People urged to sign rewilding charter to help nature recovery

Scotland is being urged to declare itself the world’s first rewilding nation to help protect wildlife and restore habitats.

New figures show more than 2% of Scotland’s land is now being rewilded.

But a Rewilding Nation Charter launched today is urging the Scottish Government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of land and sea.

The campaign includes a new feature-length film called Why Not Scotland? to be shown on a nationwide screening tour including Inverness and Oban following an Edinburgh premiere.

11% of species facing extinction

It is launched by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance which says Scotland is ranked 212th out of 240 countries and territories for the state of its nature, with 11% of its species facing extinction.

The coalition of more than 20 organisations says intensive agriculture and climate breakdown are having the biggest impacts on biodiversity.

Other threats include non-native forestry, pollution, and introduced species.

The alliance says there are now more than 150 rewilding projects in Scotland covering at least 160,000 hectares (396,000 acres), from community woodlands to landscape-scale partnerships.

This includes members of Rewilding Britain’s UK-wide Rewilding Network, and the Scotland-wide Northwoods Rewilding Network, led by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, launched in 2021.

The Rewilding Network includes the world’s first rewilding centre at Dundreggan near Loch Ness that opened last year.

The £7 million centre was created by Moray-based Trees for Life.

Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Highlands-based rewilding charity Trees for Life and convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, said: “Climate breakdown and nature loss mean we face an unprecedented threat to our way of life and our children’s future.

“But it’s not too late. Scotland can lead the way as a rewilding nation to benefit nature, climate and people.”

Rewilding 30% of Scotland can be achieved by restoring wild habitats including peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands, rivers and seas, with no loss of productive farmland, the alliance says.

‘We can all make a difference’

Alliance member Tom Bowser, farmer and owner of Argaty Red Kites in Perthshire, said: “The nature and climate crises can feel overwhelming.

“But we can all make a difference by uniting behind a clear message.

“We’re calling on everyone who shares our hopes and sense of urgency to sign the Rewilding Nation Charter to help create a greener, fairer country.”

The Scottish Government said nature restoration is a key way to address the twin challenges of nature loss and climate change.

A spokeswoman said its £65 million Nature Restoration Fund has supported  businesses boost nature tourism, helped landowners boost food production and helped  projects to improve access to green spaces and the marine environment.

“These projects have brought a myriad of benefits to rural communities such as creating new jobs, providing natural flood defences, and helping to support the recovery of vulnerable species, such as the wild salmon.”