That beautifully intricate melody of the songbird is a uncommon sound in the UK nowadays, yet it's different at this rural location. Four years ago, a lone bird could be detected at this hidden location in rural Surrey; lately, they were everywhere. “We were listening to them calling all night, from several zones,” notes a lead scientist, chief environmental expert for the youth rewilding group. A group of participants were staying overnight at the site, but the nightingales were so noisy, “we couldn’t sleep all night,” remarks Layla Mapemba. “We were all exhausted the next day, but it was so amazing.” An specialist from the local conservation group came to help them trap and mark one of the birds the next morning, she recalls: “He’d never touched a songbird in his possession before. He was crying.”
Ecological Restoration Accelerates at the Surrey Site
Rewilding is by definition a slow endeavor, but here at this property, after only four years, the outcomes are already apparent, and noticeable. The property was once a sanctuary for horses. Now it’s a model for the youth-led purpose: to hasten habitat revival, in one of the ecologically impoverished countries in the world, and to engage young people (18-30-year-olds) with a natural world they are often excluded from, and a environmental emergency they are often ineffectual to prevent. Climate change advances, deforestation destroys wildlife homes, and yet another Cop summit comes to a frustrating conclusion in Brazil – so what person could criticize young people for choosing to take matters into their own hands?
Our initiative was based on the notion that there were individuals willing to allow a group of young idiots on to their land
“The newer cohort is the best educated in terms of nature that there’s previously,” states the Youngwilders’ leader, a key figure. They are also “the deeply concerned in the issues, and have played the smallest part to their origin, and, then, are also going to be affected the greatest as a result.”
Revitalization of the Property
Today, the organisation is taking root across the United Kingdom – and this location was the beginning, in all respects. “It’s our origin point, and the place we built our community,” explains Molly Easton, as she gives a tour of the expansive site. “This was previously multiple separate areas,” she comments, as we walk through overgrown meadows filled with low scrub, surrounded by established trees. “The primary visible transformation is that we’ve removed all the enclosures, 1.2km of it, to create the impression like a unified area.” In the warmer months, they used protective gear and cleared masses of invasive plants, an aggressive flora that can burn the body. “We’ve planted loads of hedgerows,” says the director. “But the key action is we’ve just allowed it to rest for a little bit. We’ve removed a significant amount of grazing pressure and observed what’s sprung up.”
Bushes and natural fences are a ideal nightingale home, she comments, but today they’re cutting back some of the wild growth to develop a more variety of environments and to connect two parts of the site. Young saplings will take much more time to establish, but new growth from the nearby trees are already taking root in the open areas; the team have been setting up guards to safeguard them from animals.
Animals Returns in Abundance
It’s not just the nightingales – wildlife is reappearing in large numbers. Recently they’ve observed serpents, creatures, flyers and insects, notes a team member, as he raises one of their survey equipment (similar to a mat over a small hollow in the soil). “You get reptiles and wildlife sheltering under there, but it’s likely a somewhat chilly for them now.” Organic nests, constructed from empty parts of timber and buzzing with insects, are strapped to some of the plants. The lack of animals has allowed small creatures room to flourish in the meadows. When they came to this season, states he, “I’d not once seen so countless butterflies. There were just clouds of them. We were wondering, ‘What is going on?’”
Origins of the Project
The original Youngwilders – Bennett, Durant, Easton and additional members – came together as students, pursuing or having an interest in ecology. In 2019, the climate experts was predicting that the safe limit of 1.5C of climate change was appearing unachievable, the activist was spearheading the youth protests for environmental action, and campaigner Clover Hogan was discussing the generation feeling “climate anxiety”. It was also the time of Isabella Tree’s publication, about nature recovery, on how the authors transformed the a nearby property from a failing farm into a flourishing wildlife haven. “We were deeply influenced by the example, but what was the part for young people?” questions Molly. “So we made a website and contacted many of wildlife trusts and were asking, ‘Do you occasionally get your property owners wishing to take action and you don’t have resources?’”
Jack continues the account: “Our entire initiative was fundamentally based on the notion that there were individuals who were ready to allow a bunch of youthful enthusiasts on to their property freely, to decide on significant decisions that would change land value
