What is the Small Scale Rewilders Group?
The Small Scale Rewilders Group is a part of the Yorkshire Rewilding Network where people with rewilding projects larger than a garden, but not as big as an estate, can benefit from connecting directly with others in a similar situation.
Rewilding is often associated with large, landscape-scale nature recovery projects but here at YRN we think many rewilding principles can be applied at any scale. However, especially for people starting out, applying those principles at a smaller scale can throw up practical challenges – how much to ‘manage’ and ‘intervene’ and how much to ‘let nature lead’.
The Small Scale Rewilding Group is a place to meet like-minded people with projects to inspire and learn from. The group has become a wonderful community of rewilders from across the county. It’s a great place for asking questions, sharing experiences and finding support – no matter what stage you are at.
How does it work?
YRN committee members Su and James – who are small scale rewilders themselves – support the group. There’s an email list for relevant communications, a thriving WhatsApp group, Zoom catch-ups in the colder months and in-person meet ups with visits to rewilding sites. The YRN Forum also has a dedicated Discussion Zone for small scale rewilders.
As James says: ‘We learn so much from each other and gain confidence to try things out. We cover all sorts of topics such as ponds, hedges, tree planting, trail cameras, funding. Members have also arranged courses through external providers – it was great to have the chance to have a go at scything on a course last year.’
How to get involved
You are welcome to join the Small Scale Rewilders Group if you have a rewilding project or are planning one. We suggest about 1-25 acres, but some rewilders have more than 25 acres too – they find they have many of the same queries and experiences and benefit just as much.
Please email info@yorkshirerewildingnetwork.org.uk asking to be added to the group and we’ll invite you along to the next meet up. Do give us a bit of detail about your rewilding project – we are always keen to hear from Yorkshire rewilders.
Useful links:
- The YRN Forum has a Discussion Zone for Small Scale Rewilders, you can join the forum here.
- Read about Su and James’ project here.
- Read a blog about the Small Scale Rewilders Group here.
[Image Credits: Su Wood, Steve Tomlin, Monty Rakusen]