The polls have closed and the votes cast have been counted. 96 Senedd members have been elected across 16 constituencies. The maximum number of Ministers will increase from 12 to 17.
The changes are significant and the next 4 years offer as many opportunities as challenges.
There has been talk of a need for change, the power of hope, and the need to ensure that Wales is in control of the things that make life in Wales better. That speaks to us. Now we want action. To feel it, to see it.
In a recent YouGov poll, 75% of those polled in Wales expressed their support for rewilding, with 82% favouring the reintroduction of native species, of which 94% welcomed the reintroduction of beavers – the highest level of support in the UK.[1]
Rewilding offers hope. Rewilding encourages a balance between people and the rest of nature so we can thrive together. By creating healthy ecosystems and living in balance with nature, you create benefits for humans too. We all rely on nature for water, food and air as well as our own health and wellbeing.
So what should we, who care about nature and people and are tired of the stories of loss be asking this new Government to deliver on for Wales:
In short: to rewild the Senedd and the policy it develops for nature. Because this will increase job opportunities in our rural and coastal communities, deliver success and a sense of hope. This will improve people’s health and wellbeing – from the sense of progress, but also through our connection to more nature rich landscapes.
Rewilding boosts employment. Rewilding Britain has witnessed a 120% increase in full-time jobs across its Rewilding Network in its first ten years. On Scottish sites, employment quintupled and diversified, with traditional roles in animal husbandry and land management supplemented by work in film and photography, education, eco-tourism, green energy, weddings and conferences, and more.
To kickstart rewilding across Wales, the government could take several steps. It could lead by example, empowering Natural Resources Wales to manage the public estate for large-scale restoration, beginning with upland reserves and uneconomic forests. It could create a reintroduction strategy for keystone species, starting with high consensus creatures like beaver, oyster and white-tailed eagle. It could implement Community Right to Buy legislation, as in Scotland, giving communities first refusal on the purchase of land for natural regeneration. Finally, it could subsidise rewilding activities, like natural grazing, through its new environmental payment schemes for farmers.
Further, this is already happening in Wales. In spite of the system, rather than because we have chosen to follow this course. Investing in nature and the restoration of our landscapes, is an investment in the people and the nation of Wales. We could be a leader, building a new skills base, diversifying and building resilience within our rural economies and showing other nations what’s possible if you’re serious about nature restoration.
[1] YouGov / Rewilding Britain (June 13, 2024) | YouGov (March 3, 2025)
