Beavers, pigs and ponies to rewild 600-acre site in landmark scheme
A pioneering rewilding initiative in Lincolnshire is set to transform more than 600 hectares of former farmland using beavers, pigs, cattle and ponies.
This ambitious Boothby Wildland project represents the first large-scale implementation under a pioneering government program that aims to set an “example” for securing the restoration of nature through private funding.
The project, implemented on lands previously thought to be “difficult” to cultivate, will produce valuable carbon and nature credits from the newly established habitats and the wildlife they support.
At the heart of the ecological revival is the revival of the river and the settlement of beavers in a wide area.
These efforts are designed to create vital wetland habitats, improve water quality and stop flooding.
Additional ecological improvements include allowing vegetation to be “fluffed” from existing woodland and hedgerows.
Large grazing animals will then be introduced to develop a rich mosaic of grassland, shrubland and woodland pasture habitats.
The property is owned by Nattergal, a company founded by leading environmentalists to encourage and grow private investment in nature restoration.
As the first pilot project to reach the implementation phase of the taxpayer-funded “landscape improvement” programme, Boothby Wildland has been awarded a contract worth £11.8 million over three decades.
The initiative forms a key component of the wider post-Brexit environmental land management plan, which replaces EU-era agricultural subsidies.
The landscape restoration arm of the program aims to support projects that restore nature across the entire landscape, as part of efforts to meet statutory targets to halt wildlife decline, and provide dedicated funding to support the work.
Agricultural land at Boothby used to grow animal fodder, mostly on wet, deep clay, has been left to grow wild outside a “control area”; Fields once treated with chemicals are turning to grass and wildflowers, hedgerows are growing and young oaks are growing alongside mature trees.
Long-vanished “ghost ponds” have been reinstated after protected great crested newts were identified using them.
Field drains have been destroyed to prevent water from flowing so quickly overland as reeds, wrens, dragonflies and water boatmen colonize the shallow waters, with the tire tracks of diggers used to create the meanders of the West Glen River still visible in May.
A 200-hectare (500-decare) area around the river and fences surrounding the stream will also be built to accommodate the beavers, which are expected to arrive in December.
They will manage the landscape to create wetlands that support a variety of wildlife, and it is hoped that their presence and the resurgence of the river will reduce the flooding affecting the village downstream.
Over the next few years, heritage breeds of cattle, pigs and ponies are expected to be introduced to the land for natural grazing and meat production, while studding is used to keep the deer population in check and provide venison.
Lorienne Whittle, Nattergal’s rewilding landscape manager, said the landscape would be “much wilder”, eventually featuring a mix of open grassland and forest pastures with larger trees, while grasses and shrubs would also grow.
Ecologist ranger Lloyd Park said wildlife such as small birds had increased year on year in the area purchased in 2021 before farming was phased out over several years as food abundance increased.
“A lot of these beautiful plants that people call weeds are really important for feeding these species. We’re starting to see lots of finches, linnets and yellowhammers,” he said.
Birds of prey are also attracted to the area; marsh harriers mix with red kites and kestrels, and a male and female were even spotted last winter.
The government’s landscape improvement funding is going to elements of the plan, including increasing footpaths and bridges, creating an education center with ponds for nature classes and dips, employing staff including education and community roles, and on-site monitoring of wildlife.
But revenue from creating habitat and sustaining the project will come separately from private financing, including the sale of “biodiversity net gain” credits under a plan that requires developers to enhance nature when delivering housing or other projects.
There are sales of what Ms. Whittle calls “charismatic carbon” credits, which pay for the natural regeneration of woodlands that store carbon and also provide other benefits, such as nature habitat and social benefits.
Tours and the days the team spends outside also generate income for the project.
Ms Whittle said: “We really want this to be a national and international example of how we can use private funding to secure nature restoration.
“But it’s also important for me and the local team that this is a place that local people can be proud of.”
He added that the team worked closely with local people to deliver elements they wanted, such as a safe bridleway and routing hedges away from homes to reduce visual impact, and creating space for a community orchard.
Tony Juniper, chief executive of Natural England, the government nature agency that manages the landscape improvement programme, said more than 50 projects had received initial support to develop specific plans, with involvement from a range of landowners, farmer groups, water companies and charities.
He said: “The reality is that as we now look at our very welcome ambitions to improve nature in the UK, we will need to act on a larger scale than we have so far.
“One of the things we need to do to make this work is combine private financing with public investment.”
Mr Juniper also said climate and nature emergencies were “inextricably linked” and restoring landscapes like Boothby would provide a range of climate benefits, such as storing carbon and combating more extreme weather and flooding.
He added that the scheme at Boothby had also provided an increase in local employment, provided “a wonderful amenity for people to enjoy” and would still produce food in the form of high-value meat.
