Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith - Restoring the Caledonian forest with Steve Micklewright

Restoring the Caledonian forest with Steve Micklewright

10/18/23 • 30 min

“Affric Highlands is an area of landscape between Loch Ness and the west coast of Scotland, looking over to the Isle of Skye. It’s about 500,000 acres so it’s like a small country.”
Scotland’s fabled highlands are not what we think they are. Once upon a time the great Caledonian forests stretched from coast to coast, famed for its wildness and size. It teemed with wildlife and large animals like wolves, bears and lynx. Now, so much of what was once there has gone.
In this episode Ben Goldsmith is joined by Steve Micklewright from Trees for Life. They, and organisations like them, are working to reinstate wild forest in the Highlands and build a new economy around wildlife and nature tourism.
Ben Goldsmith is a rewilding enthusiast and activist based in the UK. In this podcast he is joined by people behind some of the most exciting and ambitious rewilding projects around the world.
Every year we hear stories about wildlife being destroyed. However, there are rays of hope as across the globe people are working to give nature a hand to recover and rejuvenate.
This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes.

Previous Episode

Creating wildlife corridors with Jodi Hilty

“When I see things like the crossing that’s just going in north of Los Angeles for mountain lions, bobcats and other species it’s a sign to me that humanity finally gets that it’s impacting nature and, essentially, impacting us.”
The shorthand definition of rewilding is the ‘Three Cs’; Core areas, Carnivores, and Corridors.
Jodi Hilty is president and chief scientist of Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, one of the largest wildlife corridor creating projects in the world.
Jodi and her colleagues are working to piece together habitat along 3000km of the western side of North America. They envision an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching from Yellowstone in the US to Canada’s Yukon Territory, which works for both people and nature.
Ben Goldsmith is a rewilding enthusiast and activist based in the UK. In this podcast he is joined by people behind some of the most exciting and ambitious rewilding projects around the world.
Every year we hear stories about wildlife being destroyed. However, there are rays of hope as across the globe people are working to give nature a hand to recover and rejuvenate.
This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes.

Next Episode

Creating a haven along Turkey’s Turquoise Coast with Zafer Kizilkaya

“Even in ten years we changed the entire ecosystem in Gökova Bay and fisheries.”

The world’s oceans have been depleted of many important species through overfishing. Removing parts of the sea’s ecosystem and the introduction of invasive species can have far reaching consequences both in and on the water.
Zafer Kizilkaya is an award winning conservationist. In 2012 he founded the Mediterranean Conservation Society which built and oversaw Turkey’s first community-managed Marine Protected Area. These MPAs have now expanded along the Turquoise Coast and have seen balance returning to their ecosystems. Zafer also helped to reduce the number of invasive species by encouraging local fishermen to catch lionfish and rabbitfish, and for local fine-dining chefs to include them on the menus in their restaurants.
Join rewilding enthusiast and financier Ben Goldsmith as he speaks to environmental trail blazers from all corners of the globe.
Recent climate science seems to paint a picture of despair with irreparable damage being done to our natural world. But there are rays of hope. Across the planet people are carrying out astonishing work, returning large areas of land and oceans back to their former glory.
This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes.