Needs: Ecological vision and nature restoration strategy
Landscape Characteristics: Lowland; Woodland, heathland, scrubland
In late 2022, a partnership project between Natural England and the Conservators of Ashdown Forest engaged Real Wild Estates to map out a way to restore a vast tract of southeast England’s landscape: the iconic Ashdown Forest.
Ashdown Forest already has major natural assets: deciduous woodland cover is much higher than the rest of the UK, whilst its heathlands form valuable refuges for species such as nightjars. But like much of the British landscape, it has become hard-edged, over-grazed and needs a comprehensive overview of how we can restore it to nature.
Vision: The 100 year ecological vision of RWE envisages a complex, scrub-studded landscape where red-backed shrikes can return, white storks can soar, and colonising white-tailed eagles can find safe haven.