Yorkshire volunteers awarded £12,000 to spread rewilding across region

A Yorkshire nature charity is celebrating after being granted funding to explore innovative ways to encourage rewilding across the region.

The Yorkshire Rewilding Network (YRN), which is run by a team of volunteers who connect, inspire and enable rewilding, have received £12,000 from Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Innovation Fund.

Announcing the funding on World Environment Day, YRN committee member Sarah Mason said it will allow them to open up rewilding to a wider range of communities who are not large land owners.

“Thanks to Rewilding Britain’s funding we will now be able to go into areas and kickstart rewilding conversations among people for whom it’s not currently on their radar,” Sarah said.

“There’s often a feeling that rewilding is only for people who own lots of land but that isn’t true – no one on the YRN committee is a large land owner, for example. Rewilding is all about letting nature take the lead to restore natural processes and this can happen in urban settings, in schools, or anywhere there is a patch of land.

“This project is all about bespoke engagement - finding locations that don't have a lot of rewilding at the minute, gathering the insight into what other activities are already happening there and looking at how we can encourage and support more rewilding.

“We want to get more people talking about rewilding, sharing ideas and philosophies, and see where communities can then take it.”

YRN aim for their rewilding hubs to provide a blueprint for other networks around the country, showcasing how more people can get involved in rewilding even when they don’t own or manage land.

“Nature is really good for everyone, in many different ways,” Sarah says. “Strong ecosystems provide us with food security, help us to reduce flood risk and be more resilient to drought and wildfires.

“But being out in nature is also beneficial for people both physically and mentally, and nature-rich spaces can bring communities together. We want to make sure all those benefits are accessible to everyone.

“Rewilding encourages a balance between people and the rest of nature so that we thrive together. It has a huge, joyful message; it brings hope, happiness and shows how quickly life can flourish if we give it space and time.”

Since 2021 Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Innovation Fund has helped fund 44 rewilding initiatives across Britain’s land and sea, from community-driven to technology-focused projects.

Sara King, Rewilding Manager at Rewilding Britain, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support this brilliant rewilding project from Yorkshire Rewilding Network. Connecting local rewilding projects, as well as the rewilders themselves, is a vital step in supporting large scale nature restoration.

“This inspiring, innovative rewilding project will provide a blueprint for other county networks, showcasing how more people can get involved in rewilding even if they don’t own or manage land.”

Find out more about Yorkshire Rewilding Network and how you can get involved.