The richly complex call of the nightingale is a uncommon presence in the UK these days, but not at this rural location. Previously, a lone bird could be noticed at this secluded spot in the countryside of Surrey; recently, they were everywhere. “We were listening to them singing all night, from five different territories,” says Meg Cookson, lead ecologist for the eco-activist organization. A team of Youngwilders were camping out at the property, yet the birds were so boisterous, “we stayed awake all night,” remarks Layla Mapemba. “We were all exhausted the next day, but it was so amazing.” An specialist from the Surrey Wildlife Trust came to help them net and ring one of the songbirds the next morning, Cookson states: “He’d never held a nightingale in his possession before. He was crying.”
Rewilding Accelerates at the Surrey Site
Ecological restoration is by definition a slow endeavor, but at this site at the farm, after only four years, the results are already visible, and noticeable. The land used to be a sanctuary for equines. Today it’s a model for the youth-led mission: to accelerate nature recovery, in one of the biodiversity-poor countries in the planet, and to connect the younger generation (18-30-year-olds) with a environment they are often excluded from, and a climate crisis they are often unable to prevent. Climate change persists, habitat loss damages wildlife homes, and yet another international meeting ends with a disappointing conclusion in abroad – so what person could blame youth for choosing to take matters into their own hands?
Our initiative was based on the belief that there were individuals prepared to let a group of young enthusiasts on to their property
“The younger generation is the most informed in terms of nature that there’s historically,” explains the group's leader, a key figure. They are also “the deeply concerned in the challenges, and have added the smallest part to their creation, and, then, are also going to be affected most as a result.”
Change of the Site
Currently, the initiative is expanding across the United Kingdom – and the original site planted the seed, in multiple ways. “It’s where we started, and where we established our network,” says a founding member, as she gives a tour of the 12-hectare site. “This once consisted of six different fields,” she comments, as we stroll through tall vegetation featuring bushes, surrounded by forest. “The main noticeable transformation is that we’ve taken out all the barriers, 1.2km of it, to create the impression like a unified landscape.” In the warmer months, they donned protective gear and cleared significant quantities of giant hogweed, an invasive species that can irritate the flesh. “We’ve planted loads of hedgerows,” notes the director. “But the key action is we’ve just let it breathe for a brief period. We’ve eliminated a significant amount of animal feeding and seen what’s sprung up.”
Low scrub and natural fences are a excellent songbird habitat, she comments, but today they’re managing some of the wild growth to establish a increased variety of habitats and to join two parts of the site. Young saplings will take much more time to grow, but young trees from the adjacent oaks are already taking root in the open areas; the crew have been placing guards to protect them from wildlife.
Animals Returns in Large Numbers
In addition to the songbirds – fauna is reappearing in droves. Recently they’ve observed serpents, legless lizards, nocturnal mammals and bugs, says another co-director, as he uncovers one of their monitoring tools (such as a doormat over a depression in the ground). “You discover creatures and things residing under there, but it’s probably a bit chilly for them now.” Wild homes, constructed from hollowed-out pieces of tree trunk and humming with insects, are strapped to some of the woodland. The absence of livestock has given insects space to prosper in the long grass. When they explored this time, comments the director, “I’d not ever observed so countless insects. There were just swarms of them. We were like, ‘What is going on?’”
Beginnings of the Movement
The original founders – Bennett, Jack, Easton and two others – united as youth, pursuing or having an concern in ecology. In 2019, the climate experts was forecasting that the safe limit of 1.5C of warming was looking unachievable, Greta Thunberg was guiding the school strikes for climate movement, and activist Clover Hogan was addressing youth experiencing “climate anxiety”. It was also the period of the author's publication, about nature recovery, on how they transformed the a Sussex location from a struggling agricultural business into a flourishing wildlife haven. “We were deeply influenced by the Knepp story, but what was the function for the next generation?” questions Molly. “So we made a platform and called numerous of conservation groups and were asking, ‘Do you ever get your landowners wishing to make changes and you are short on capacity?’”
Durant adds the account: “Our whole initiative was essentially premised on the belief that there were people who were ready to permit a bunch of youthful idiots on to their land without strict rules, to decide on major decisions that would change land value
