To Rewild people

What does rewilding mean to you?

This is a topical and controversial phrase that has come to mean different things to different people. We like that it is a passionate and expressive idea that has many connotations and gets people talking. You could say that the woodland (on the site of the former Bailey’s Quarry) has already been rewilded. Indeed, this is partly whats so incredible about the place - what was bare rock 60 years ago is today a lush green woodland! But calling this ‘The Rewilding Project’ suggests something more - that it is a continuing process - and evokes two key ideas that are truely intertwined with the woodland’s present and future.

What is ‘wild’ - To manage or not?

One of the main goals for the future of the woodland is undoubtedly that of increasing the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna. Few would argue that this is not a laudable and positive objective… but there are some differing views about how this might be achieved.

Either way, developing a Woodland Management Plan is the first step in this process - it is aimed at helping guide and formalise the strategies for intervening (or not) into the woodland’s structure. While ‘logic’ may suggest that the best approach would be to leave it completely alone - for ‘nature to take its course’ - many organisations believe management is essential.

Our woodlands were once shaped by natural processes, like grazing from bison and other large mammals. In their absence, the right management is needed to keep our woodlands diverse and full of life. The Wildlife Trust

There is an obvious, and fascinating, tension between ideas of management and ideas of rewilding. A key figurehead on the subject, and the author of a book called Feral , George Monbiot, discusses the topic at length. It is a provocative book and well worth a read. He talks through many case studies; examples of how our natural environment has been decimated and is a fraction as rich as it used to be, but offers hope that it can be rich again; not necessarily in the same way as before but in whatever wonderful way nature finds.

Rewilding, to me, is about resisting the urge to control nature and allowing it to find its own way. Feral, p9-10

Rewilding of people - imagination and ore!

Monbiot’s book really strikes a chord with our inner child! He eludes to the excitement and imagination that can come from being immersed in the natural world. The feeling of being small and (relatively) powerless in a big sea, the feeling of ore that one experiences when contemplating the magnificence of the wild life around us., and of the sadness that so much of this rich diversity has been lost already.

He urges the reader to challenge their perception of humankind’s place in the world, and encourages that we live a wilder life.

These ideas resonate with concepts of taoism and budhism which consider people (humankind) to be absolutely intertwined with the natural world not separate from/more important than it.

The positivity that can come from (people) rewilding is also referenced (though not by ‘name’) in a book called From What Is to What If (by The founder of the international Transition Towns movement, Rob Hopkins). Among other factors, he identifies that reconnecting with nature can bring a peaceful alertness and boost imagination; an antidote to our busy digital lives where we have little space or time for imagination - something that Hopkins views as a fundamental necessity in our ability to create positive change. The ability to imagine a better future is a prerequisite to being able to share your vision and take steps toward achieving it.