Rewilding Communities – Hope for the Future

Bringing together communities to find out about rewilding far and wide and how this can help secure a brighter and wilder future for us all.

Join us on Friday 5th June at our Rewilding Communities event to celebrate World Environment Day. Come along to the Ramside Hotel to:-

• Listen to inspiring speakers
• Learn about Rewilding strategies across the UK
• Network with community rewilders and members of the NE Rewilding Network
• Find out about projects happening in the North East
• Learn how to rewild communities
• Join the North East Rewilding Network
• Browse the many exhibitor stalls.

About the speakers

Our speakers for the event include:-

Sara King, Rewilding Manager, Rewilding Britain

Sara manages and coordinates the development of the Rewilding Network, the first of it’s kind in Britain. Her role focusses on engaging with Network members and leading Rewilding Britain’s strategy to upscale rewilding. Sara is also working on data collection, mapping projects and setting up connections across Britain to help facilitate knowledge exchange. Sara has a strong background in rewilding, biodiversity monitoring and assessment, species reintroductions, land management and restoration plans.

Sharon Lashley, CEO Climate Action North and North East Rewilding Network lead

Sharon is CEO of Climate Action North heading up the community interest company but also lead for the newly established North East Rewilding Network (NERN). She is passionate about rewilding and conservation, and through the Network and working with the Community Rewilding Team, she is leading on connecting rewilding projects, people and business across the region, including the establishment of the Marine Rewilding Network and also the Young Rewilders Networking Group.

Heather Devey – Co-Director, Wild Intrigue

Inspire, educate, rewild. Those three words began Wild Intrigue’s journey a decade ago and remain at it’s core today. Heather is passionate about ‘rewilding for all’, discovering, designing and leading ways for every person to connect directly with nature, and for these interactions to benefit people, places and wildlife. She loves creating fresh ways to share the enchantment of nature with others. Sometimes we need to be enticed to break away from our usual routines, and it’s always such a joy to explore new ways of sharing our local wilds. Losing ourselves in the wonder and awe of nature – no matter our age – is vital for us, but so too is it vital for Nature. Wonder leads to an intrigue to learn more, and this education turns to appreciation and understanding. To rewild our living systems we need to rewild ourselves and Heather’s talk will be teaching us to do this.

Peter Cairns, Producer and Host of “At the Edge” – Headline Speaker

For more than three decades Peter has worked as a conservation photographer, nature tour operator and environmental communicator— writing and illustrating hundreds of books and features, producing documentaries, and delivering talks, media interviews and educational workshops. He has spent the last 30 years promoting a transformational shift in our relationship with nature. As a photographer, writer and communicator, Peter has also conceived and delivered multiple high-profile conservation media campaigns, including Tooth & Claw, Wild Wonders of Europe and 2020VISION.

In 2018, Peter co-founded the rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, serving at its CEO until 2025. Now working independently, he is developing a media platform that takes a deep dive into our relationship with wild nature – and with each other.

EVENT DETAILS

The event will commence at 9.30 am for registration and networking. There will be ample opportunity to network with others, visit the many exhibition stands as well as taking part in our “Wild Hacks” and “Wild Pledge” walls. Exhibitors include:-

• Durham Wildlife Trust
• Tees Rivers Trust
• Dalton Moor Farm
• The Missing Lynx
• Hendon Regenerative Culture Garden
• National Education Nature Park
• Books, Birds and Beanies
• The Conservation Volunteers
• The Sea We See
• North East Rewilding Network (Marine and Young Rewilders)

Refreshments and Lunch is included.

Vegetarian and Vegan options will be available as standard – any other dietary requirements please email info@climateactionnortheast.org.uk to advise.