Scotland’s ambitious campaign to become the first Rewilding Nation in the world has received a major boost from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, a coalition of over 20 organizations, has successfully raised £200,000 in just six days, surpassing their initial one-week target by 24 hours.
The Alliance is urging the Scottish Government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of the country, in order to benefit nature, climate, and people. As part of this effort, Rewilding Britain, a member of the Alliance, launched the Rewilding Nation campaign, with a goal of raising £200,000 through the Big Give Green Match Fund. This fund, which will match all donations up to £100,000, will be open until midday on April 25.
The Alliance’s Rewilding Nation Charter, which can be found at www.rewild.scot/charter, has already garnered thousands of signatures, with a surge in support in recent days. According to Kevin Cumming, Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Director and steering group member of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, “The outpouring of support for our ground-breaking Rewilding Nation campaign – through donations and by signing the Rewilding Nation Charter – shows how much Scotland’s rewilding journey is inspiring people from all walks of life.”
He goes on to thank the thousands of people who have donated and signed the Charter, stating that Scotland has a unique opportunity to tackle the nature and climate emergencies while also creating a host of benefits for its people and communities. These benefits include improved health, employment opportunities, food security, and healthy rivers and seas.
Hollywood actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has also shown his support for the campaign, posting a message to his 62 million followers on Instagram earlier this month. The post, which has been liked by 100,000 people, states, “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.”
The Scottish Rewilding Alliance seeks to demonstrate how rewilding can address the issues of biodiversity loss and climate breakdown, while also providing significant social and economic benefits. The funds raised will support outreach efforts, including community events, meetings with politicians and policy makers, a new community rewilding guide, and making the campaign more accessible in Gaelic. There will also be initiatives involving young people, who have expressed concerns about the threats posed by the climate and nature emergencies.
Trees for Life, a member of the Alliance, has extended an invitation for Leonardo DiCaprio to visit their Dundreggan Rewilding Centre near Loch Ness in the Highlands. The center celebrates rewilding and Gaelic culture and serves as a gateway for visitors to explore Trees for Life’s Dundreggan estate, which is part of Affric Highlands, the UK’s largest rewilding landscape.
Scotland is currently 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, according to research. The Alliance believes that rewilding 30% of Scotland can be achieved by restoring habitats such as peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands, rivers, and seas, without any loss of productive farmland.
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