Nature of the Past, Rewilding the Future

How is climate change affecting our wildlife and how can fossils help us make decisions about rewilding and managing our natural landscapes?

This small display has been curated with our Young Makers, who worked with our team to explore climate change and its effect on Britain’s wildlife. The group looked at themes including changes in weather patterns recorded at Weston Park Weather Station, and how changes in climate conditions are affecting the environment and wildlife.

Rewilding is the process of restoring an area to a more natural state. It can make habitats more stable and lead to increased biodiversity in a sustainable way. Some ecologists think it is the way that all nature reserves will be managed in the future.

Many rewilding projects involve the reintroduction of native species. Fossils can show us which species once lived in the UK – some are no longer here, could or should they be reintroduced?