Ground-breaking wilding project reaches two-year milestone

In the two years that followed the release of three original herd members, they increased in number to six, with a surprise calf, a bull arriving from Germany and a not-so-unexpected birth of a male calf in the winter. The woodland now has a New Forest feel to it, with free-roaming Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle, and Iron-Age pigs, all bringing their unique browsing behaviours to the reserve, shaping the landscape naturally, boosting biodiversity, and helping to build climate resilience.

The first year of monitoring in West Blean was published, and though it is far too early to say how the bison are changing the area, there were some really interesting finds, including the discovery of the fungus beetle ‘Dissoleucas niverirostris’ which had not been recorded in the UK since 1988. Te Trust says they are not suggesting the bison can bring species back from extinction, but the find does celebrate the importance of wildlife monitoring. 

After the release of themonitoring data, the project team were enthused by a report circulated by the Global Rewilding Alliance suggesting that bison are the climate heroes we believe them to be. The paper concluded that 170 rewilded bison in Romania are helping to draw down and store the equivalent CO2 emissions of removing up to 84,000 average US petrol cars from the road. 

Following the publication of the data, Chief Executive, Evan Bowen-Jones said that he was: “Encouraged by the findings of this report which highlight our rationale behind the Wilder Blean Initiative. Using these ecosystem engineers in the UK can provide similar benefits, adding to our national resilience and helping combat the climate and biodiversity crises. 

“Anecdotally, we are already seeing so many changes to West Blean and Thorden Woods with corridors opening through the woodland, bringing light and life to the forest floor. We are preparing to enter the next phase of the project installing bison bridges, which will allow the herd access to 200 hectares of woodland, a step that will help to maximise the benefit of these incredible Nature-based Solutions on our landscape.”

After the research was published, another milestone was celebrated with after children’s author Alice Hemming, released a children's book based on the project, “The Bison and the Butterfly. This charming ecosystem story, which was workshopped with the children of Herne Bay Primary School, follows Bison and her journey to meet new friends as she travels across the woodland. In the future, the tale will form part of an audio story trail at West Blean and Thornden Woods, with the aim of inspiring a love of nature in children. 

The bison element of Wilder Blean is complemented by a much larger initiative, connecting wildlife habitats across Blean. Step one will come in the near future with the installation of bison bridges, which will allow the herd to fully access over 200 hectares of the Blean woodland and showcase the nature reserve as being one where people and wildlife can coexist and share the landscape. 

The Trust is also working with partners including RSPB and Woodland Trust to connect the Blean complex. Here, with a vision to see southern England’s largest area of ancient woodland connected for wildlife and, in doing so, create social and economic benefits for the community. Kent Wildlife Trust has been fortunate to have been awarded £100,000 from Rewildling Britain’s Challenge Fund, this crucial much-needed funding has helped us hit the ground running, taking the first steps in turning the vision into reality. 

At present, the possible inclusion of a 2,000-house development for the area within Canterbury City Council’s local plan is met with concern by the conservationists who support the Save the Blean Campaign in the hope the plans will be halted. The Trust is also urging Swale Borough Council to consider the outcome for wildlife should plans for a 1,700-house development on the border of its South Blean Nature Reserve be approved saying it will be problematic for species to travel across the wildlife corridors they hope to create in the Blean, if they are continuously nailed shut through development.

Kent Wildlife Trust’s Bison and Conservation Grazing Ranger Hannah Mackins said: “It's amazing to think that it's been two years since three bison first ventured into the woodland. Now their numbers have doubled and they're having a huge impact in West Blean. The reserve is teeming with life in areas that were once in darkness, and you can feel a renewed energy in the woodland. 

“Everywhere you look, there are success stories of nature's resilience – from seeing dung beetle larvae to the monitoring programme discovering species of insects we thought were extinct regionally.  

“This project shows the incredible power of nature to heal and gives us hope for the future.  

“The concept of 'wilding' has inspired countless individuals, from the general public to dedicated conservationists. It's remarkable to see how this project has sparked a passion for wildlife in people who may not have been interested in the nature reserve before. We recently released our first children's book, 

"The Bison and the Butterfly," written by children's author Alice Hemmings and workshopped by the children at Herne Bay Primary School. Wilder Blean is more than just a conservation effort; it's a story of hope unfolding right in front of us.” 

Director of Wildwood Trust, Paul Whitfield added: “In the two years since the first bison were released this new herd have been breeding naturally and working through the woods acting as important ecosystem engineers creating new habitats and space for other species. Millions of people have celebrated this innovative and exciting project over the past two years and we have only just begun.”