Award-Winning Heal the Land Documentary Brings Inspiring Rewilding Story to London

Credit Tom Francome Sunrise

An inspiring documentary showcasing the remarkable transformation of a former intensive dairy farm into a flourishing wildlife haven is coming to London next month, offering audiences a powerful reminder that nature can recover when given the opportunity.

National charity Heal Rewilding will host a special screening of its award-winning documentary Heal the Land on Wednesday 1 July 2026 at the London offices of Slaughter and May. The evening promises to be an uplifting celebration of environmental restoration, biodiversity and hope for the future.

Guests will enjoy complimentary drinks and canapés before watching the 25-minute film, followed by a live question-and-answer session featuring members of the Heal Rewilding team alongside the documentary's director.

Filmed throughout 2024 at Heal Somerset, the documentary follows the early stages of the charity's ambitious project to restore a once ecologically depleted dairy farm into a thriving landscape for wildlife and people. Through breathtaking cinematography and intimate access to the site, viewers witness the challenges, successes and unexpected discoveries that come with allowing nature to reclaim the land.

The film highlights the rapid return of wildlife, the creation of diverse habitats and the resilience of natural ecosystems. At a time when England remains one of the world's most nature-depleted countries, Heal the Land offers compelling evidence that meaningful ecological recovery is achievable.

The documentary was produced by wildlife filmmakers Tom Francome of Planet House Productions and Hayley Smith of Pictus Productions, who volunteered more than 100 days of their time to create the film. 

Post-production was completed free of charge by Bristol-based Films@59, whose award-winning team has worked on celebrated Sir David Attenborough productions including Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II.

Following the screening, attendees will hear from Heal Rewilding CEO Jan Stannard, Rewilding Ranger Daniel Hill and director Tom Francome during a discussion hosted by Heal Rewilding Director Sarah Winchester. The panel will explore the opportunities and challenges facing rewilding projects across the UK and discuss the lessons emerging from Heal Somerset's ongoing transformation.

Sarah Winchester told That's Green: "Heal the Land is ultimately a story about hope. It shows what can happen when we give nature the chance to recover and demonstrates that meaningful change is possible, even in landscapes that have been intensively managed for decades."

The evening will also provide opportunities for networking with others passionate about biodiversity, climate action and nature recovery.

Tickets cost £18 per person, making this an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in seeing first-hand how rewilding is helping restore Britain's natural heritage.

What: Screening of Heal the Land and live Q&A

When: Wednesday 1 July 2026

Where: Slaughter and May, London, EC1Y 8YY

Tickets: £18

https://www.healrewilding.org.uk/

Heal Rewilding Partners with Great Yellow to Bring Biodiversity Net Gain Units to Market

Emma Lewis Supermoon

A major new partnership could help accelerate nature recovery across England while creating fresh opportunities for developers to meet their environmental obligations.

National charity Heal Rewilding has appointed Great Yellow to market and sell Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units generated at its flagship Heal Somerset rewilding site. 

Over 600 high-quality BNG units are expected to be created overall, with over 170 units becoming available during the first phase of the project.

The collaboration brings together two organisations committed to restoring nature at scale while attracting long-term investment into environmental recovery projects.

Located on a 460-acre former dairy farm in Somerset, Heal Somerset was purchased by Heal Rewilding in December 2022 and is being transformed through nature-led recovery methods designed to restore habitats, rebuild wildlife populations and strengthen ecosystem health.

Biodiversity Net Gain was introduced under the Environment Act and requires most new developments in England to deliver at least a 10% measurable improvement in biodiversity compared with pre-development conditions. 

As demand for off-site BNG units continues to grow, projects such as Heal Somerset are becoming increasingly important in helping developers meet these requirements while supporting genuine environmental gains.

Heal Rewilding says it selected Great Yellow because of its strong alignment with the charity's values and its expertise in connecting high-integrity nature recovery projects with organisations seeking measurable environmental outcomes.

Jan Stannard, co-founder of Heal Rewilding, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to integrity, transparency and long-term ecological ambition.

The charity believes that Biodiversity Net Gain can become a powerful mechanism for supporting large-scale nature recovery, provided projects are backed by credible management plans and measurable long-term outcomes.

The Somerset site is already delivering impressive results. Surveys have recorded 94 bird species, 17 bat species and 24 butterfly species since rewilding began. Heal also reports that the site supports nearly three times the abundance of small mammals compared with a nearby landholding.

Beyond helping wildlife, healthy ecosystems can provide wider benefits for communities and the environment, including improved soil quality, cleaner water, greater resilience to flooding and drought, increased carbon storage and stronger climate adaptation.

Great Yellow believes the partnership demonstrates how ambitious rewilding projects can provide developers with reliable, compliance-ready BNG units while delivering meaningful ecological improvements.

As nature recovery becomes an increasingly important national priority, Heal hopes the partnership will show how environmental markets can help channel investment into projects that benefit wildlife, communities and the climate for generations to come.

https://www.healrewilding.org.uk

Rewilding in Action: New Somerset Report Shows Nature Fighting Back

(c) Pete Matthews Heal Beaver

As the UK continues to grapple with a biodiversity crisis, a new report from national charity Heal Rewilding offers something that is often in short supply when talking about nature recovery: evidence that positive change is possible.

The charity has published its first-ever Heal Somerset State of Nature 2026 report, documenting the remarkable ecological progress being made at its rewilding site in Somerset since acquiring the land in December 2022.

Designed to mirror the format of the UK's wider State of Nature reports, the publication focuses entirely on nature-led recovery and highlights how rewilding can play a significant role in restoring biodiversity, improving climate resilience and rebuilding healthier ecosystems.

The findings are encouraging.

Thirty-five surveys have been carried out so far, including five formal baseline studies. Researchers recorded 60 breeding bird species, 15 bat species, 404 invertebrate species and 113 vascular plant species. A comparative survey of small mammals found five species and 49 individual animals at Heal Somerset, compared with just three species and 17 individuals on a nearby organic dairy farm.

Informal observations have also revealed an impressive diversity of wildlife. Since 2023, visitors and surveyors have recorded 94 bird species, including 21 red-listed and 28 amber-listed species, alongside 24 species of butterfly.

The report arrives at a time when rewilding is gaining momentum across Britain. According to Rewilding Britain, more than 1,000 rewilding projects covering over 206,000 hectares are now part of its national network.

Heal Rewilding co-founder Jan Stannard believes that while inspiring wildlife stories are valuable, hard evidence is essential if rewilding is to become a recognised part of national nature recovery strategies.

The charity says its monitoring programme is about more than simply counting species. Long-term data collection aims to understand how ecosystems recover when nature is allowed greater freedom to shape the landscape itself.

Beyond supporting wildlife, rewilding can deliver wider environmental benefits. Healthy ecosystems help store carbon, improve soil quality, manage water more effectively and increase resilience to extreme weather events such as flooding, drought and heatwaves.

Perhaps most importantly, the report offers a rare sense of optimism. While the UK's biodiversity challenges remain significant, Heal Somerset demonstrates that when land is given space to recover, nature can respond surprisingly quickly.

The charity plans to publish updated reports every four to five years, creating a long-term record of ecological recovery and helping ensure rewilding has a stronger voice in future national assessments of Britain's natural environment.

https://www.healrewilding.org.uk/

Heal Rewilding secures significant Garfield Weston Foundation grant to accelerate nature recovery and community wellbeing

Courtesy Heal Rewilding

Heal Rewilding has been awarded a significant grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation, providing vital support for the charity’s work to help nature recovery, climate action and wellbeing. 

The funding will enable Heal to expand its impact across England, supporting the recovery of degraded landscapes while strengthening connections between people, wildlife and place.

Heal is taking direct action to tackle the climate and ecological crises by helping ecosystems to recover and wildlife populations to thrive. 

Alongside ecological gains, the funding will also support Heal’s work with local communities, helping to improve people’s health and wellbeing through meaningful access to nature. 

Central to the charity’s approach is enabling people to connect with the natural world – to learn, heal, share and inspire action locally, nationally and beyond.

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family founded grant-maker supporting charities operating in a wide variety of sectors across the UK that make a positive difference within their communities.

Established by W. Garfield Weston in 1958 through an endowment of shares in the family business – now known as Associated British Foods plc – the Foundation continues to be guided by the Weston Family. The Trustees, each of whom are direct descendants of the founder, play an active, informed role in its work.

This successful model has ensured that our charitable donations have grown as the businesses have grown, enabling the Foundation to award grants totalling nearly £1.7 billion since its establishment. The most recent financial year 2024-2025 saw the Foundation give away almost £130 million to 2,967 charities.

The grant marks an important step in Heal Rewilding’s continued growth as the charity works towards its ambition of establishing more rewilding sites across England. Each Heal site is designed to provide a permanent haven for nature while also delivering tangible benefits for local communities, including job creation and inward investment. Heal’s second site will be in the north of England.

Commenting on the award, Sarah Winchester, Director of Heal Rewilding told That's Green: “This generous support from the Garfield Weston Foundation will enable us to build lasting momentum for nature recovery. 

"We've already witnessed remarkable and heartening successes at our pilot site, Heal Somerset, both in terms of biodiversity and community engagement and this funding will help us to advance our mission further. We are incredibly grateful for the confidence and belief that the Foundation shows in Heal.”

https://www.healrewilding.org.uk