Highlands rewilding project scoops top award
A top Scottish rewilding project, Highlands Rewilding, took home an award at Tuesday’s VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards ceremony in Glasgow in recognition of its efforts to fight climate change, biodiversity collapse and support the Scottish Government’s climate change targets of ‘reversing nature loss’ by 2030.
Employment minister Richard Lochhead MSP presented Highlands Rewilding founder Dr Jeremy Leggett with the award for Adapting Scotland, which recognises businesses and partnerships taking a visionary approach to climate adaption.
Highlands Rewilding, made up of 682 hectares dedicated to nature recovery in Inverness-shire and Aberdeenshire, aims to rewild the Scottish Highlands by working alongside world leading scientists to advance the science of land-based carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
Community engagement is a huge focus, as is the creation of local jobs. Work is carried out across two estates, Bunloit Estate and Beldorney Estate.
The 50 current co-owners of Highlands Rewilding are preparing to expand ownership by adding what they hope will be hundreds of retail investors in a crowdfunding campaign which will launch in December 2022.
Dr Leggett, the chief executive of Highland Rewilding Ltd and a world-renowned solar energy entrepreneur, said: “My entire career has focused on combating climate change so to have had our Highlands Rewilding project recognised after just two short years since its inception is a truly proud moment.
“From woodland creation to peatland restoration, our mission is nature-recovery and community prosperity. We have big ambitions as we edge into our third year of business and continue to work towards reversing nature loss and restoring and regenerating biodiversity.
"A huge part of this next step is the launch our second crowd funder which will go live in December.”
The Scottish Government supported VIBES awards reward and acknowledge organisations that have demonstrated significant business benefits from good environmental practice. Award winners were chosen by the VIBES judging panel, including representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Water and South of Scotland Enterprise.
