Wilder Kent Blog

The invertebrate sorting volunteers are the unsung heroes of the Wilder Blean project - working hard over the winter months at Tyland Barn to ID & record West Blean & Thornden Wood's insect species.

This week, pupils at Herne Junior and Herne Infants were treated to a very special experience as part of their journey to connect with local wildlife and the natural world. Kent Wildlife Trust’s education team joined forces with New York Times bestselling children’s author Alice Hemming, who visited the schools to lead creative storytelling workshops based on her book The Bison and the Butterfly.

Since bison were released into West Blean and Thornden Woods on the outskirts of Canterbury, they have not only transformed the landscape but significantly grown in number.

In this blog, we explore why taking inspiration from the natural world to tell stories holds immense importance in our mission for wilder spaces and species recovery.

Education Manager Tom White explores how teachers can advance their students' education through outdoor exploration, and the resources we provide for GCSE and A-level fieldwork related to one of our most ground-breaking projects.

In September 2023, representatives from the Department of Transport, National Highways, Natural England, South East Water, RSPB, and the Lifescape Project joined Kent Wildlife Trust on a discovery trip to the Netherlands to glean insights on how the Dutch have tackled the challenge of providing space for nature in a crowded landscape.

Rob Smith heads to West Blean and Thorndon Woods for a Bison Ranger Experience. Bison Ranger Tom Gibbs takes guests through the woodland in search of bison tracks and explains how the grazing animals here contribute to natural woodland regeneration.

Helen Pitman, Wilder Blean Landscape Development Manager shares a trip to the Netherlands in September to learn how the Dutch have tackled the challenge of providing space for nature in a crowded landscape.