Author: Charlotte Maddix

• Hustings to take place at Pitlochry Festival Theatre following backing by Alan Cumming last year
• Cumming shared details of event with his 853,000 Instagram followers on Friday

Politicians from all major political parties are set to take part in the first ever hustings dedicated to debating rewilding issues, ahead of Scotland’s elections this May.

The Rewilding Nation: Hope for Nature Hustings event is taking place at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on World Rewilding Day, Friday 20 March. It follows the public backing for rewilding last year by Scottish actor and Pitlochry’s Artistic Director, Alan Cumming, who shared details of the event with his 853,000 Instagram followers last Friday.

All six political parties currently represented in the Scottish Parliament have all been invited to take part on the panel. The hustings will be chaired by TV and radio presenter Jennifer Reoch.

The non-partisan event is being organised by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, a coalition of more than 20 charities, community groups and rural enterprises. It will give voters the opportunity to compare political visions, ask questions, and understand the commitments each party is willing to make.

Steve Micklewright, co-convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance and chief executive of charity Trees for Life, said: “Scotland is facing a pivotal election in May. With the future of our land, wildlife and communities at stake, the hustings will give the public a direct voice on the need for large-scale nature restoration and the extensive benefits this could bring for people, nature and climate in Scotland.

“We’re also pleased to be holding the hustings in Perthshire, home to the most rewilding spaces in Scotland. By holding it in Pitlochry, we’re also putting rural voices front and centre in holding politicians to account.”

Research has shown that public support in Scotland for rewilding is strong, with 80% believing the Scottish government should implement policies to support rewilding. 

You can register your free place at the rewilding hustings here: https://hopefornature.eventbrite.co.uk.

The Rewilding Nation Charter at www.rewild.scot/charter, calling on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland a rewilding nation, has been signed by thousands of people. The campaign has been backed by high-profile names including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, actor Brian Cox, singer Nathan Evans, and activist Laura Young (Less Waste Laura).

Last year, speaking about the Rewilding Nation campaign to see nature restored across 30% of Scotland’s land and seas, Alan Cumming said: “Scotland could have more forests, healthier seas, and lusher wildlife. Rewilding is how we can make that happen – bringing with it balance, hope, and fantastic opportunity – creating jobs, teaching new skills, and bringing people together to look after Scotland’s future.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

Media contacts:

Ian Morton; 07811 183633; ian.morton@campaigncollective.org

Images: Download at https://bit.ly/RewildingNationimages. Please credit as per file name. One- time use only; images should not be used in relation to any other messaging, stored for future use, passed to a third party, or sold for commercial use.

We are delighted that the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill has been voted into law. This truly landmark legislation will create a much better legal framework for nature recovery than Scotland’s current system – a shared victory for people and nature. 

Statutory nature restoration targets, reforms to deer management legislation, and improvements to our National Parks have been sorely needed for years.

This Bill is the result of years of campaigning by people who care about Scotland’s nature. In the face of the terrifying decline of nature in recent decades and the despair that can cause, this moment is well worth celebrating.

While this legislation is a major leap forward, the real work is done by people on the ground – and they still face barriers to nature recovery not addressed by this Bill. 

Scotland’s decades-old system of nature conservation designations is no longer always the right tool for large-scale nature recovery. In a changing climate, a static approach can unintentionally prevent nature from healing itself – holding back nature recovery.

On land, nature needs more than protection. In Scotland, one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, it requires active intervention to restore habitats and enrich the diversity of species and ecosystems. 

We need to empower the people on the ground who want to be the architects of nature’s recovery. 

We are pleased the Scottish Government has listened to calls for a short life working group, with an independent membership, to look at how protected sites can deliver better for nature. We look forward to supporting that process and working alongside the people across Scotland who want to see nature come bursting back to life. 

Alastair Seaman, Director at the Woodland Trust Scotland, said: 

“Our sites across Scotland are havens for people and wildlife. Action to restore nature helps tackle climate breakdown and the nature crisis – it’s crucial that designations help, not hinder, nature’s return. We need a dynamic approach that empowers sites prioritising large-scale nature recovery to do what needs to be done.”

Lisa Chilton, CEO of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, said:

“Across the 100 sites in our Northwoods Rewilding Network, land managers are finding that, in some cases, legal protections designed to conserve individual species and habitats are actually an obstacle to the recovery of self-sustaining natural ecosystems on land. This is especially true for habitats that were in poor ecological condition when they became protected sites. Often the land manager is required by law to maintain the site in this state rather than allowing the landscape to naturally recover and evolve. One example is Muie Croft, where the upland habitat is degraded and low in biodiversity, yet the owners are obliged to keep it that way due to the legal protections in place.”

She added:

“This isn’t about throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Protected sites have played a critical role in conserving isolated examples of our most threatened habitats and species. But we now need more flexible designations that also recognise the importance of restoring natural ecological processes.”  

Steve Micklewright, CEO of Trees for Life, said:

“Scotland’s network of protected sites has been a vital brake on biodiversity loss. But to really halt and then reverse biodiversity loss, it’s time to move from protecting fragments of nature to restoring entire landscapes. Modernising designations for those that need it most would give nature the freedom to restore itself.”