The Wilder Northumberland Network was launched on the 26th of March 2024 and is continuingly growing and gaining new members. This network is an exciting, new network for nature recovery in Northumberland. The network seeks to connect land managers who are currently or would like to undertake nature recovery actions including wilding.
The Wilder Northumberland Network endeavours to increase connectivity across Northumberland, removing barriers to species movement whilst also creating more space for water and more space for trees and scrub. The Network aims to inspire members, provide access to key resources and peer learning opportunities, offer expert advice and share local and national experiences.
To date we have held several successful events for network members including a session on ‘Connecting Landscapes – food production, climate change and nature recovery’ with Libby Drew Director of the Knepp Wildland Foundation and Mark Bridgeman from the CLA leading on the talks and discussion. Other events have included a network member site visit to our very own NWT Wilding West Chevington where Lee gave a tour of the site and discussed the two methods being used for arable reversion. We also organised the Great North Bog Day in conjunction with the Northumberland Peat Partnership at one of our members sites, Moss Peteral Farm, which included a number of workshops focusing on peatland, peatland restoration, management and flora and fauna.
By being a member of the Wilder Northumberland Network, members commit to actively follow one or more of the Wilder Northumberland Principles, which are:
- Making space for water
This could be through rewetting, slowing the flow of water, ‘rewiggling’ of streams and rivers, floodplain management or other practices. Indeed, there are various wetland habitats across Northumberland which host diverse communities of wildlife. Such habitats include marshes, ponds, bogs, peatland, rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. By committing to making space for water, members will be helping wildlife and creating wilder spaces.
- Making space for trees and shrub
This could be through natural regeneration, wilder hedgerows, riparian woodland planting, native planting or encouraging scrub. Habitat fragmentation is an issue which has affected many habitats and species across the UK. By making space for trees and scrub, members can help develop habitats and habitat corridors, linking areas and connecting the wilder spaces in Northumberland and therefore addressing the issues of fragmentation.
- Letting Nature Lead
This could be through diminishing management or naturalised grazing. It is about giving nature the chance to flourish by itself and letting natural processes take hold once more enabling increased biodiversity and less vulnerable ecosystems.
Membership of the network is free and to join the network, members will either have: an area of land designated for nature recovery with a minimum area of 5 hectares, no maximum or a wilder linear corridor designated for nature recovery, with a minimum length of 1km, no maximum. These wilder corridors could be hedgerows, riparian woodlands, river corridors or field margins for example.
We are very grateful to our funders, the Reece Foundation, for all their support with the network.
If you would like to know more about the Wilder Northumberland Network or you are interested in becoming a member, please contact us at wildernorthumberland@northwt.org.uk or visit our webpage Wilder Northumberland Network | Northumberland Wildlife Trust (nwt.org.uk)