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- London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced earlier this week an effort to “restore precious wildlife sites.”
- Khan’s 6 million pound (nearly $8 million) Rewild London Fund will focus on 20 to 30 of London’s 1,600 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation.
- The Rewild London Fund will be guided by expert advice from the London Wildlife Trust to ensure the city’s “special species thrive.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced earlier this week an effort to “restore precious wildlife sites” and increase biodiversity in the city in part by reintroducing lost species into the city’s parks and nature reserves.
Khan’s 6-million pound (nearly $8 million) Rewild London Fund will focus on 20 to 30 of London’s 1,600 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. Only half the sites are currently being appropriately managed, according to Khan.
The Rewild London Fund will be guided by expert advice from the London Wildlife Trust to ensure the city’s “special species thrive.” Special species include stag beetles, water voles, swifts and house sparrows.
“The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. In London, we need to take bold action to ensure that we not only halt the decline of biodiversity in our natural environment but pave the way for growth and change,” Khan said in a statement.
“That’s why I’ve announced my new Rewilding Fund, which will help restore the capital’s precious wildlife sites, improve biodiversity and ensure all Londoners have a thriving web of nature on their doorstep,” he continued.
The city government also announced an additional 300,000 pounds (around $400,000) for 40 “Keeping it Wild” traineeships for Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners as well as disabled and economically deprived residents ages 16 to 25 to “develop green skills.”
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“I’m so excited to be working with the Mayor on this new rewilding taskforce for London. All people need to experience close connection with nature in their lives, and yet for many Londoners this is a remote possibility today,” said Ben Goldsmith, a non-executive member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
“From green rooftops to pocket parks, nest boxes for peregrines and swifts, rewiggling streams and reintroducing long lost native species, our plan is to weave wild nature back through the very fabric of our city,” he concluded.
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