Chain of rewilding ‘stepping-stones’ to tackle Scotland’s nature and climate crisis

A chain of nature-rich hotspots bringing together a diverse group of estates, farms, crofts and community-owned land is to be created across Scotland with a new rewilding network launched by charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.

Rewilding ‘stepping-stones’ to tackle Scotland’s nature and climate crisis

The Northwoods Rewilding Network will allow more of Scotland’s many smaller landholdings of 50 to 1,000 acres to play a bigger role in restoring and connecting rich habitats that are full of life to boost declining species, tackle climate breakdown, and create new opportunities for rural communities.

Northwoods will complement Scotland’s major landscape-scale rewilding sites by filling in the gaps in local areas and joining together a tapestry of smaller nature recovery sites and wildlife corridors.

The 12 initial land partners include farms, crofts, small estates and a community woodland – covering 3,500 acres between them. The project hopes to expand to at least 10,000 acres within two years.

“With Scotland’s nature in crisis, we want to harness the potential of smaller landholdings to come together. We need to scale-up nature restoration while highlighting the economic and social opportunities that rewilding brings for people,” said James Nairne, Northwoods’ Project Manager.

“Despite their beauty and drama, many of Scotland’s landscapes have been in ecological decline for a very long time, with many species extinct and others once prolific, now teetering on the edge. Northwoods will help turn this around.”

Research in 2016 estimated that only 28 countries out of 218 have lost more biodiversity than the UK, with Scotland faring only slightly better than the UK average.

Rewilding – the large-scale restoration of nature – goes beyond protecting the fragments of nature now left. It restores vibrant living systems across woodlands, peatlands, wetlands, rivers and at sea.

Land partners joining Northwoods will work to an agreed set of principles covering issues such as establishing native woodlands, restoring wetlands, and creating habitat for missing native species.