That beautifully intricate melody of the nightingale is a scarce occurrence in Britain today, but not at the Surrey site. Previously, a single nightingale could be noticed at this remote location in rural Surrey; recently, they were all around. “We were listening to them singing all night, from five different territories,” explains one ecologist, top biologist for the eco-activist organization. A team of participants were camping out at the property, however the nightingales were so noisy, “we stayed awake all night,” says a project coordinator. “We were all knackered the next day, but it was so cool.” An expert from the Surrey Wildlife Trust came to help them capture and tag one of the songbirds the next morning, the ecologist remembers: “He’d never held a songbird in his care before. He was crying.”
Habitat Revival Progresses at the Surrey Site
Rewilding is by definition a lengthy process, but at this site at Maple Farm, after only a short period, the results are already apparent, and audible. The farm used to be a retirement home for animals. Currently it’s a example for the Youngwilders’ purpose: to accelerate nature recovery, in one of the most nature-depleted nations in the globe, and to connect the younger generation (18-30-year-olds) with a ecosystem they are often shut out of, and a environmental emergency they are often unable to prevent. Global heating persists, deforestation damages natural habitats, and another climate conference ends with a frustrating end in Brazil – so what person could criticize the younger generation for wishing to take matters into their own hands?
The initiative was founded on the belief that there were landowners ready to permit a collection of young enthusiasts on to their land
“The youth is the best educated environmentally that there’s ever been,” explains the Youngwilders’ leader, Jack Durant. They are also “the most emotionally involved in the challenges, and have added the smallest part to their causing, and, then, are also going to experience consequences the greatest as a result.”
Change of the Site
Today, the organisation is taking root across the UK – and this location was the beginning, in every sense. “It’s where we started, and where we created our community,” explains a founding member, as she offers a tour of the expansive land. “This used to be six different fields,” she comments, as we walk through overgrown meadows dotted with shrubs, bordered by mature woodland. “The primary visual change is that we’ve taken out all the fencing, 1.2km of it, to create the impression like one landscape.” In the summer, they donned special clothing and removed large amounts of invasive plants, an aggressive flora that can irritate the skin. “We’ve planted loads of natural barriers,” says the director. “But the primary focus is we’ve just allowed it to rest for a brief period. We’ve reduced a significant amount of grazing pressure and observed what’s sprung up.”
Low scrub and shrub lines are a ideal songbird habitat, she says, but currently they’re trimming some of the wild growth to develop a more variety of habitats and to link up separate areas of the property. New trees will take considerably longer to establish, but saplings from the nearby oaks are already establishing themselves in the fields; the team have been placing guards to protect them from animals.
Animals Reappears in Abundance
In addition to the songbirds – animals is reappearing in abundance. Recently they’ve spotted serpents, slowworms, bats and bugs, says Noah Bennett, as he lifts up one of their survey equipment (like a cover over a small hollow in the ground). “You discover creatures and wildlife hiding under there, but it’s possibly a bit chilly for them now.” Natural nests, made from hollowed-out pieces of wood and buzzing with insects, are fixed to some of the plants. The absence of livestock has allowed insects space to prosper in the long grass. When they visited this season, comments the director, “I’d not once encountered so numerous butterflies. There were just masses of them. We were wondering, ‘What is happening?’”
Inception of the Initiative
The initial Youngwilders – Bennett, Jack, Easton and two others – united as learners, pursuing or expressing an concern in nature. In the recent past, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was indicating that the acceptable threshold of 1.5C of global heating was appearing out of reach, a prominent figure was leading the school strikes for eco-awareness, and advocate Clover Hogan was addressing young people feeling “climate anxiety”. It was also the time of a writer's publication, about nature recovery, on how she and her husband changed the Knepp Estate from a failing dairy farm into a flourishing natural habitat. “We were super-inspired by the case study, but what could be the role for youth?” asks Easton. “So we developed a website and rang up many of wildlife trusts and were like, ‘Do you ever get your property owners seeking to make changes and you lack time?’”
Durant explains the story: “Our whole project was basically based on the belief that there were landowners who were ready to allow a bunch of youthful amateurs on to their land without strict rules, to decide on significant decisions that would change land value
