In a powerful reminder of nature’s resilience, a remarkable rewilding project is underway in the Howgill Fells, nestled in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Once dominated by centuries of sheep grazing, these "ghost woodlands" are being brought back to life. Thanks to the determined efforts of local communities, ecologists, and the Woodland Trust, the landscape is transforming - lush with native trees, buzzing with wildlife, and inspiring similar movements across the UK.

At LettsSafari, stories like this reinforce our belief in practical, community-based rewilding. They show that restoration is possible—even in places once considered ecologically exhausted. And they offer a hopeful blueprint for a greener future.

The Return of the Ghost Woodlands
Over the past 12 years, more than 300,000 native trees, including rowan, birch, oak, and holly, have been planted across 128 hectares of hillside that had been heavily grazed for generations. These weren’t just any trees. They were carefully chosen to reflect the species that once flourished there before overgrazing and deforestation stripped the land of its natural cover.

The results are already striking. Where once only hardy grasses clung to steep slopes, there are now woodlands humming with bird calls and seasonal wildflowers. Birds like redstarts, tree pipits and cuckoos are returning. Bluebells and bracken bloom beneath the canopy. A ghost woodland is no longer a memory. It’s alive.

The regeneration isn’t just about trees. It’s about rebuilding an entire ecosystem from the soil up. Trees help stabilise the land, reduce flooding risk, store carbon, and provide shelter for countless species. Over time, the biodiversity multiplier effect kicks in: when nature is given a chance, it comes back in waves.

Why This Matters - And What LettsSafari Is Doing About It
At LettsSafari, we champion this kind of pragmatic rewilding. It’s not about locking up land and waiting for magic - it’s about intelligent intervention, local partnership, and ecological knowledge.

Our own safari-style rewilding parks, like Dawlish Park, combine habitat restoration with community access, education, and the arts. We plant native species, reintroduce wildlife, and restore wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands - all while offering spaces for people to explore, learn, and connect with the natural world.

But we also empower individuals. Through our subscription model, we help garden owners and balcony growers rewild in their own backyards. Because restoring biodiversity shouldn’t be confined to remote national parks. It should start at home.

Stories like the Howgill Fells inspire us to go further. They prove that even ecologically degraded land can be reborn. They show that community-led rewilding works. And they remind us that the solutions to biodiversity loss and climate change are already in motion - we just need to back them.

A Blueprint for the Future
The transformation in the Yorkshire Dales is not just a local success story. It’s a national example of what’s possible. As the UK faces biodiversity collapse, extreme weather, and rural economic pressures, the need for scalable, proven rewilding models has never been greater.

LettsSafari believes that by connecting policy, people, and purpose, we can replicate this across the country - on large estates, in city parks, and even in neighbourhood gardens. Nature wants to return. We just need to open the door.

Whether you're managing land, living in a city flat, or simply care about the planet, you can be part of the rewilding revolution. Subscribe to LettsSafari and join a growing movement of everyday rewilders.

Because when ghost woodlands return, so does hope.