A UK-wide campaign is gaining momentum as it calls for Scotland to become the first Rewilding Nation. The campaign, which has recently gained support from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, is launching a fundraising drive to raise £200,000 in just one week.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, a coalition of over 20 organizations, is urging the Scottish Government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of the country in order to benefit nature, climate, and people.
In a message shared on his Instagram account to his 62 million followers, DiCaprio expressed his support for the campaign, saying, “With this campaign, Scotland could be a world leader in rewilding its landscapes, ensuring clean air and water, storing carbon, reducing flooding, restoring wildlife, and improving the lives of locals.”
Rewilding Britain is aiming to raise the necessary funds for the Rewilding Nation campaign through the Big Give Green Match Fund, which will run from April 18 to 25. All donations made during this time will be matched by the Big Give.
Kevin Cumming, Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Director and steering group member of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, stated, “We’re urging people from all walks of life to support the Rewilding Nation campaign. This is about creating a groundswell of hope for a greener, fairer Scotland in which communities and nature thrive together.”
The funds raised during the Big Give week will be used to support outreach efforts to the Scottish Government, politicians, and communities. This will include a series of events throughout the summer, a new community rewilding guide, and making the campaign accessible in Gaelic.
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance has plans to use dynamic and creative approaches to showcase how rewilding can help combat biodiversity loss and climate breakdown, while also providing significant social and economic benefits. This will include initiatives involving young people, who have expressed great concern about the uncertain future posed by the climate and nature crises.
One of the members of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, Trees for Life, has extended an open invitation for DiCaprio to visit their Dundreggan Rewilding Centre near Loch Ness in the Highlands. The centre celebrates rewilding and Gaelic culture and serves as a gateway for visitors to explore Trees for Life’s Dundreggan estate, which is part of the Affric Highlands, the UK’s largest rewilding landscape.
According to research, Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with intensive agriculture and climate breakdown having the biggest impacts on habitats and wildlife. Other threats include non-native forestry, pollution, and introduced species.
The Alliance believes that rewilding 30% of Scotland is achievable by restoring habitats such as peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands, rivers, and seas, without any loss of productive farmland.
Already, thousands of people have signed the Rewilding Nation Charter, which calls on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland a rewilding nation.
For more information about the campaign and to make a donation, please visit https://bit.ly/BigGiveRewildingNation.
This news article was distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.
