Three years into Dorset Wildlife Trust's Wild Woodbury community rewilding project at Bere Regis and changes to the site have been remarkable. In the three years since we acquired the site, over 1,900 species have been recorded on site - an uplift of 600 species since our first year surveys.
Stage-0 river restoration work and the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies and pigs have transformed the site. Water now freely flows across the land, creating various streams and pools, benefitting wetland wildlife. And the mixed grazing habits of our livestock helps to create a robust and ever-changing mosaic of habitats to support biodiversity and bio abundance.
The success of Wild Woodbury could not have been achieved without the generous donations from our supporters, so we want to say THANK YOU for making this possible!
Wild Woodbury: England's first community rewilding project
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.
The 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 are well underway. The 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. These surveys will be repeated over time to monitor the transformation of the landscape. Rewilding and rewetting this 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.
With your help, Wild Woodbury can make history in Dorset, and beyond.
The word rewilding can mean different things to different people, so what do we mean by it? Rewilding doesn’t mean abandoning the land and doing nothing. By restoring natural processes and grazing across a large area, we can minimize human intervention and create an incredibly sustainable and beneficial method of cleaning water, restoring soils and creating an ever-changing haven for people and wildlife. By getting the balance right we can create a dynamic, healthy ecosystem.
The site
Wild Woodbury is located on the doorstep of the vibrant community of Bere Regis and we have involved the community at every stage of the project so far, from consultations on initial plans, to enlisting local volunteers to help achieve the collective vision, right through to enjoying the site’s facilities for exercise, play and food growing.
Previously, this land was intensively managed. By allowing nature to take the lead on site and through creating new wetlands, we expect to see a reduction in net nitrates entering the Poole Harbour catchment.
Your support
With an ambitious vision and a large site to transform, your support is vital. By donating today, you will be helping to make more space for Dorset's wildlife, influence and inspire more sustainable land management and create a really special environmentally significant space where people and wildlife can thrive.
