Embercombe is nestled in a wooded valley on the edge of wild Dartmoor, in the South West of England. It is embarking on a new and exciting journey to rewild it’s 50 acre site and welcome local farmers and members of the Devon community, as well as anyone interested in this subject, to take part in this adventure. What makes the rewilding at Embercombe interesting is its intention to continue as a centre for personal, social and environmental transformation, welcoming hundreds of people to the site each year. Therefore, the central question is: How to rewild a relatively small piece of land that is so used and loved by us, humanity, whilst also increasing biodiversity, creating habitats, drawdown carbon, and all of the other amazing benefits that rewilding can offer? Embercombe’s work revolves around this question, weaving together the different aspects across society that need transformation – ourselves, our families, our homes, our gardens, our workplaces, our farms, our communities, our society, our culture and our politics – in order for rewilding to truly succeed.

The impact of humans is changing the world around us, and so too is Embercombe changing. They are responding to the urgent need to take action for our climate and our land. The restoration community at Embercombe is moving on from seeing the site as a place to grow food for humans to a place where they are actively encouraging natural regeneration in order to restore a greater balance with nature. They are adopting a rewilding approach to our management, shifting focus and resources from annual food cultivation for humans, to nature restoration and the opportunities it will offer for reconnection between people and the land.