Throughout our lives our family has adored the natural world, whether enjoying stunning views of our countryside landscape, experiencing the sheer joy of taking a woodland walk or learning about the breath-taking diversity of wildlife with which we share our planet.
But we are acutely aware of the impact that humans are having on every other species – plant and animal. Our rapidly growing population has meant we have grabbed more and more of the land for ourselves; land for growing food and for places to live and work. Worse still we have polluted and degraded the land and oceans. Even the climate is changing due to human impact.
We decided that instead of just worrying about it, we should do our bit to change this!
Putting it simply we wanted to create a bit more wild space. More trees, more meadows, more ponds. Once there is a place for wildlife, it arrives!
Hence, Make It Wild was born! The short film above explains it all!
Our mission statement is:
We have started this project to encourage a greater knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the natural world. We want people to share in the beauty of the wild spaces we’re creating.
You will see that we offer tree and other dedications and a variety of nature-related gift items , ethical skin care products and products to support plastic-free living . The funds generated are re-invested in our nature reserve projects.
We have planted thousands of trees, dug ponds, restored wildflower hay meadows, made ‘leaky dams’, placed bird and bat boxes at Sylvan Nature Reserve, Bank Woods , Dowgill Grange, and Dacre Woodlands. We were in the news for planting our 25,000th tree in 2019; in 2021 we planted our 50,000th! We have put up deer fence to protect our precious Ancient Woodland to encourage natural regeneration. Our Carbon Mitigation through Tree Planting scheme has been popular for individuals and businesses alike, and our new subscription scheme takes the hassle out of taking responsibility for your impact on the planet.
At Wilsill Memorial Woodland, we have just launched our memorial trees – we plant trees incorporating the cremation ashes of passed loved ones. You can read more here.
We are pleased to have a luxury and eco-friendly self catering holiday cottage, so you can sleep right next to our land in glorious Nidderdale. Read more about the house, Heather Lea, here.
You can enjoy a deeper connection to nature on one of our Natural Mindfulness Walks.
If you love nature, how about volunteering with us? It is a great way to spend time in the wonderful out-doors with like-minded people.
If you would like to hear from us every couple of months, please subscribe to our newsletter via the form below.
Please browse our online shop – remember all proceeds go directly to support nature!
Helen and Christopher Neave
Co-founders, Make It Wild
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It's when I listen to the silence that I hear what the world is saying
Anthony T. Hincks