Perth and Kinross landowners are joining a chain of rewilding projects to tackle the nature and climate emergencies as well as create new economic opportunities for rural communities.
The Northwoods Rewilding Network is bringing together a diverse group of farms, estates, crofts and community lands, and has more than doubled in size to 28 land partners since its April launch.
The sites now cover more than 7000 acres between them, and Northwoods aims to grow to at least 10,000 acres within two years.
At Wester Tullochcurran in Perth and Kinross, the owners are replacing conifer plantations and allowing broadleaf woodlands to develop, especially along the banks of the River Ardle, where the trees will provide food and shelter for salmon and trout.
Bamff Wildland and Ecotourism in east Perthshire is well known for its long-standing population of beavers who have engineered new wetlands that now extend across much of the estate.
In 2019, the owners decided to reduce the area of farmland and convert to rewilding.
In the coming years a mosaic of new native woodland, wildflower meadows and wetlands shaped by beavers will characterise this Perthshire landscape.
A number of projects are also taking place in the Cairngorms National Park.
Operated by rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, Northwoods was created in response to a growing number of enquiries from landowners keen to contribute to Scotland’s role in reversing global nature loss and tackling climate breakdown, but who needed more knowledge and resources.
“Northwoods is helping a much wider range of land managers play a bigger role in restoring and connecting nature-rich habitats,” said Northwoods’ project manager James Nairne.
“The levels of interest show that rewilding is increasingly seen as an important way of helping Scotland’s land and seas recover, and delivering a range of positive outcomes for nature and people.”
Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of nature, and goes beyond protecting the fragments of nature now left.
It restores vibrant living systems across woodlands, peatlands, wetlands, rivers, and at sea, and offers new opportunities for farmers on marginal land.
Research has estimated that only 29 countries out of 218 have lost more biodiversity than the UK, with Scotland faring only slightly better than the UK average.
For more information and a list of Northwoods members, see scotlandbigpicture.com
