Over 200 species are threatened or endangered in Kent, with natural habitats shrinking or degrading at an alarming rate.
Kent Wildlife Trust, the county’s leading conservation charity, has launched the KWT Nature Restoration Fund - its biggest and most ambitious fundraising appeal ever - to raise £3 million to restore wild places and reverse species decline.
More than 200 species in the county are threatened or endangered, almost 80% of rivers, lakes and groundwater bodies are in poor condition, 10% of species face extinction, and just 11.5% of land is well-managed for wildlife (State of Nature in Kent 2021).
The KWT Nature Restoration Fund will support the charity to protect and expand the county’s most diverse and threatened habitats through its Wilder Kent 2030 Strategy: wilding through species introductions and widespread habitat restoration, rapid responses to wildlife emergencies, essential ecological staff and monitoring, community action projects, and advocacy for stronger environmental protections.
The appeal has already been kickstarted with a generous £100,000 gift, providing vital early momentum towards the ambitious target. Kent Wildlife Trust relies on long-term, flexible public donations which are vital to achieving the scale of action nature urgently needs. With Brexit ending major EU grants, national budgets falling far short of biodiversity targets, and fierce competition for the few grants available in Kent, public funding for conservation has never been more restricted.
Evan Bowen-Jones, Chief Executive of Kent Wildlife Trust, said: ‘Our vision is for a Kent alive with birdsong, buzzing with pollinators, and filled with wild spaces that benefit both people and wildlife. We have the knowledge, experience, and strategy to make this vision a reality and reverse species decline, but we cannot do it alone. Without public support, nature will continue to vanish; with it, we can bring back lost species, restore habitats, and create a future where people and wildlife thrive together.
‘With costs rising, wildlife - and the people working to protect it - rely more than ever on the generosity of local communities. Every gift to our Kent Nature Fund, no matter how small, helps secure a wilder, healthier future for Kent.’
The charity’s Wilder Kent 2030 Strategy outlines an ambitious plan to restore Kent’s landscapes, reintroduce lost species, and create a connected, climate-resilient network of habitats.
KWT Nature Restoration Fund will allow the Trust to expand native woodland, restore reedbeds and riverbanks, protect chalk and neutral meadows, and revive rare heathland. These efforts will support species such as nightingales, dormice, lesser spotted woodpeckers, beavers, water voles, marsh harriers, pollinators, reptiles, and specialist birds like nightjars.
Paul Hadaway, Director of Conservation and Engagement at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: ‘This appeal is about restoring the living systems that sustain us all. From the beaver dams that slow floods, to the meadows that feed our pollinators, to the woodlands that lock away carbon - every donation helps stitch nature back together. By 2030, with the public’s help, Kent could be home to thriving, connected habitats that support people and wildlife alike.’
For more information about the KWT Nature Restoration Fund and to donate to the appeal, visit: kwtg.uk/nature-restoration-fund
Illustration by Bea Baranowska