"The manically melodic song of the nightingale is a rare sound in Britain these days, but not at Maple Farm. Four years ago, a single bird could be heard at this secluded spot in rural Surrey; this summer, they were everywhere. We were hearing them calling all night, from five different territories, says Meg Cookson, lead ecologist for the Youngwilders, pointing to the woodland around us."
"An expert from the Surrey Wildlife Trust came to help them net and ring one of the nightingales the next morning, Cookson recalls: He'd never held a nightingale in his hands before. He was crying. Rewilding is by definition a slow business, but here at Maple Farm, after just four years, the results are already visible, and audible. The farm used to be a retirement home for horses."
Maple Farm's habitat restoration produced a rapid return of nightingales, increasing from a single bird four years ago to multiple territories and loud nocturnal song this summer. Nightingale calls filled at least five territories, disrupting campers' sleep and prompting on-site ringing by a Surrey Wildlife Trust expert who was emotional upon holding a bird. Rewilding efforts converted a former horse retirement site into a visible, audible conservation success within four years. The project aims to accelerate nature recovery across the UK while connecting 18–30-year-olds with restored habitats and the climate crisis they will disproportionately inherit.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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