{"id":16067,"date":"2017-03-13T09:05:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-13T09:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/?p=16067"},"modified":"2017-03-13T09:08:17","modified_gmt":"2017-03-13T09:08:17","slug":"southern-uplands-could-hold-new-modern-wilderness-for-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/southern-uplands-could-hold-new-modern-wilderness-for-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern Uplands Could Hold New Modern Wilderness for Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Festival speaker encourages communities to review benefits of allowing land to return nature and creating iconic destinations.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A national rewilding expert is proposing that one of Scotland\u2019s first modern wildernesses could be created in Dumfries and Galloway<\/a> and the Scottish Borders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The idea will be included in a talk by David Balharry, Scotland Director of Rewilding Britain, at Wild Film Festival Scotland in Dumfries on 26 March.<\/p>\n

David is presenting a long term vision for between 200km2 and 600km2 of the old Ettrick Forest to be returned to its wild state and asking if this approach can offer better opportunities for the economy and retaining young people in the area.<\/p>\n

Such an area in the Southern Uplands could be a magnet for wildlife enthusiasts, tourists, walkers, runners, cyclists and many others wanting to enjoy the benefits of being in a landscape created by nature rather than manmade.<\/p>\n

David\u2019s approach is of consensus building. He said: \u201cI don\u2019t want people to see rewilding as a threat. I want to bring them together, get them talking and to see what they think the opportunities are.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dave Balharry<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cLetting land go back to nature, as an economic model, has worked elsewhere in the world and we believe that\u2019s something that communities are interested in learning about.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Southern Uplands wilderness would also take advantage of the rapid worldwide growth in eco-based tourism at the very time when landowners and farmers urgently need to find ways to diversify.<\/p>\n

The recreation of a Southern Uplands wilderness would initially focus on helping to restore a depleted landscape and the natural balance of plants and habitats that once existed. This in turn would attract an abundance of bird and animal life.<\/p>\n

The commercial opportunities could range from providing campsites and chalets to leading tours and setting up hides and the key to success is collaborative business models and connecting income capture with land management.<\/p>\n

But there are plenty of challenges, not least keeping down the deer population \u2013 a job once done by wolves and other apex predators. For the foreseeable future it would be more likely that deer populations will be managed in other ways.<\/p>\n

David has concerns about initial perceptions around rewilding: \u201cIf you start talking about reintroducing bears and wolves it massively skews the debate. It\u2019s not about logic it\u2019s about culture and I don\u2019t think we are culturally ready to be discussing the return of large apex predators.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the lynx it may be different, they are litte more than an large pussy cat \u2013 and they could add significantly to the business plan. But again, these are choices for local people and we\u2019ll have to wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

What the wilderness would do is to recreate the sort of environment in which such creatures could thrive. And that opens up the possibility that they could be brought back by our children or grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Sid Ambrose, festival organiser, said: \u201cRewilding is a key theme of the festival \u2013 it\u2019s a hugely important debate at a time when so many of the planet\u2019s wild areas are being destroyed and ever-more species are being lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea that southern Scotland could be at the forefront of efforts the reverse this trend is very exciting and will generate a lot of interest and discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the festival\u2019s main aims is to show what\u2019s happening to the planet right now and offer new visions for a way ahead \u2013 and that\u2019s certainly something we\u2019ll be achieving by having a national leader like David Balharry as one of our many speakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

WFFS is a celebration of the natural world through film, photography, topical discussion, music and and more. It takes place from 24-26 March and its central themes will be Amazing Journeys, Wild Places and Rewilding. Some 30 films are being screened, many of them winners of coveted Wildscreen Panda Awards (the wildlife Oscars).<\/p>\n

There is a strong Scottish strand throughout the programme with Highlands and Hebridean Summer from Glasgow\u2019s Maramedia, and other Scottish films such as Sullivan\u2019s Winter, Red Sky on the Black Isle and Loch Lomond A Year In The Wild.<\/p>\n

There are also celebrity guests such as Sacha Dench who will talk about her epic 4,500 mile powered paraglider flight from the artic to help save Bewick\u2019s swans, as well as Iolo Williams from BBC Springwatch and Simon King of Big Cat Diary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Festival speaker encourages communities to review benefits of allowing land to return nature and creating iconic destinations. A national rewilding expert is proposing that one of Scotland\u2019s first modern wildernesses could be created in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. The idea will be included in a talk by David Balharry, Scotland Director of Rewilding Britain, at Wild Film Festival Scotland in Dumfries on 26 March. David is presenting a long term vision for between 200km2 and 600km2 of the old Ettrick Forest to be returned to its wild state and asking if this approach can offer better opportunities…<\/span> <\/p>\n

Read more ›<\/div>\n

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