Ben Fogle Interview

Award-winning broadcaster, adventurer and United Nations Patron of the Wildnerness, Ben Fogle gave a guest lecture this week at Bournemouth University's Careers Week.

I was able to catch him for a short interview afterward in which he shared his thoughts on rewilding.

You can watch the interview below:

What is your opinion on rewilding?

With so much in the news recently about climate change and global warming, how important could rewilding be?

Public Response

I decided to post a discussion point on the Isle of Wight Nature Facebook group, in which I am a member.

I currently live on the Isle of Wight, where six white-tailed sea agles were reintroduced this summer. This was a big news story and caused some divided opinion; most were excited to sea these eagles as the last breeding pair in the UK was recorded on the Isle of Wight back in 1780, however, some were worried about pets and live-stock being at risk of being hunted by these giant birds of prey.

Here is my original post on the group:

Here are a couple of helpful comments I received: (the names have been removed)

What is Rewilding?

According to Rewilding Britian, rewilding is "the large-scale restoration of ecosystems where nature can take care of itself. It seeks to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species – allowing them to shape the landscape and the habitats within."

My documentary has two key focuses: The people who are supporting the push to rewild Britain, and those who are opposed to it. What are the reasons behind their passion? 

The second is the reintroudction of species that have been extinct in the UK for a long time. This adds visual excitement to my project and is one of the main reasons why some are opposed to rewilding, and also provides me with an exciting filming challenge. 

Introduction

What do you think of when I say British wildlife? 

Badgers? Squirrels? Deer?

What if I said Bears? Wolves? And Beavers? You’d think I was making it up?

What if I told you the Peak district could be the next Yellowstone or the Highlands the next Yosemite? 

And, what if I told you this was already happening?

My documentary will not only focus on the reintroduction of species long gone from the British Isles but perhaps, more importantly, the people behind this conservation movement and those opposed to it.

Over the next few months, I will be posting updates on my filming progress as well as interesting discussion points around the topic of rewilding.