Extra Information:
As one of THE most nature-depleted countries in the world, the UK is undergoing a biodiversity emergency. Under ever-increasing stress and destruction from development, land use changes and the climate emergency, life-sustaining nature is running out of places to go.
In the UK, 40% of species are in decline, 15% are under threat of extinction and there has been a 13% fall in the abundance of nature since 1970 - within your parent's lifetime.
So, don’t just sit there. Let’s put a stop to it, now!
Here is our moment to take control of our futures, to be the first generation to leave the planet in a better state than how we found it. Make a stand and a statement for nature here at UWE by voting to save a wildlife-rich site from development.
In doing so, you’d be part of one of the very first universities to have its own dedicated on-campus Rewilding site for nature recovery and community wellbeing.
- What it would mean for you -
For students and staff, the 9.5 hectare site would provide a truly natural space where wildlife is allowed the freedom to flourish. There will be paths to wander around, clear your mind and relax. Benches along the way to sit and listen to the leaves sway gently in the breeze, or peer through branches to catch a peak at a lively robin. Witness the area transform to life over the seasons of your years here at UWE.
It wouldn’t be a carefully manicured garden. It would be like having a mini nature reserve on your doorstep! A safe space for both people and wildlife to feel at peace.
If you’re a student in an Environmental field of study, utilise this ‘living lab’ for dissertation research and projects. If you aren’t doing an Environmental course, utilise the space for research anyway! What are the effects of access to a truly wild space on student perspectives and wellbeing, for example. There are so many possibilities.
It’s win-win. Let’s get it done.
- What is ‘Rewilding’? -
Where traditional conservation management is focused on fine-tuning habitats to a target or expectation of what nature ‘ought’ to be, Rewilding aims to give nature the space and freedom to recover, grow and adapt on its own terms. Nature must be free to choose its own response to climate change, leading to better functioning ecosystems and increased resilience.
It's a more relaxed approach to conservation, most effective at large scale. Rewilding doesn’t replace traditional conservation management but complements it. We can give nature a helping hand by creating the right conditions or introducing keystone species to restore natural processes. After which, we step back and let nature be free to manage itself.
Allowing nature to do its thing may mean uncertainty and unexpected outcomes. But for us, this provides a wealth of opportunities for research, learning and ultimately a better understanding of natural processes.