Rewilding

Having been hunted to extinction in Britain over 400 years ago, beavers are making a welcome return! We’ve had beavers on the land at 42 since 2016. They’ve built a breeding lodge, raised several generations of kits, and redefined our entire ecosystem.

As a keystone species, they’ve dramatically changed our landscape, creating thriving new wetlands, and providing habitat for diverse other species. As a result, we’ve seen a huge increase in biodiversity. These spaces are now brimming with wildflowers, invertebrates, amphibians, birdlife, fish, and small mammals.

We live in harmony with these extraordinary ecosystem engineers – which is not without its challenges! The beavers on this land live completely wild and have created a complex system of waterways. These form a sponge-like habitat that holds water in the landscape for longer, stores carbon, captures pollutants, and mitigates the risk of both flood and drought.

We believe that harmoniously coexisting with beavers, trusting them to do their thing, and not intervening is a natural, joyful, and constructive response to the climate and biodiversity crises. 

‘It’s a spaniel-sized rodent that has a greater impact than any other animal apart from humans and elephants and that just brings me joy!’

Tay Davies, Rewilding Coombeshead

White storks lived in British wetlands since ancient times but hunting and habitat loss led to their disappearance. The last recorded breeding pair in Britain was seen in Edinburgh in 1416.

Now, these charismatic birds have become a symbol of hope for species reintroduction efforts. At Knepp, they’ve been successfully reintroduced, with free-flying, captive-bred birds already joining wild birds on migration and bringing them back to breed with! Remarkably, Knepp has become the first place in Britain in over 600 years where wild white stork chicks have successfully fledged.

The next step is to establish a network of habitats and feeding grounds along migration routes across the UK—and we’re proud to be part of this ambitious project. In partnership with The Species Recovery Centre, 42 Acres has rehomed a small colony of white storks, supporting them breed and develop site loyalty before their release into the wild. Our goal is to establish a free-flying, breeding population here in Somerset.

By working alongside other rewilding pioneers, we aim to scale up these seed populations, paving the way for the white stork’s return to a free-living state in Britain.

The white stork enclosure at 42 Acres features multiple roosts, both high and low, allowing the birds to explore their environment, along with dedicated nesting platforms. We’ve also created four ponds and enriched the banks with native wetland plants, transforming the area into an insect haven where the storks can learn to hunt live invertebrates.

Traditionally, storks are considered harbingers of hope, joy and rebirth. We hope their return to the UK will signal not just a revival of their species but also a deeper reconnection with nature.

Wild cats have been living in Britain since the last Ice Age and were once common in England and Wales. However, habitat loss and intense persecution led to their extinction in these regions over a century ago.

Today, they are Britain’s rarest and most threatened mammal, classified as critically endangered and on the brink of extinction in Scotland. With only around 200 highly-dispersed individuals left in the wild, natural population expansion is no longer possible. As a result, reintroduction is the only way to prevent Britain’s last remaining native cat species from disappearing from the UK within our lifetimes.

Wild cats look a lot like domestic tabby cats – only bigger and more stocky, with a blunt, fluffy, banded tail. Like most cat species they are shy, territorial, and live solitary lives except when breeding.  Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, with rabbits being a favoured prey.

The South West was one of the last strongholds for wildcats in England and there’s evidence to show that they played a vital role in our ecosystems. There is much work to do to slowly build up their population and garner the support of local communities before we can envisage a wild population of free-living wild cats in Somerset.  We’re working with The Species Recovery Centre, and have rehomed 2 groups of wild cats on site. You’re welcome to visit them, please be mindful to minimise disruption, they are very shy.

The pine marten was a common sight in the UK, but centuries of deforestation, hunting, and persecution by humans drove it to near extinction. By the early 20th century, it survived only in the remote woodlands of Scotland, with just a handful of individuals remaining in England and Wales.

Pine martens belong to the Mustelidae family, which includes otters, weasels, polecats, and stoats. Nocturnal and elusive, they are about the size of a domestic cat and while they may look cute, they’re actually highly-skilled predators. Pine martens are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on small mammals such as voles and mice, along with birds, insects, berries, and carrion. They can play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, given their penchant for grey squirrels!

Today, pine martens remain one of Britain’s rarest mammals due to habitat loss and historical persecution. With protection and public support, these elusive creatures could once again thrive in Britain’s woodlands, restoring balance to the ecosystems they have long been a part of.

There are pine martens on the land at 42 Acres. They are notoriously difficult to spot and lightning fast. If you see one, please do let us know on @42acresretreat, we’d love to hear from you!

Wild boar were once a common sight across Britain, but centuries of hunting and habitat destruction led to their extinction in the 13th century. For hundreds of years, they were absent from the landscape—until small populations began to re-establish in the late 20th century, mainly escapees from farms who had been importing wild boar from mainland Europe to raise them for their meat.

Today, wild boar are found in scattered populations across parts of England and Scotland. While their numbers remain relatively low, this keystone species still plays a crucial role as ecosystem engineer – their rootling in search of food aerates the soil, and the disturbed ground left behind becomes habitat for myriad insects and forage for birds. Wild boar love wallowing which creates muddy pools. These in turn attract all kinds of creatures for a drink or a bath, and become home to amphibians.

Many of our team have seen wild boar on the land, although this image of 3 piglets is the only photo we have captured. It’s difficult to advise where to go for the best chance to spot them as they are continually on the move. If you do manage to get a photo, please tag us @42acresretreat – we’d love to see.