Putting the Bee Back in Britain
Lynch Knoll
We bought this 40-acre site in Gloucestershire in 2004. The plan was to do what we could to let the land run wild and become the best possible habitat for nature. Lynch Knoll once had 20 acres of ancient woodland but these had been felled, so we planted 20,000 trees to reinstate that and left the other half of the land to let nature take its course.
Our rewilding project has worked – a variety of animals have moved in, including deer, badgers, foxes, mice and voles, along with birds of prey like kestrels. We’ve also seen an increase in bees and other pollinators.
Fairburn Tips
In 2019 the RSPB, Ecotalk and major backer Biffa Award secured the purchase of Fairburn Tips, an extension to the RSPB's Fairburn Ings reserve.
Once a coal mining facility, the area has been restored to create grassland, woodland and even lagoons.
Fairburn is already home to a wide range of species including breeding bittern, black-necked grebe, bearded tit, little egret, grey heron and cormorant, yellowhammer, grey partridge, cuckoo and linnet. In winter you can find barn owls and short-eared owls and other birds of prey. The site can now continue to protect these animals, as well as encouraging more species to make their home at Fairburn Tips.
What if we used land differently?
We often think that pressure on wildlife is coming from new buildings. Actually, only around 9% of Britain is covered by the built environment. However, approximately 71% of the land in Britain is used for farming. We use some of that land to grow plants which we eat, but about 40% of it is used to feed livestock. If people ate more plants and less animals, that would free up about half of our land to give back to nature.
Help us make space for nature
By joining Ecotalk you’ll help us rewild more land across Britain, giving it back to nature so that our indigenous plants and wildlife can thrive once again. Check out our phone bundles here.
