Wild Isles

Land management comes in all shapes and forms, communal or single ownership brings in it's own challenges.  I don't like the term rewilding, it seems to look backwards to so called better times but our land has been changing for millennia. Regeneration is perhaps better, restoration maybe and also improving the environment in general not just in the countryside. I feel urban areas miss out, there are not enough wildlife corridors. Every new tree and shrub helps safe wildlife movement and I'm not talking Lynx or Beavers just birds, small mammals and insects. 

You make some very good points there Brue. Sadly the name rewilding has been under attack by those who see it threatening their own interests and my goodness how much vitriol they can spill aiming personal insults and accusations around. There will be an interesting court case taking place soon but what a waste of money and time that is.
 I hold that the philosophy behind rewilding in the true sense like Iolo describes is good but I too now prefer the term restorative nature. Wait a while though and that too will be attacked by the few. We can’t let the bullies win, nature deserves better!

Exactly Rocky. That’s why it’s so interesting. The whole governance stinks. There are just so many institutions with their fingers in the pies…..royals, the church, aristo’s, coat tail clingers, wannabe hooray Henry’s from overseas, super rich football club owners. All exploiting the British tax payer, and exploiting wild creatures. 

There will be some good projects carried out, but the bottom line is preserving a privileged way of life, primarily attractive to those with a lot of money. I read the other day, that because of the impact of COVID, Avian Flu, grain prices, some shoots might be looking at £100 a shot! Huge money indeed. 

+1👍🏻, why do we pay £100 million for Charles 3rd coronation when he has £1.4bn personal wealth😳. I just don’t understand it. I’d not vote to cancel the royals but they should pay for their own lives.

I quite like Charles, it’s in his upbringing to rapaciously hang on to all things royal, but he seems to have a decent heart, he’s possibly the best of them all, apart from Anne. I prefer a monarchy to elected millionaires anyway. Heaven help us if we ended up with a Trump or another Boris. But we best get off this subject😉

We have both £millionaires & Royals, to throw money at. I thought the Queen was wonderful, she was one of this Country’s biggest assets, She invented the word regal & was regal personified, the rest-not so much🤷🏻‍♂️

apologies for the drift-I’m done👍🏻

• Just in from Lambing so not been through everything. I do like your new word Micky. . Its just what me and my kind have been doing  for decades, quietly, no so called celebrities jumping on the band wagon and no grant chasing. Goodness me  we agree on something. Cup of tea next.

I can’t claim ownership of that term, Fish. It’s one the RSPB and others have been using for a while. To be honest it’s just a relaunch of rewilding from a slightly different angle. It was never about apex predators but the anti brigade used this angle to rubbish the concept, attack the advocates, spread misinformation and then hoodwink others into believing it was a threat to all.
However I too like the word and concept as it focuses on those true nature needs, rather than those of the privileged and vociferous few who wished to protect their assets and claim public money in doing so. 

Rewilding became a dirty word when Bojo's mate who was in charge of DEFRA illegally released Wild Boar and Deer on unfenced land and they invaded his neighbouring farmers land. It was under the umbrella of" rewilding". He was the person on the board of the organisation protecting the countryside. The Grant system even under the EU was always favouring non food production. The big land owners could afford to employ agents who systematically raided the pot. It is worse now under UK control. Favours non agricultural use, ie game shooting, horse breeding and other marginal interests. The big landowners get the most but as we read here do the most damage to the countryside. The tree planters are the latest to feed on it. Incorrect trees, in the wrong place is OK provided they tick the right box. The majority have no empathy with the countryside and just see it as another income stream. They even call it greenwashing!! So before you castigate us small farmers who at times dont get the wording right, look at the system.

When the ceremonial fox hunting and game shooting fraternity saw it as a serious threat to their desires and traditions is when the condemnation and ridicule set in fish and they did a good job of swaying opinion against what was a noble ambition- that being rewilding from the bottom up. it was a deliberate ploy. Thankfully many sensible and informed folk saw through the fake accusations and prophecy of doom these anti rewilders pedalled. 
Just for the record I’m not against fox population, after-all we’ve messed the balance up but it has to be done in an humane way and without the pomp and circumstance of old. Even the RSPB recognise this need but their efforts associated with the culling of any uncontrolled populations of creature is again used as tool to criticise and suggest hypocrisy. They have removed rats, foxes, mustelids etc from several areas where humans have introduced them and this has helped saved some endangered species across the world. Unfortunate but much needed! We cause such problems!