Rewilding at Kinkell Byre
Why we are Rewilding Kinkell
We are Rewilding Kinkell as we believe it is the best, nature-based solution that we can implement to help tackle the twin environmental crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. We have the aim to be Planet Positive by 2030 through Rewilding and investing in Renewable Energy and the Circular Ecomony.
We have already planted more than 6000 trees, created 8 ponds and 2 wader scrapes. Several kilometres of hedgegrows are being planted, wildflower meadows are being created and nature is beginning to re-emerge. We have two highland cows on site, Coco & Ginger, whose job it is to look after and manage the land for us.
We have more plans in the future to deepen the involvement of the local community by providing space for allotments, so people can grow their own food. We also have plans for an educational eco-hub to inspire the younger generation. Ultimately, by using this holistic approach, we hope to inspire other landowners here to build a rewilding corridor that benefits nature and the local community.
For more information, read our Rewilding Blog
We are now offering Rewilding Tours as part of our project. For more information, head over to our Experience Page
Meet the Cows!
You have all probably seen our newest members of the team, Coco & Ginger when you have been at Kinkell. Not only are they here to get in on the wedding photos! But they are here to help with the conservation grazing at Kinkell. They are able to encourage natural regeneration by way of their particular grazing traits.
They help to reduce the prevalence of vigorous plants that out-compete more fragile species; creating microclimates and areas of bare ground through trampling and disturbance. They wrap their tongues around the grass and pull it up in tufts, which creates uneven areas of grass in terms of length and a tussocky finish.
Conservation grazing is now a widespread management method and many conservation bodies regularly use grazers to improve and maintain the sites that they manage for biodiversity.
What is Rewilding?
In it broadest sense, rewilding is concerned with the restoration of ecosystems; healing them, and putting them back together in a better state than they were before. In some cases it also means reintroducing species which have become either extinct or severely threatened.
Rewilding takes a big picture approach, aiming to restore the wider natural processes that support life (for example, grazing, flooding, and natural woodland regeneration). It complements existing conservation work and those sectors seeking a better way forward for nature.
π Wildlife spotting
Our team at Kinkell Byre spotted these lovely toads last night!
Did you know there are a few fundamental differences between toads and frogs? Toads are warty-looking with a dry appearance whereas frogs are normally sleek and smooth with a glistening or wet appearance, hence frogs are rarely seen far away from water. These lovely creatures were spotted on our cabins path, most likely out looking for a tasty slug to eat!
Spawn is another key indicator for which species youβre looking at. Frog spawn is laid in gooey clumps, whereas toad spawn floats in stringy lengths.
#rewilding #rewildingscotland #woodlandtrust
ππ WORLD REWILDING DAY 20TH MARCH 2023 ππ
Today we are celebrating World Rewilding Day! We feel passionately about rewilding as a means to improving biodiversity and sequestering carbon, and we believe it is essential for addressing the ecological and climate crises we are facing.
"Rewilding reaches beyond simply protecting species or habitats within nature reserves or protected areas and instead, seeks to transform Scotlandβs land and seas so that they work for nature, climate and people" - Scotland: THE BIG PICTURE
https://youtu.be/ZR2sPQHUt_4
*images courtesy of our rewilding officer, Jenny*
#rewilding #rewildingscotland #thescottishrewildingalliance #rewildingeurope #rewildingbritain
ππ³ TREE-mendous news! π³π
We've had a busy yet absolutely brilliant tree-planting season so far in 2023! Here are some of our tree facts:
8,473 trees / hedge trees planted
1,420 m hedges planted
3 new established oaks planted
3 new copses created
1 new understorey woodland created
Species-wise, we have concentrated our efforts on planting native species which have included the following:
Oak; crab apple; goat willow; rowan; scots pine; silver birch; wild cherry; blackthorn; dog rose; elder; hawthorn; hazel; holly.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTS
π³British oak trees support an estimated 2,300 species, an incredible variety of wildlife
π³A mature tree can absorb up to 150kg of CO2 a year
π³UK Green spaces remove up to 1.3 billion kg of air pollutants each year
π³Well-placed trees can help cool the air between 2 and 8 degrees in urban communities
THANK YOU to our community tree planters which have included SRUC Elmwood; Footprint East Neuk volunteers; Fife & Kinross Bat Group; Kingsbarns Primary school, and Jack from St. Andrews University. Thank you also to Nick & Kerr from Sitka Tree Services.
πππππ
#rewilding #rewildingscotland #treeplanting #climatecrisis
πͺ±πππ± Primary School visit π±πππͺ±
Today we welcomed Kingsbarns Primary School for some fun and educational outdoor activities, whilst also learning about rewilding and the importance of looking after nature.
Our first activity was to collect items from the woodland floor to make some 'outdoor art' pictures; such a lot of imagination went into some of these! We collected a variety of twigs, dried grasses, leaves and bark to build a fantastic 'mini-beast hotel' using old wooden pallets, topping off with some natural compost. We created an amazing log pile using large logs found lying around, which will be really important habitat for toads and invertebrates. Finally we planted around 150 hedge trees before meeting Ginger and Coco, our Highland cows!
All in all, a very busy and fun-packed morning. Well done to everyone who participated!
#rewilding #rewildingscotland #sustainability #outdoorlearning
π±ππ THANK YOU πππ±
What an incredibly busy weekend we had at Rewilding Kinkell! On Saturday we welcomed some lovely members of the Fife & Kinross Bat Group who were quite possibly the fastest hedge planters we've ever met! Then on Sunday we were delighted to host a collaboration event with @footprinteastneuk and with everyone's help we planted a whopping 850 trees throughout the day.
We were really lucky to have our refreshment stall sponsored by Fisher & Donaldson, and it's safe to say the fudge donuts were a real hit.
Thank you again to everyone who gave up their spare time to get involved.
#footprinteastneuk #rewilding #rewildingscotland #treeplanting
π± Sunday 5th March π±
We are delighted to be collaborating once again with @footprinteastneuk; a registered charity based in the East Neuk of Fife, whose aims are to encourage sustainable living, reduce the carbon footprint of local communities, and re-connect people with the natural world.
Together we are hosting a community tree planting event on Sunday 5th March; more information can be found here https://www.footprinteastneuk.com/events
We can also reveal that Fisher & Donaldson are kindly sponsoring us again, but there will be a limited number of FREE fudge donuts, so make sure you join us early to secure yours! πππ
We hope to see you there!
#treeplanting #climatechange #footprinteastneuk #rewilding #rewildingscotland #fisheranddonaldson
π Nature spotting
Here at Rewilding Kinkell we absolutely love nature and all the amazing wildlife that we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. Today we took a moment to stop and appreciate some of the subtle hints of spring...
What's your favourite part of spring?
#snowdrops #naturewatch #rewilding #rewildingscotland
π¦ π³ New nest boxes! π³π¦
This week we were delighted to welcome back Nick and Kerr from @sitka_tree_services who not only helped us with more hedge planting, but also with placing our 3 new owl boxes! We're really excited to share with you that we now have 2 barn owl boxes and one tawny owl box; not an easy feat during the strong winds we often experience at Rewilding Kinkell. Thank you very much for all your help πͺ.
There are many pressures on our native wildlife at present. One example is housing developments which are often impregnable to wildlife; lacking any gaps and crevices where animals may nest or roost which means that opportunities are reducing for many species. We are doing what we can to improve habitat as well as nesting opportunities as part of our overall rewilding project.
#barnowls #tawnyowls #nestboxes #rewilding #rewildingscotland
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