What Is Rewilding? A Guide to Nature Recovery and Land Use in the UK

Rewilding is no longer a fringe idea. Across the UK, more people are embracing it as a way to restore nature, support biodiversity and create resilient landscapes. From urban parks to upland farms, the idea of letting nature take the lead is gaining ground. But what does rewilding really mean and how does it fit into the UK’s approach to land use and climate action?

What Does Rewilding Mean?

Rewilding is the process of restoring natural processes, habitats and species to create self-sustaining ecosystems with minimal human intervention. It is not about returning the land to a fixed point in the past. Instead, it focuses on enabling natural dynamics to shape the landscape over time.

This might include reintroducing missing species, encouraging the natural regeneration of vegetation, or creating conditions for rivers to follow their natural course. The goal is to create ecosystems that can adapt, thrive and support a rich variety of wildlife without needing constant management.

How Is Rewilding Different from Traditional Conservation?

Conservation often involves maintaining or enhancing particular habitats through active management. This might include mowing meadows, managing woodlands or controlling invasive species to protect vulnerable flora and fauna.

Rewilding takes a more hands-off approach. Rather than preserving specific conditions, it seeks to restore the processes that allow nature to evolve on its own. It moves the focus from protecting certain species to enabling ecosystems to develop resilience and diversity over time.

The shift from control to trust is a defining feature of rewilding. It does not abandon stewardship, but reframes it as creating space for nature to recover in its own way.

What Does Rewilding Look Like in the UK?

In the UK, rewilding takes many forms. It is not limited to remote wilderness areas. Some projects are large-scale, while others begin in gardens, villages or small patches of land. Key approaches include:

• Reintroducing native species, such as beavers or white-tailed eagles
• Allowing former farmland to regenerate naturally
• Creating wildlife corridors between fragmented habitats
• Restoring wetlands, peatlands and floodplains

Many of these efforts are led by local communities and landowners. From rewilding estates in Scotland to nature-friendly farming in Devon, projects across the country are exploring how to bring back ecological function while supporting local economies.

You can learn more about how to rewild land in your area.

Why Rewilding Matters for Climate and Biodiversity

Rewilding is not just about bringing back wildlife. It also supports climate action. Healthy, functioning ecosystems can absorb and store carbon, regulate water cycles and improve soil health. Rewilded landscapes offer co-benefits that make them valuable allies in addressing both nature loss and climate change.

These benefits include:

• Carbon sequestration through woodland growth, wetland recovery and peatland restoration
• Increased biodiversity and improved habitat connectivity
• Natural flood management and cleaner waterways
• Mental wellbeing and stronger connections to the natural world

By linking people, climate and ecology, rewilding supports a more integrated approach to environmental recovery. You can explore more in our guide to creating space for nature.

Who’s Leading the Way in Rewilding?

Rewilding in the UK is often locally driven. While large estates and charities have played a role in raising its profile, many of the most exciting projects are community-led. Farmers, landowners, councils and volunteers are working together to find new ways to manage land for wildlife and resilience.

Examples include:

• Collaborative projects across lowland England that combine nature restoration with food production
• Local authorities managing public green space for biodiversity
• Community groups restoring river catchments or neglected sites

These efforts show how rewilding can start from the ground up.

How Can You Support or Start Rewilding?

You do not need to own acres of land to support rewilding. There are many ways individuals and communities can get involved:

• Rewilding gardens, verges, schoolyards or allotments
• Supporting local nature recovery projects through volunteering or funding
• Working with councils to improve public green space for biodiversity
• Advocating for policies that prioritise space for nature in local plans

Small-scale action adds up. Whether you are planting wildflowers or removing barriers for wildlife, the principle remains the same: trust nature to lead the way, and give it the space and time it needs to recover.

Rewilding FAQs

What is rewilding?

Rewilding is a process that restores natural systems, habitats and species to create self-sustaining ecosystems. It focuses on letting nature recover with minimal human intervention.

How is rewilding different from conservation?

Conservation often involves active management to preserve certain habitats or species. Rewilding aims to re-establish natural processes and step back from control, allowing ecosystems to evolve.

What does rewilding look like in the UK?

Rewilding in the UK includes reintroducing native animals, restoring wetlands, and allowing farmland to regenerate. Projects vary from urban edges to rural landscapes.

Why is rewilding important for climate and nature?

Rewilding supports biodiversity, stores carbon, manages water and improves wellbeing. It links ecological recovery with climate action.

How can I get involved in rewilding?

You can rewild your garden, join a local project, support campaigns or work with councils to prioritise nature. Our page on rewilding land offers ways to take action.

Sources:

• https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/ 
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zb33mbk

About Carbon Copy

Carbon Copy exists to turn individual concern for climate and nature into collective impact by helping people connect locally and create real change together. We believe the fastest way to create change is to share it. We tap into a powerful truth: copying is human nature. When action is visible and easy to replicate, it spreads. It’s about people stepping in, inspired by what others have done and copying what works. Carbon Copy offers a place to start, with a national collection of climate action stories, place-by-place climate and nature plans, a popular podcast and blog, and capacity building for organisations across public, private and third sectors.