When more than 2,000 people came together to help secure Common Farm, our shared vision was clear: more space for nature, and the opportunity for communities to experience and engage with the benefits of rewilding. Across Derbyshire’s landscape, we are working to restore nature and to connect people with the transformation so that together we can recognise what we have lost and inspire collective action for nature.

Since taking on Common Farm, we have delivered extensive surveys to give a baseline of the original condition and to document the changes in species richness and habitat diversity as the site recovers. We then used this information to design a careful restoration plan, removing intensive land management techniques and resting the land to see what returns naturally before any active rewilding begins.

In just the first year, we saw all moderate condition hedgerows return to a good condition, with huge flowering displays as heavy hedge-cutting was removed. This resulted in bountiful hedgerow berries as a food source for wildlife, and taller, wider, stronger hedgerow habitat. We are excited to have seen multiple families of owls move into this space, as well as smaller birds, mammals and insects that they feed on.

Out in the fields, the grass grew to seed which attracted flocks of birds including species like the Linnet, which are facing critical decline across Derbyshire after years of intensifying farming methods have limited their food supply and fragmented their habitats. We have been amazed by the sheer abundance of birdlife, small mammals and insects who have found shelter in these recovering fields. 

Out in the fields, the grass grew to seed for the first time, which attracted flocks of birds, including species like the Linnet, which are facing critical decline across Derbyshire after years of intensifying farming methods have limited their food supply and fragmented their habitats. We have been amazed by the sheer abundance of birdlife, small mammals and insects that have found shelter in these recovering fields, after only just two years. Imagine what we could be seeing at the five-year mark!

To share an excerpt from one of our most dedicated volunteers bird surveys, in 2025, 94 bird species were recorded on, over or from Common Farm: 

• 65 of which were recorded on or interacting with Common Farm and its habitats
• 23 of these were proved, or strongly suspected to have bred.
• 29 species were recorded flying over only and not specifically interacting with Common Farm or its habitats. 

High quality birds were among the 94, including owl species, seven species of warblers, passage migrant Tree Pipits, Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, Whinchats and Wheatears. There was attempted breeding by Curlews as well as flyovers from Marsh Harrier, Red Kites, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Whooper Swans, Pink-footed Geese, Great White and Little Egrets, Brambling, Crossbill and Yellowhammer. And not forgetting the overwintering Stonechats. 

As we’ve begun to witness this return of wildlife moving in from our nearby nature reserves and across the landscape, we have been reaching out to the community to engage people with this transformation. Our team has led walks for councils, community groups, corporate partners and potential investors – each expressing how inspired they were by the strength of nature’s return.

Due to necessary safety works, we have been encouraging the community to access our fields rather than the buildings for the time being, and we are delighted to see  the site is bustling with dog walkers and families. Volunteers have helped us to keep the site tidy and safe, restoring damaged drystone walls, tidying the farmyard and monitoring the returning wildlife. One brilliant volunteer logging 123 visits in 2025 sharing records of vibrant birdlife across the site!

We are now starting to develop plans to bring communities back into the farmyard, to take ownership of the space and use it for many different activities. This began with our AGM last September where we hosted a Rewilding Marketplace in the barns and engaged local families and members with talks, games and experiences. We are also in conversation with an organisation to lease a part of the buildings, bringing life back into the farmyard in perpetuity.

Recently, we have started working with a Masters student at Nottingham Trent University to consult the community on their views on Common Farm. Together, we aim to create an exhibition that will remain on the site, exploring the lost voices of local people across history, their connection to the land, the wildlife they would have known, and the opportunity we have to reclaim it.

As in our original vision, we have created space for nature, wildlife is returning, and so now we are working to help communities experience the transformation that rewilding brings.

Please join us in celebrating two years at Common Farm by completing this survey and sharing your thoughts on the site, what you love about it and what change you’d like to see!

Click here to share your views within our survey