The Rewilding Futures conference, hosted by Cambridge University and first opened in 2019 by Sir David Attenborough, returned this year with 500 attendees from across the worlds of landscape management and conservation. The guest speakers showcased ambitious plans for UK nature recovery, the atmosphere charged with a quiet confidence that was felt by all in the venue. One such talk was that delivered by Craig Bennet, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts.

Think Big. And Then Think Bigger

Craig announced the Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s pioneering purchase of the huge 3,800-hectare Rothbury Estate. This ambitious acquisition represents a groundbreaking opportunity to deliver nature recovery on a vast scale and signals the Trust’s growing ambition to deliver conservation at a landscape level; giving us the best chance to halt and reverse UK species decline.

Learning from the Purbeck ‘Super’ NNR

Another insightful talk was given by Dan Brown from the National Trust. He shared the success story of the Purbeck Heaths ‘super’ National Nature Reserve (NNR). The project exemplifies the power of large-scale conservation and collaboration, bringing together seven landowners, eleven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and a single, continuous 1,370-hectare grazing landscape.

Dorset Wildlife Trust is working in close partnership with the National Trust, RSPB and Natural England to restore long-absent natural processes across their heathland landscapes. Internal fences have been removed, allowing 200 conservation grazing cattle, 60 horses and a sounder of pigs to roam freely, helping to reshape and regenerate the heathland habitat.

The results of well-managed livestock grazing at Purbeck speak for themselves: Nightjar numbers at RSPB Arne have tripled to 198 males since 1990, largely due to the introduction of grazing cattle, ponies and pigs, which create the bare ground conditions these birds depend on. But this is just the beginning; the impact of grazing on a landscape scale is expected to drive even greater nature recovery in the years to come. This model of landscape-scale conservation is seen as a crucial step towards the goals set out in the National Nature Reserve Strategy.

Could Surrey Create Its Own ‘Super’ NNR?

The success of Purbeck invites an exciting question: could Surrey’s iconic heathlands one day form an equally ambitious ‘super’ NNR?

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Heathland Connections has begun working with Surrey landowners towards heathland restoration and greater habitat connectivity. By learning from collaborative projects like Purbeck Heaths, Surrey can take meaningful steps towards a more connected and resilient landscape. Are free-roaming cattle, ponies and pigs potentially on the horizon?

Explore more about Surrey Wildlife Trust’s vision for heathland connectivity through the Heathland Connections project.