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Nurtured by Nature
Do you care deeply about the natural world? Have you struggled with eco-anxiety, overwhelm & despair due to the constant negative narrative about the environment & the mass depletion of biodiversity? Do you feel a sense of powerlessness & hopelessness in the face of the inaction at governmental level?
I’m on a mission to shift the conversation, searching out empowering solutions & evidence of what’s already being achieved, to restore our collective hope & remind us that we are not powerless bystanders.
At Nurtured By Nature I bring together a fascinating diversity of guests, offering their unique perspectives & guidance, as we discuss ways to marry ancient wisdom & modern culture in a synergy that enables us as a society to restore balance to our lives & environment & fully take responsibility for our role in healing our world.
I provide you with a space that you can return to for constant hope and inspiration, knowing that by coming together as a community, it allows us to amplify our impact, as we discover the tangible solutions of how we can all get involved & embrace these ideas to create a powerful movement for positive change.
Expect to hear stories & advice from authors, artists, photographers, musicians, health & wellness practitioners, incredible businesses prioritising nature, foragers, gardeners, farmers, food producers, scientists, conservationists & charities involved in habitat restoration, species protection & rewilding, & many more diverse voices, all united by our deep & abiding love for the natural world & a desire to make a positive impact.
So pull up a chair, join us in conversation & help weave these important messages into the world, whilst being empowered to make your own positive impact, to be part of the solution as we rediscover our true place in nature’s incredible tapestry.
Nurtured by Nature
The Incredible Power of ReWilding with Helen Neave, Make It Wild
Welcome to episode 26 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by the wonderful Helen Neave of Make it Wild.
Large Landscape level Rewilding projects are gaining momentum across the UK & Europe, but Make It Wild are taking a slightly different approach, demonstrating Rewilding is possible & scalable for those with less land.
Helen’s amazing journey provides those of us that care about nature with inspiration & many reasons to be hopeful. We explore how her own concern about the biodiversity crisis, lead to her family deciding they were determined to do something to make a difference. From this humble beginning an incredible ecosystem has evolved encompassing trees, meadows, wetlands & equally importantly local communities, their army of volunteers & numerous other passionate people supporting them in a multitude of ways, that has created an explosion in biodiversity. In just over 10 years, they've demonstrated how nature can bounce back, to the extent 1 of their sites has now been designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
As a beautiful reminder that change doesn’t have to be complicated, Helen offers this simple wisdom to guide us all: “Love Nature & She’ll Love You Back”!
Learn more about Helen & Make It Wild
Helen, a retired consultant surgeon, has always been passionate about nature. As she & her husband, Chris, learnt more about the challenges facing nature, they decided they must do their bit to help & in 2011 they bought 26 acres as a family project to ‘give back to nature’.
They planted thousands of trees, sowed wild flower seeds, dug ponds & installed habitat boxes. The resulting explosion in biodiversity was stunning and inspired the couple to set up their business ‘Make it Wild’ in 2017. With the mission statement “It’s not our aim to protect nature, it’s our purpose” the business exists to support biodiversity.
Make it Wild now looks after 9 sites in North Yorkshire, UK, totalling over 400 acres, all managed entirely for nature. They’ve planted 60,000 trees, restored wildflower meadows & wetland, protected ancient woodland, & rewilded uplands, helped by their conservation grazing team of Belted Galloway cows & Exmoor ponies.
They offer a range of nature sponsorship and dedication opportunities to businesses and individuals; carbon offsetting through tree planting; woodland wellbeing activities, and an eco-friendly holiday cottage.
In February 2023 Make it Wild were awarded the Sustainability Award in the Hambleton Business Awards, and in September 2023 Helen and Chris were proud and excited to win a BBC Make a Difference Award for their work with Make it Wild.
Website: www.makeitwild.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeitwilduk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makeitwilder
TikTok: @make.it.wild
Stay at Make It Wild in their eco-friendly holiday cottage:
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More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website
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