Paul Whitfield
@paulwhitfield.bsky.social
760 followers 160 following 60 posts
Director General of Wildwood Trust Protecting, Conserving and Rewilding British Native Species. ‘The Bison Guy’
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Reposted by Paul Whitfield
rewildingbritain.org.uk
What better way to celebrate #WorldAnimalDay than with a baby bison arrival? 🦬

The Wilder Blean project — led by Wildwood Trust and @kentwildlife.bsky.social — has welcomed its fifth bison calf, marking the start of a third generation living in Kent’s ancient woodland near Canterbury.

🧵1/3
Screenshot of a online news article by the BBC featuring a photo of a bison calf and titled: 'Wilding scheme celebrates 'third-generation' bison'. Background photo is of tree tops. Credit: Alex Hyde
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
Once again, I’m struck by the immense ecological benefits they bring — for nature, for biodiversity, and for people. It’s a privilege to witness these projects in action, and to share the experience with such a passionate group of colleagues.
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
It is hard not to be moved by these charismatic and powerful animals. Standing among them, you feel their presence — not just as individuals, but as true ecosystem engineers. You can see how they shape the land, create space for other species, and bring vitality back to these landscapes.
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
This week, with the Large Herbivore Working Group, I am visiting some of the most inspiring European Bison projects in Spain.

A huge thank you to Fernando Morán for guiding us through these landscapes and for sharing both the challenges and successes of the work here.
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
greenpeaceuk.bsky.social
🚨BREAKING: England's largest lake, Windermere, is covered in FAECAL BACTERIA according to a new study.

Water companies have turned our most ICONIC lake into an open sewer while profiting BILLIONS.

Who else thinks this is SICK?
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
whittledaway.bsky.social
Rewilding on a massive scale is required across Europe, including Ireland, to protect our countryside, protect communities and minimise both fire risk and fire impact.
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
My office and home for the next few days. Looking forward to If Not Now When, Rewilding conference at Rewilding Coombshead.
It’s so important to meet up with the rewilding community and support each other in our work to restore species and biodiversity.
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
Happy International Lynx Day!!
It is time we had these wonderful cats back in the UK
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
wild-ecol-cons.bsky.social
Another lynx paper hot off the press!🔥Exploring the ecological feasibility of restoring Eurasian lynx to Great Britain 🐾

A well-planned, legal, lynx reintroduction could be feasible, provided there is acceptance in key stakeholder groups.

📰Read more: doi.org/10.1016/j.je...
Figure showing the research framework diagram to the question "What is the ecological feasability of lynx reintroduction in Great Britain?" Figure showing predictions of habitat suitability maps for lynx in Great Britain.
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
donnachadhmc.bsky.social
Wonderful to see native UK storks successfully migrating to & from Morocco to breed in Sussex.
Reintroduction project making progress after 11 patient yrs & 25 yrs of habitat restoration. Kudos to @kneppwilding.bsky.social #WadhurstPark & @cotswoldlife.bsky.social 🏆👍🙏
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Storks migrate back to conservation project at Knepp estate
At least six birds born in West Sussex in 2024 are back in the county after migrating to Morocco.
www.bbc.com
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
Reposted by Paul Whitfield
irishrainforest.bsky.social
The decline of large seed-dispersing animals has serious implications for trees and other flora.

It's also further proof of how very short-sighted it is to view forests as merely bunches of trees, rather than the complex *ecosystems* they are (or at least, should be).
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Drivers and impacts of global seed disperser decline - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
Many plants rely on animals to disperse their seeds, but some groups of these seed-dispersing animals are facing severe declines. This Review summarizes evidence of seed disperser declines and discuss...
www.nature.com
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
The reality is they won’t put in the work because they don’t care about the issues that dedicated Cllrs spend their life’s working to make better for local people. Kent is going to be a real mess for some time
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
The Majesty Oak. Probably England’s oldest oak
paulwhitfield.bsky.social
Finally an important way to use AI! 😂