A 170 hectares of former agricultural land acquired by Dorset Wildlife Trust in 2021 just outside Bere Regis. Rewilding is not abandoning the land or trying to return the land to what it looked like centuries ago, it’s about letting nature take the lead, allowing woodland to regenerate naturally, creating wetlands and introducing mixed grazing. All aimed at creating more space for nature and reversing the massive decline in species in the UK.

A year into the rewilding project and surveys recorded an uplift in the biodiversity and abundance of species moving onto the 170 hectare site. Staff and volunteers recorded over 1,300 species in last summer’s surveys and eight Red List birds of conservation concern have been confirmed to be breeding at Wild Woodbury.

The aim of the Wild Woodbury project is to build an exemplar for sustainable land use to tackle the climate and ecological crises, open up more public access to the land for the community and restore natural processes across the site to make more space for nature. Although Wild Woodbury does not yet have the facilities to welcome visitors, you can access the site via the network of public footpaths from Southbrook (postcode: BH20 7LL) in Bere Regis. Please park
respectfully in the village.

Dorset Wildlife Trust

Dorset Wildlife Trust is a local conservation charity, dedicated to making space for nature. They manages 40 nature reserves and four visitor centres across Dorset. For more information about Dorset Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves, please visit their website.