JACK DURANT
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YOUNG WILDERS - REWILDING THE UK
Words - Jo Somerville & Susmita Mukherjee Photos - Zoe Salt
It’s 2042. Twenty years ago, this small patch of green did not stand much of a chance. It would have been lost under the constant hooves of cattle seeking grass and overgrazing would lead to its eventual barrenness. But, incredibly, that never happened. A group of young men and women decided to protect and rewild this forgotten bit of land, saving it from disappearing entirely. In the last twenty years, rewilding efforts swept the nation, saving fragile and beautiful landscapes from Cornwall to Shetland. But efforts to rewild were usually focused on large, rolling spaces. Small bits of beauty around the suburbs had largely been ignored. They faced constant threats and many disappeared under new malls or endless rows of cement blocks. The smaller green patches that play an essential part in the ecosystem would be lost. But because of the efforts of these young activists, that did not happen here. They cut back invasive species, and learned from professional ecologists how to encourage and protect local wildlife. They taught people in the neighbouring homes many of these basic principles through community events, helping the land become a point of neighbourhood pride and a place people were willing to fight to preserve. This rewilding project houses so many cherished memories. There has been much laughter here, and love and a sense of belonging.
Rewilding’s future success across the UK depends on one thing – young people’s involvement. They bring energy, passion, and the potential for life-long dedication, all of which our wildlands need to have a chance of surviving. As Jack Durant, one of the four founders of Youngwilders explains, “Our generation have a much clearer understanding of the UK landscape as depleted of nature rather than having a romanticised picture of rolling hills. There is a real desire to see a fully restored ecosystem, including the hairy scary animals which previous generations might have shunned.” Rewilding isn’t some magical process that only professional ecologists can access. It can be started anywhere by anyone with the desire to learn and the need to act. Yet these small, everyday actions result in a magic of their own. Where there once was a mute patch of grass, new shrubs, trees, and wildflowers become home to a chorus of birds, frogs, and bees. In these places, people can have more meaningful, life changing connections with nature. The forests of tomorrow are shaped by the laughter and sweat of the youth of today. In time, new young people will carry forward the hope of nature’s keepers, ensuring both flora and fauna thrive for generations. Much more work is needed to save the many species threatened by land loss. 20 years from now, if we step up, Britain’s endless rolling meadows may begin to return to what it once was - a rich and varied landscape where nature thrives alongside humanity. This is Jack Durant’s vision of the future.
Jack Durant is thrilled. What started out as a passion project between friends has turned into a vision shared by well over a hundred people. It started simply, with Jack and three of his friends talking about a fear they all shared – that we’re in an unavoidably “decaying world” slipping away even as we watched. They knew rewilding projects were proliferating throughout Britain, but noticed that most of these projects focused on rewilding large tracts of land in distant places. Green spaces in the suburbs and cities, those small bits and bobs all around us, were sidelined. These conversations were a catalyst. Jack and his three friends, Oscar, Molly, and Anya, became a “force of nature”, putting their green thumbs together and co-founding Youngwilders, an organisation focusing on helping young people rewild small pastures and lands. This work is varied and fascinating. Sometimes it means controlling invasive plants. Other times, it requires stepping in to help balance the local ecosystem when certain keystone species (species with a vital role in healthy function) are absent due to human actions.
Founded in 2020, and already they’ve got more than half a dozen projects running and three more in the pipeline. Generous funding from the Tree Council means they’ll be able to keep growing. Most importantly, through staging seminars, workshops and volunteering opportunities, Jack and his co-founders have been able to motivate many young people across the country to rewild small spaces of beauty throughout the country.
Learn more on how you can help by following these links:
Help Jack and the Youngwilders restore the land at this link: The Youngwilders. You can also join forces with other rewilding organisations here: Heal Rewilding, Rewilding Britain, Somerset Wildlands, Trees for Life and Wild East.
If you want to read more about rewilding, start with what Oscar calls the “wilding book holy trinity”: Wilding by Isabella Tree, Rebirding by Benedict Mcdonald, and Feral by George Monbiot.
