In April 2023, the world’s first Rewilding Centre opened on our Dundreggan estate. Since then we have welcomed 35,000 visitors, made over 1,000 beds, served 5,000 cups of coffee and hosted dozens of engaging events for people of all ages and abilities. But what do bed-making and coffee-serving have to do with rewilding, you ask?
For Trees for Life, people are at the heart of rewilding, a part of the landscape. We rely on it for our homes, food, livelihoods and wellbeing. A rewilded landscape is one where people and nature thrive, together. Nature-friendly farming, local and seasonal food, sustainable homes and stable jobs go hand in hand with peatland restoration, woodland regeneration, tree planting, wildlife comeback, and sustainable deer management.
Dundreggan Rewilding Centre aspires to embody this outlook of people and nature working together for a better future. When Trees for Life bought the estate in 2008, one person was employed. Across the estate team, tree nursery and Rewilding Centre, we now employ up to 30 people, and this is rising each year as our work expands. The centre is a business, and any surplus made is put back into the work of the charity. By visiting and coming on a tour, or buying a coffee or cake, you’re not only supporting the work of Trees for Life, but our chain of local suppliers, and our ability to create jobs for people in the area.
The visitor centre has bookable event spaces and accommodation. We have a network of four footpaths, which take you through dense juniper scrub, oak and birch woodland, open moorland and regenerating trees. On a walk you might see the resident black grouse, soaring golden eagles, slow worms, and a wide range of chattering songbirds.
We offer activities on most days such as pond dipping, guided tours, wildlife tracking, storytelling and crafts. We also have special guests leading workshops in birch tapping, identifying signs of wildlife, biofluorescence and much more. This year we’re running immersive residential programmes too, which take you on a deep dive into Dundreggan and rewilding in the Highlands.
Check our website to see what’s on offer by clicking the button below.
Dundreggan is just one small part of a journey we can all contribute to. Across the UK, and the rest of the world, people are making a difference for rewilded landscapes at every scale. Check out the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, Rewilding Britain, Rewilding Europe and the Global Rewilding Alliance to see just how far this movement has spread.
If you want to get involved and make a difference, there are lots of ways you can help. Can you create or enrich habitats around you? Gardens, local parks, or even windowsills can provide food and shelter for wildlife in the form of ponds, meadows, brash piles, deadwood, bird boxes and flowers for pollinators. Consider leaving your lawn to go to meadow, and resist the urge to clear dead stalks - they’re great shelter for insects. Check out projects happening local to you - there are often community gardens and other projects who need volunteers or staff. Can you get involved in some citizen science? More and more organisations are asking for help with recording birds, butterflies and more throughout the year. Can you support local, nature-friendly businesses to source food and other products?
You can also enjoy time in nature, and encourage others to do the same. People protect what they care about, so let’s make sure everyone gets to experience the wonderful landscapes and wildlife we live among. That’s the first step to building a greener future for us all.
Dundreggan Rewilding Centre is generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the Audemars Piguet Foundation, HIE, SSE Sustainable Development Fund, FERN Community Funds, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and The Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, which is led by NatureScot and is part funded through the European Regional Development Fund.