Humans stepped back from this UK dairy farm in 2023; three years later, wildlife returns as 27 more bird species appear and butterfly numbers more than double

A former dairy farm in the UK has undergone a striking transformation after humans stepped back and allowed natural processes to reshape the land.

At Heal Somerset, a 460-acre site in Somerset acquired by the rewilding charity Heal in December 2022, the first three years of nature recovery have brought a notable increase in wildlife.

The number of recorded bird species has risen from 67 to 94, while butterfly species have increased from 11 to 24.

The site has also recorded at least 15 bat species and 60 breeding bird species.

The results, documented in Heal Somerset’s first State of Nature report, offer an early glimpse of what can happen when a landscape previously managed as farmland is given greater space for nature to recover.How a UK dairy farm became a rewilding projectHeal Somerset was acquired by the rewilding charity Heal Rewilding in December 2022, with nature recovery beginning in 2023.