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Inside the ‘moonshot’ plan to rewild an area larger than London

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London, UK
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As The National Trust marks its 130-year anniversary, it has announced a decade-long plan to rewild an area bigger than the size of Greater London.Β 

The UK’s National Trust is the biggest conservation charity in Europe, with 5.37 million members, 10,000 staff, and thousands of volunteers.

As it enters 130 years in operation, it has the tremendous responsibility for protecting over 250,000 hectares of farmland, 780 miles of coastland, and more than 500 historic properties, nature reserves, and gardens.

The goal of the National Trust is to preserve the UK’s natural landscapes and historical buildings so that future generations are able to experience, enjoy, and learn from them as we have.

To mark its 130th anniversary, the charity has announced a β€˜moonshot’ plan to protect an additional 250,00 hectares of land – an area equal to 617,500 acres and near 1.5x the size of Greater London.

A portion of this nature-rich landscape is already owned by the trust. As for the rest, the National Trust plans to create new areas of protection across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland through rewilding initiatives.

To put the tremendous undertaking of the project into further perspective, its completion will mean the trust has rewilded than 10x the landscape than it has over the last decade.

Along with this major rewilding project, the charity has revealed plans for its partnership with the mental health charity Mind.

By combining their forces, the National Trusts aims to help address unequal access to nature and to support mental health services.

Finally, the National Trust has revealed it is launching a brand new ambassador plan. Amongst its list of nature ambassadors are the historian, broadcaster, and film-maker David Olusog and the author and broadcaster Mary Beard.

Hilary McGrady, the charity’s director general, said a ‘monumental effort’ will be needed to complete the project.

‘For 130 years, the National Trust has responded to the crises and challenges of the time. Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale.’

McGrady continued, ‘We will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries.’

While this sounds like an amazing plan at face value, not everyone is pleased about its details.

In the announcement, the trust says it will achieve its goal by buying up land and working in partnership with other landowners.

Some fear that the project may forced tenanted farmers to give up their businesses if they can’t meet the trust’s nature protection standards. This could place immense financial pressure on farmers, while reducing the availability of local produce for communities.

Some reports suggest this has already occurred in recent years, as the trust has bought land to free up for rewilding initiatives.

The National Trust’s decade-long project is well-intentioned, albeit ambitious. To complete it, the charity will need to balance completely protecting nature with ensuring it is respected when used for agricultural purposes.

Let’s hope its dedicated teams are able to work together with farmers to find a well-balanced agreement.

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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