IMPACT
Nature is Critical Infrastructure
Nature isn’t just a nice to have. Food & water security, flood defences, our national transport & energy infrastructure, and swathes of UK industry rely on functioning ecosystems.
Nature is the answer to our very existence, to our prosperity, to our health & wellbeing.
Our work on the ground is supported by advocacy work with policy-makers, because we believe that growth goes hand-in-hand with Nature - not against it.
Measuring our Impact
Our mission is to deliver Nature recovery at scale, while providing vital benefits for society and sustainable financial returns.
The Importance of Scale
The Lawton Review (2010) called for a major shift in conservation, moving beyond small, isolated nature reserves to create bigger, better, more connected landscapes.
The report concluded that smaller, more fragmented restoration sites struggle to address biodiversity loss and that large-scale ecological networks are essential to create functioning ecosystems.
Accordingly, Boothby is one of three landscape-scale wildlands by Nattergal - totalling over 1100ha - where natural processes are being restored for the benefit of wildlife, biodiversity and society as a whole.
Measuring Nature recovery
At Boothby Wildland we are committed to evidence-driven rewilding. We ensure that every intervention is guided by existing evidence on what has a positive impact for species and habitats, and continuous monitoring ensures we have robust data to ensure our interventions on site have a positive impact for nature and people.
We track a wide variety of indicators at our site – including, but not limited to: bird, bat, insect, and plant species; habitat health; water quality; and soil condition – which enables us to assess the effectiveness of our interventions, and ensure that our rewilding efforts are working for nature. This approach also allows us to produce new evidence on how ecosystems respond to rewilding over time.
Beyond our on site data driven approach we also actively contribute to scientific research, advancing the global knowledge base on rewilding impacts and biodiversity monitoring. Through this work, we aim to lead the way in evidence-led rewilding that delivers measurable benefits for people and nature.
Ecological Kick-starters
We’ve employed a number of simple kick-starters to help give these natural processes a boost, for example creating piles of brash – dead wood, branches and leaves – in the middle of the fields. This creates little habitat islands in the vast fields, encouraging birds to use these to rest, setting seeds which will then be afforded some protection as they grow. We’ve also spread ‘green hay’ – the cuttings of species rich wildflower margins – to provide a seed source on the degraded soils, that wouldn’t otherwise find its way very quickly to the Wildland.
In partnership with NatureSpace, as part of their Network Rail Organisational License, we’ve also been restoring and adding ponds for Great Crested Newts. More recently we’ve been creating areas of ‘rough & loose’ ground, to encourage biodiversity across the wildland to alter the topography and bring limestone soil to the surface, thereby creating different habitats within the landscape.
Early signs of Nature recovery
Across Boothby Wildland, Nature is reclaiming the land through natural colonisation – seeds dispersing naturally to establish trees and scrub where woodland hasn’t existed recently. This approach is not only cost-free – it produces hardier saplings better adapted to climate change, pests and disease.
Early arrivals include Birch and Hawthorn, the latter forming dense thickets that shelter wildlife and protect slower-growing trees. Oak and Ash are appearing gradually; acorns dropped by jays and squirrels take root along field edges, while Ash persists despite dieback. Blackthorn adds thorny barriers against grazing and offers spring nectar and autumn sloes for wildlife.
To help Nature create a resilient, self-sustaining landscape, we will be planting some extra trees to fill gaps in hedgerow and boost seed sources.
Securing sustainable
financial returns
There is a £50bn-£100bn funding gap to meet the UK’s legally binding environmental targets over the next decade. Philanthropy and public funding is simply not enough.
Through pioneering public-private partnerships, Boothby is unlocking new models of blended finance that can be replicated by others to allow nature restoration to scale up.
Our landmark carbon investment from Arup and participation in DEFRA’s Landscape Recover scheme demonstrate how Nature-based solutions can deliver long-term value.
Example: Unlocking private sector investment into Nature
Boothby Wildland receives landmark carbon investment from Arup
In 2024 Arup, a global consultancy and leader in sustainable development, approached the market to explore how a new private sector funding model could be used to unlock meaningful Nature restoration through upfront investment. The result was a £1 million upfront to secure 10,000 tonnes of future carbon removal credits from Boothby Wildland.
Arup’s pioneering investment in Boothby Wildland marked a transformative moment in private-sector funding for Nature restoration and carbon sequestration. This initiative not only supports Arup’s Net Zero goals but also demonstrates a strategic shift toward Nature-based solutions that deliver wide-ranging environmental and social benefits.
The project, aligned with the Wilder Carbon Standard and validated by Soil Association Certification, showcases how private capital can unlock high-integrity, place-based restoration efforts that go beyond carbon offsetting to include flood mitigation, improved water quality, and enhanced biodiversity.
“This collaboration sets a blueprint for private-sector leadership in climate action, demonstrating how upfront funding can accelerate ecosystem recovery while aligning with corporate values and strategic sustainability objectives.”
Example: Pioneering Public-Private collaboration
Boothby leads the way on Defra’s Landscape Recovery
In 2025, Boothby Wildland was proud to become the first project to enter the implementation phase of DEFRA’s Landscape Recovery scheme - a landmark 30-year agreement supporting large-scale habitat restoration, biodiversity uplift, and climate resilience.
This milestone follows two and a half years of development - and positions Boothby as a pioneer for other projects in the scheme. Boothby will provide valuable learnings for other Round One and Round Two Landscape Recovery projects to ensure best practice and cost-efficient delivery.
Nattergal CEO Archie Struthers said of the news “This is the perfect example of a public-private collaboration working towards a shared goal of reversing biodiversity collapse, and one that delivers real benefits to Nature and local communities.