SCOTLAND: The Big Picture

WE'RE HIRING 📣 We are looking for a highly skilled digital media specialist to be at the heart of our creative communications, and to optimise the reach and influence of our work. Does this sound like you? 👉Apply by 15 November: https://bit.ly/SBP-DCL

🌿📸 Celebrating the power of rewilding through photography! 📸🌿 We’re thrilled to announce the winner of the Rewilding Europe Award as part of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organised by GDT Gesellschaft für Naturfotografie e.V.. This year, Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand captures the magic of rewilding with his stunning image of an Iberian lynx in its natural habitat. 🐾 The return of this majestic predator highlights how rewilding is restoring vital predator-prey dynamics, helping nature to thrive. “The Rewilding Europe Award is more than just a photography prize,” says Rewilding Europe’s Director Engagement and Public Relations Laurien Holtjer. “It’s a way to connect people with the rewilding movement and inspire practical rewilding efforts." Rewilding is about giving nature the space to restore itself, and these photographs tell the story of the resilience of Europe’s wild spaces. Swipe through to discover this year's winning and highly commended images: 🏆 "Iberian lynx" – Staffan Widstrand: The resurgence of one of Europe’s most iconic predators in Spain and its role in restoring the health and functionality of nature. 🥈 "Huchen habitat" – Bernhard Schubert: A vibrant river system coming back to life, illustrating the power of rewilding rivers. 🌿 "Seeds of hope" – Lewis Jefferies: Seagrass regeneration efforts showcasing how nature-based interventions can help restore marine ecosystems. 🐟 "Hope for the future of our rivers" – Arthur de Bruin: The release of juvenile sturgeon, symbolising the revival of Europe’s rivers. 🦬 "King of the East" – Florian Smit: A majestic European bison, highlighting the impact of rewilding grazers in Białowieża National Park. Join us in celebrating the beauty of a wilder Europe! 🌍✨ Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3JU58pc #Rewilding #europeanwildlifephotographeroftheyear #gdtfoto #ewpy #ewpy2024 #rewildingeuropeaward

The Loch Abar Mòr nature restoration partnership, convened by SBP, is committed to working with communities to ensure that ecological recovery works in tandem with employment, learning and recreation opportunities. In the first of a planned series of events, we recently welcomed a group of community representatives and land managers to Corrour Estate, to learn about their ongoing work around peatland restoration and natural woodland regeneration. Find out more about the nature-rich future planned for this spectacular region of Scotland: www.lochabarmor.scot

Introducing the third of our #2024StAndrewsPrize for the Environment finalists. Come and learn about the important work our finalists are doing at their public presentations on Thursday, October 31: https://lnkd.in/e55D5tmc The Northwoods Rewilding Network is a Scotland-wide chain of landholdings committed to nature recovery, convened and coordinated by rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. Northwoods land partners share a vision of a vast network of rewilded land and water across Scotland, where wildlife flourishes and people thrive. Despite its majestic vistas, Scotland has become one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. While it boasts a number of examples of rewilding at a landscape-scale, the dual emergencies of climate breakdown and nature loss demand that rewilding must also be accessible to smaller landholdings, so they can contribute to ecological recovery. Northwoods was conceived as an accessible, democratic pathway for delivering ecological recovery for small to medium-sized landholdings of 100 to 1,000 acres. Since its inception in 2019, the network has grown to 85 land partners – 20% of which are community owned – forming a series of ecological stepping stones across Scotland that cover an area of 25,000 acres.  The project provides tailored support to enable land partners to overcome obstacles to their rewilding aspirations, including funding support, ecological advice to ensure rewilding is conducted according to best practice, and assistance in developing nature-based businesses to make rewilding economically viable. Northwoods also places significant emphasis on showcasing the success stories of its land partners to expand the network and inspire wider ecological recovery across Scotland.

'Given that deer play such a pivotal role in ecosystem health and function, it's time to be brave and try something different.' SCOTLAND: The Big Picture has joined The Common Ground Forum, a group of organisations from across Scotland who are committed to a more collaborative approach to deer management. 🦌 In this blog, SBP’s Hugh Webster reflects on the long-running debate around Scotland’s deer and explains why we support a new approach to address contested issues. Read on: https://lnkd.in/ehRKKEey

We're delighted to launch our 2025 Rewilding Journeys with a new addition: Wild Perthshire 🌳 We're excited, also, to be working with the Coorie Inn in Muthill, who will provide the outstanding accommodation for this experience. Named in The Guardian as one of the best UK foodie getaways for autumn, the Coorie Inn uses the freshest local, seasonal ingredients in its creative meals (something we champion in all our journeys)! If you know someone who would love the opportunity to experience rewilding landscapes and meet the inspiring people behind them, please share: https://lnkd.in/eBtBYyeR

"Rewilding doesn’t mean sacrificing large swathes of productive land; it means integrating nature into all land management, however small." 🌿

Our friends at Trees for Life are moving towards the release of Tauros, a cattle breed that closely resembles the ancient Aurochs, which is already making its tracks across Europe. We look forward to following the progress of this project and seeing it become part of a growing range of efforts in Scotland to restore vital natural processes to our landscapes. 🌱 Want to find out more about the ground-enriching habits of large herbivores, and how they can play a part in #MakingRewildingHappen? Read the story: https://lnkd.in/gsuUznWk

We are spending less time in nature than ever before. Our mental and physical health is declining as we deny ourselves of nature’s ability to inspire and heal. A nature-rich Scotland is good for people. Beyond the joy and wonder it provides, nature is our life-support system. Clean air and water, a stable climate and fertile soils make up the foundations of our existence. For a better world for us, and the generations to come, let's #MakeRewildingHappen together. Donate here to double your impact: https://lnkd.in/dynpTff9 #WorldMentalHealthDay

We're excited to announce our new partnership with SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a charity working to restore Scotland’s landscapes, enhance biodiversity, and deliver economic benefits to rural communities. As ‘Rewilding Business Partner,’ we will provide pro bono legal advice to support the charity’s Northwoods Rewilding Network, a pioneering initiative connecting a growing community of farmers, crofters, community groups and other landowners who currently steward over 25,000 acres of land across Scotland. Together, we’re contributing to a wilder, more resilient future for Scotland. Mark Ellis, our Managing Partner commented: “Every organisation makes an impact on the planet and society and as a firm, we’re committed to making our environmental impact as positive as possible. We’re always looking for fresh new ways to engage with our communities where we can make a difference, and so I’m very pleased that we are able to use our expertise from across the firm to support SCOTLAND: The Big Picture in their fantastic work restoring and protecting our natural landscapes.” Learn more about our partnership and the work of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture here: https://bit.ly/4eCEL1j