UK Wildlife Groups Raise £10M to Create Massive Nature Haven

A coalition of UK wildlife charities has made significant progress toward purchasing one of England’s largest potential nature reserves, raising nearly £10 million of the £30 million ($39 million) needed to acquire the sprawling Rothbury Estate in northeastern England.

The ambitious conservation project would transform 3,839 hectares (9,486 acres) of land—roughly the size of Athens—into a groundbreaking wildlife refuge adjacent to a national park. The Wildlife Trusts network plans to use the area to protect endangered native species including red squirrels, pine martens, curlews, and skylarks, while also reintroducing European bison and beavers to the English countryside.

Perhaps most exciting is the potential for golden eagles, recently spotted in northern England for the first time in decades, to establish a permanent home in the reserve. The project has attracted high-profile support, with Sir David Attenborough endorsing the initiative in a promotional video, emphasizing how the trusts will “work with local farmers to care for the area and breathe new life into it.”

The estate’s backstory adds intrigue to the conservation effort—it was put up for sale in 2023 by 35-year-old aristocrat Max Percy, who grew up in the castle famously used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. The Wildlife Trusts have already secured their first victory, purchasing the Simonside Hills section of moorland in October 2024. If successful, this partnership between Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the national Wildlife Trusts network could create a model for large-scale habitat restoration across Britain.