Rewilding Success Stories

As ecosystems are depleted and species (both animal and plant) continue to disappear at an alarming rate, rewilding has emerged as a possible way forward, although it is not without its controversies. As a practice, it is still kind of in its infancy, but there are already a number of successes to point to, both nationally and internationally.

Definitions of rewilding can differ, from the purist 'leave nature completely to its own devices' stance to less radical approaches that involve a certain amount of management or a 'helping hand' from humans (e.g. removal of invasive species or careful reintroduction of native wildlife).

Truth be told, most if not all of the success stories we can think of are along the lines of the latter. However, one of the valuable lessons of rewilding approaches is that once a self-balancing ecosystem has started to establish itself, it will need less and less intervention. 

Eoghan Daltun and the 'Irish Rainforest'
In 2009, sculptor-turned-conservationist Eoghan Daltun purchased 73 acres of abandoned farmland on the Beara Peninsula in Co. Cork. Much of this land had the beginnings of a rich woodland environment, but it had been severely degraded by overgrazing from sheep or feral goats.

Daltun's approach was simple but transformative: he fenced off large areas to prevent further grazing and allowed nature to take the lead instead. Invasive species like rhododendron were carefully managed to give native plants the space they needed.

• Wildflowers such as dog violet, bluebell and primrose emerged or multiplied almost immediately.
• Native species such as holly, hazel, oak, and rowan began to regenerate naturally, creating the beginnings of a true, species-rich Atlantic temperate rainforest: a rare and precious ecosystem in Europe.
• Over the years, Beara has become a dense, thriving woodland, home to songbirds, insects, ferns, and fungi that had long been suppressed.
• The farm is also home to protected species such as the Lesser Horseshoe Bat, pine martens and the Kerry slug.

Daltun is an inspiring figure with some galvanising ideas; he has argued that allowing farmers to play a key, voluntary role in nature restoration could possibly revitalise rural communities. He recent book, An Irish Atlantic Rainforest, captures both the ecological journey and the personal transformation he underwent with his Beara project, and is well worth checking out.

Knepp Estate
Knepp Wildland - based in West Sussex, England - is something of a poster child for large scale rewilding, with 3,500 acres of intensively worked farmland transitioning into a continually evolving mosaic of scrubland, wood pasture, grassland and woodland.

Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree - labelled the 'king and queen of rewilding' by the Guardian - embarked on this project at the turn of the millennium, and over time the lands of the estate became a thriving ecosystem and a sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife. While Knepp is a private estate, thousands of annual visitors avail of wildlife safaris, workshops, glamping or educational events. 

• Knepp is a breeding hotspot for nightingales and turtle doves. Both species have seen a decline of over 90% in 50 years. Thickets, scrub and overgrown hedges provide ideal habitat.
• Grazing animals such as Tamworth pigs, longhorn cattle and fallow deer have been introduced and encouraged to roam the lands. Without these grazing herbivores, much of Knepp's environs would likely revert to close canopy woodland: an unfavourable habitat for most wildlife. This 'grazing ecology' approach is heavily influenced by the ecologist Dr Frans Vera.
• Knepp Estate has the UK's largest population of the threatened Purple Emperor Butterfly, a species that has been in worrying decline. 388 individuals were counted in a one day survey in 2018.
• Knepp played a central role in the White Stork Project, which aimed to reintroduce a wild, breeding population of white storks to southern England. In 2020, a pair of white storks nested and successfully hatched three chicks at Knepp; a key breakthrough. Just last year, 53 stork chicks were hatched from 27 nests - many of which were made in old oak trees.
• Populations of birds of prey - including buzzards, red kites and sparrowhawks - have increased, no doubt helped along by a healthy population of earthworms and small mammals as well as favourable habitats. A pair of peregrine falcons were found to be nesting in a Scots pine; tree-breeding pairs are a true rarity in the UK. 

From the above, one of the key takeaways is the importance of balance in rewilding projects: too many herbivores, for example, and the land will become overgrazed; too few and the land can become overrun with dense scrub, or open habitat becomes closed off. 

Isabella Tree's book Wilding - the Return of Nature to a British Farm has become an influential text, with both it and the sanctuary itself provding an inspiring example for other budding rewilding projects - both large and small - to follow. 

Dunsany Nature Reserve
Spanning around 1,600 acres, Dunsany estate has been owned by the same family for over 800 years. In 2011, Randal Plunkett, the 21st Baron of Dunsany, inherited the estate after his father passed. 

Plunkett is not perhaps not what you expect when you mentally visualise someone with a 'Lord' in front of their Christian name: he has directed short horror films, is a fan of death metal, and has two dogs called Beavis and Butthead. He embarked on his very successful rewilding project in 2014, with 750 acres (or almost half) of the private estate set aside to be 'rewilded'.

In his own words, this section of the estate was pretty much left untouched by human hands (although ragwort had to be initially removed by hand as it started to take over). Within a few years, a rich diversity of plants, wildflowers and insects was evident. Dunsany estate is now Ireland's largest privately owned nature reserve, and is recognised by the European Rewilding Network.

• There has been a 35% increase in birds on Dunsany Nature Reserve. This includes the presence of the woodpecker there for the first time in 100 years, as well as returns for the Red Kite, Snipe and a sighting of the very rare Corncrake.
• There are now 23 types of grass on the lands, compared to 3 before the project started.
• Increased diversity of vegetation has led to a considerable increase in insects and butterflies, which in turn have attracted other wildlife.
• Otters have been seen on the estate for the first time in Plunkett's lifetime, while pine martens, badgers and stouts also call Dunsany home.
• Illegal poaching on the land has been tackled and reduced.

Mar Lodge, Scotland
One of the most ambitious and large-scale rewilding projects in the UK centres on Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, which spans over 4,500 square kilometers. This region contains some of the most ecologically important habitats in Britain, including Caledonian pine forests, blanket bogs, alpine heath, rivers, and moorlands.

Mar Lodge Estate, one of the largest nature reserves in the UK, is situated in the heart of Cairngorms and has seen extensive efforts to restore the area to its former glory. This natural ecosystem had been degraded over centuries due to factors like deforestation, overgrazing or timber extraction.

A conservation plan was developed (at a time when the term 'rewilding' hadn't yet been popularly adopted) with a projected timespan of 200 years. Under the stewardship of the National Trust for Scotland, there has already been some considerable progress towards its goals.

• Perhaps most encouraging of all was the regeneration of ancient Caledonian pine forest, a European priority habitat. This was largely down to management of grazing deer (or extensive culling in other words, which was somewhat controversial at the time - reflecting the inherent tensions involved in rewilding). This self-sustaining ecosystem supports a diverse array of wildlife, including black grouse and treecreeper birds, red squirrels and pine martens.
• The hen harrier - 'the most intensely persecuted of the UK's birds of prey' - has been another Mar Lodge success story. In 2016 a pair of hen harriers bred on the estate for the first time in living memory. By 2023, 32 hen harrier chicks were hatched from 8 breeding pairs. Healthy vole populations were pointed to as an attractive food supply for hen harriers.
• Other birds of prey are notable too: the golden eagle increased from 4 breeding pairs in 2021 to 7 in 2023, while the peregrine falcon, tawny owl and white-tailed eagle have also bred successfully.
• Partial recovery of montane woodland, a habitat that has all but disappeared in Scotland. This includes the reemergence of juniper, red dwarf birch and various willow species.
• Over 5,000 species have been recorded at Mar Lodge, many of which are rare, endangered or species of concern. These include the curlew, merlin, pine martens, and the narrow headed ant.