The Wildlife Trusts are about to take on one of the biggest and most expensive rewilding projects in British history. Hitting a massive £30 million goal, the Trusts have now purchased the massive Rothbury Estate.
The site, which encompasses 9500 acres, will become the UK’s latest nature recovery site, with a vision of a landscape where nature and people can operate side-by-side.
The purchase of the site wasn’t easy by any means and required investment from a number of places. It was backed by Sir David Attenborough, the Department for Environment and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
On top of that, more than 25,000 people donated towards the massive £30 million target.
“The Wildlife Trusts called for your support and you answered in your thousands. The appeal to secure the future of The Rothbury Estate in Northumberland has been successful and now the opportunity to bring the vision of a landscape where nature and people thrive side by side can become a reality,” said David Attenborough.
“This will be a place where nature, community, farming and heritage can combine to create something very special for generations to come.”
The site was marked by the UK government at COP17 as an important site for the country’s 30by30 goal. This is a global target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. The UK is currently nowhere near that goal, making the sale of this land even more important.
While most of the investment came from the UK, donations have come from over 50 countries worldwide, including Finland, Barbados, Kenya and New Zealand. In total, over £17 million in donations came from members of the public.
Together, we have secured the future of The Rothbury Estate. Thanks to the support of tens of thousands of people, funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and several major donors, we now have an incredible opportunity to restore nature at scale,” said Craigh Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts.
“Working alongside local communities, farmers and fellow land managers who know and care for this landscape so deeply, we can help this special place continue to thrive for generations to come. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to sharing the next exciting chapter of The Rothbury Estate's story as it evolves.”
The Wildlife Trust is already working on a range of projects, including surveys, research and community groups. There are plans for both citizen-science initiatives as well as volunteering schemes in the future. The goal is for this land to be for rewilding, habitats, farming and more.
