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Eco-Anxious Farmers Launch "Map of Dreams" to Restore Nature Across UK
20 Oct
Summary
- Grassroots movement WildEast expands nationwide with "Map of Dreams" to collect pledges
- Thousands of people have already pledged to rewild gardens, schools, and businesses
- Farmers commit at least 20% of their land to nature, recording 904 moth species and 33 Red-List birds
In October 2025, a grassroots movement to rewild a fifth of East Anglia has expanded nationwide with the launch of the "Map of Dreams" by the organization WildEast. The initiative, started five years ago by three "eco-anxious" farmers, aims to collect pledges and connect communities, businesses, and individuals seeking to revive nature across the UK.
Since its founding, thousands of people have pledged to rewild their gardens, school grounds, and local areas. Farmers like Hugh Crossley, or Lord Somerleyton, have committed a quarter of their 2,023-hectare estates to biodiversity, while still producing food. This has led to the recording of 904 moth species, 33 Red-List birds, and six endangered amphibians on Crossley's land.
The new national version of the "Map of Dreams" encourages more people to take action, with schools, villages, and small-scale farmers all making pledges. Hadleigh High School in Suffolk is creating a pond and wildlife area, while the village of Wenhaston has joined forces with local landowners to plant new woods, restore ponds, and create a tree nursery. Smaller farmers like Cameron Wheeler, who rents 0.8 hectares for no-dig vegetable production, have also pledged to make their land more natural.
WildEast's co-founder Olly Birkbeck says the initiative is about connecting the "soft tissue" of nature recovery, from schoolyards to people's gardens. The "Map of Dreams" aims to inspire and empower more grassroots action to restore nature across the UK.
