Holnicote Estate demonstrates climate resilience through rewilding

The National Trust’s Holnicote Estate in Somerset has demonstrated significant climate resilience through large-scale rewilding and river restoration projects. While much of the surrounding UK countryside has experienced parched, brown landscapes due to summer heat and dry conditions, aerial imagery shows the estate remains green and lush.

Since 2012, the estate has implemented ‘Stage 0’ river resets, wetland creation, and the reintroduction of beavers. These nature-based solutions allow rivers to follow natural courses and enable wetlands to act as sponges, absorbing water during heavy rainfall to prevent downstream flooding and retaining moisture during droughts to support wildlife and vegetation.

Project Manager Ben Eardley noted that by reversing historical practices of draining wetlands and straightening rivers, the estate has created a system that manages water more effectively. These efforts aim to simultaneously address biodiversity loss, drought, and flood risks, providing a potential model for climate adaptation across the UK.