature needs this.”
Find out more about the Crowdfunder and its aims here.
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Where is this plot of ‘rewilding land’?
Why ask for cash when it’s location is secret?
Yet another fantasist project. The place is already rich with wildlife but this group wants to intervene because they know “best”.
Wales and the UK are one the most nature depleted nations in the world.
https://stateofnature.org.uk/
Actually the type of beast they wish to put there will destroy the current eco system and when that happens they will ‘roam’ looking for food, or are they going to fence it off!!!
Lots of questions to be answered here…but don’t hold your breath for them from these people, they follow the path of Blackrock who feed the corporate greed!
Beware of people bring gifts!
It is explained on the crowd funder site in the link.
Because last time the Rewilding Britain crowd tried to buy Welsh land, it backfired dramatically. This time they’re trying to get it over the line before anyone finds out, so the community can’t raise objections like they did around Pumlumon.
“We cannot reveal the location of the land we are looking to purchase until after an Exchange of Contracts takes place. With the help of generous supporters we hope this will happen in Spring 2025 and very much look forward to updating you then.” – from the crowdfunder
Knepp is well worth a look in for inspiration. Good luck to them.
All well and good but the world is facing huge problems as far as food security is concerned.Even feeding the world adequetly is a challenge.Far better to look at sustainable farming as a way forward.As far as I can see rewilding produces nothing along the lines of food production.It’s fantasy.pure fantasy.
You missed out the other dangerous animals they can introduce, crocodiles, sharks with lasers, mammoths etc.
We are told to look after farmers and shooting estates, the latter burn a lot of land and import millions of birds and kill raptors every year for one use, the former has led to a massive hit in the UK wildlife and spray pesticides for profits but someone want a small parcel of land to try to make it better, boooooo.
https://www.kneppwildrangemeat.co.uk/
You miss my point totally.I’m talking about food production,you on the other hand are obsessed with your own agenda against farmers and shooting estates.One thousand acres is not a small parcel of land by the way.
As for sharks and crocs, just remember that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
Knepp doesn’t even produce enough food to feed it’s own visitors, off 1000 acres!
It’s not meant to, why are you looking at it from a production standpoint?? That’s not the point at all it’s about a safe haven for the natural state of our land. Without nature there’s 0 production. It’s not about Knepps production, it’s about everyone else’s who benefits from the increased pollinators, better water quality, topsoil, air quality, and just beauty and sense of place.
Knepp is not an appropriate analogue for nature recovery in upland Wales. Be assured, the ‘Knepp circles have been very heavily involved in the establishment and progress of Tir Natur from the beginning
Nid yw Cymru ar Werth
Maen nhw’n pobl o Gymru sy’n prynu tir yng Nghymru i Gymru.
Desperately needed, good job!
I don’t agree with rewilding. We need farm land.
Most of Wales is already farmland. Yet we produce very little of our own food. You’re suggesting ripping off ones nose to spite ones face. Wales has no wilderness left. Without what nature we have left, there is no farming, there’s no clean water, there’s no clean air, there’s no pollinators or composters, no topsoil, no treecover, no soil fertility, no beauty. Do you want a lush Wales or a desert?
What a depressing bunch of coments! If you think we (including farmers) can do without nature and a healthy biodiversity then I weep for your children
Farming IS nature.
Not when it’s done like we’ve been doing it for half a century. That’s called ecocide. Done properly, in harmony with nature, farming is synonymous with it. But not this way: a monoculture of sheep, industrial grazing, chemicals and slurry spills. Nature? I think not.
Let’s all get behind Tir Natur. Farming more than any sector needs this: a buoyant ecosystem and biodiversity to drive pollination and healthy soils for our grandchildren. Not to mention flood prevention. If things continue as they are, without an attempt to reinvigorate air and soil, we have dangerously limited food production potential. Added to which, wouldn’t it be inspiring to share our beautiful country with a greater diversity of critters! If we’re honest, there’s very little out there these days, other than sheep.