March 20 marks World Rewilding Day, a day for people around the world to come together and celebrate successful rewilding projects, and to promote the vision of rewilding aiding in nature’s recovery.

The theme this year is #HopeIntoAction, highlighting the tangible changes that rewilding can make to improve the lives of people and provide space for wildlife to thrive. Restoring natural processes at Wild Woodbury has led to many wins for wildlife and nature’s recovery. There are so many to choose from, but on this World Rewilding Day, we will take a look at just some of the highlights seen at Wild Woodbury. 

By allowing the land to rest, we have seen the vegetation undergo rapid transformations, which has allowed for a whole host of ecological functions to be restored. The bare ground has been colonised by a diverse range of flora, and the fields support thriving vegetation. The complex vegetation structure provides ideal habitat for an abundance of small mammals and amphibians. In turn, this has resulted in birds of prey soaring in our skies, hunting for prey. Allowing the natural processes to take the lead means the dynamic and complex ecological functions work effectively. 

Not only are the birds of prey thriving, but many other bird species are now seen at Wild Woodbury. The site provides areas for birds to forage, breed and shelter. During the autumn, we have seen species including nightingale and redstart during migration. Seed heads from a range of plants including thistles, docks and teasels are prolific and provide an excellent food source to support birds such as goldfinch during the winter. There are treecreepers in our woodlands, hedges stuffed with yellowhammer, and long-tailed tit flocks cosily huddled together amongst the scrub.  

The number and diversity of invertebrate species supported by Wild Woodbury after just two years is nothing short of phenomenal! Butterflies have increased in abundance by over 60% and new species such as silver-studded blues have colonised the site. Predatory invertebrates such as hornet robberflies and wasp spiders have been recorded, indicating the presence of other prey species. The rare dingy mocha moth has been caught during moth surveys; a Biodiversity Action Plan priority species confined to just few counties in the South of England.

The headwaters of the River Sherford are located at Wild Woodbury, and a combination of the water restoration and ending the input of fertilisers has resulted in improved water quality. The newly created wetlands on site have attracted flocks of wetland birds such as common snipe and lapwing. We have also seen enormous reductions in nitrogen, phosphorous and suspended solids, helping to reduce the algal blooms in Poole Harbour and creating extensive wetland habitat.  

Rewilding at Wild Woodbury has already shown such hope for the future through the results we have seen in such a short time. Increases in biodiversity helps to build a resilient ecosystem and creates a wonderful landscape for people to enjoy and celebrate nature. Each year of the rewilding project presents us with new challenges, learnings and successes, and we can't wait to share them with you as the site develops! 

Learn more about Wild Woodbury.

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