Wild Woodbury

In an ambitious bid to tackle the ecological and climate crises, Dorset Wildlife Trust acquired 170 hectares of land in 2021 for a large-scale community rewilding project near Bere Regis.

With plans to rewild 150 hectares of the land – including 11 hectares of new naturally regenerated woodland, 30 hectares of new wetland and to extend access for the local community, our first job was to carry out vital baseline monitoring, wildlife surveys and feasibility studies in order to measure the effects of letting nature take the lead over time. Rewilding and rewetting the site will help create a wilder Dorset by cleaning water, storing carbon and developing new wildlife habitats – and our aim is to share what we learn with others, making the site a model for future positive change in land use.