Rewilding Allestree Park - timeline and next steps

Be an Auroch 

Grazing the landscapes of Europe, the aurochs – Europe’s original wild bovine species – once played a vital role in maintaining biodiversity. We’ll be mimicking their techniques around the sand bunkers and providing space for other creatures to reproduce, including lizards, beetles and bees.  

Winter Tree Identification  

Join us this winter for a Tree Identification training session at Allestree Park. If you’ve always wanted to know how to identify different trees on your walk or you’re interested in knowing more about the various trees, then come along to this free workshop.  

Be a Beaver

By mimicking the dam building techniques of these incredible ecosystem engineers, become a busy beaver and help us to slow the flow at Allestree Park whilst creating some wonderful wetland habitats. 

See what our beavers got up to in 2025

Butterfly Identification Training  

Would you like to know how to identify all 59 butterfly species in the UK? Are you interested in helping monitor butterfly populations in your local area?  

Then join DWT and Butterfly Conservation on Sunday 1^st March, 12-3pm at Allestree Club, DE22 2FS with hot drinks and cakes provided. 

Be a Boar Day 

Join us for a ‘boaring’ time in Allestree Park, mimicking wild boar grubbing around in the soil (using tools, not snouts!), to disturb dormant wildflowers and encourage them to grow. 

Why do we need healthy soil?

Would you like to know how to tell if a soil is healthy depending on its physical (colour, texture) and chemical (pH, carbon & water content) factors? Then come along to this workshop to test the soil at Allestree Park to see if it is healthy. We will also be delving into why we need healthy soil and carrying out other tests such as water infiltration experiments and earth worm counts. No prior experience is needed – all information will be taught on the day. 

Be a Wolf Day

Before their extinction in the UK, wolves carried seeds in their fur, spreading them across large areas and helping native plants to flourish. 

Join us for a guided walk, where we’ll be inviting your four-legged friends to wear a seed pouch and mimic the behaviour of their ancestors by scattering some wildflower seeds across Allestree Park. 

See what our wolves got up to in 2025

Work Experience Week

We’re inviting local Year 10 students to experience a range of careers led by experts in their field, hoping to inspire the next generation of conservationists! 

Bird Identification Training Day

Join DWT for the day to find out more about the different birds that use Allestree Park and how to begin to identify them by sound and sight. This training day will be split into two parts – an indoor theory classroom session in the morning followed by a practical outdoor session in the afternoon. This is a beginner session – no prior experience is needed, just an interest to learn more. Limited places, so booking is essential.  

Grassland Plant Identification Training

If you have an interest in knowing more about grassland plants, then join us to learn how to identify common plants you can see in the flower-rich meadows at Allestree Park. 

We will also be showing you how to implement an easy surveying method which we will be using at Allestree Park for ongoing monitoring (you'll have an opportunity to sign up as a volunteer for this, if you would like to assist with monitoring).

Moth Breakfast

Join us for a Moth Breakfast this Spring and Summer at Allestree Park to explore what moths are using the park and help us identify them. There are over 2,500 Moths in the UK – how many do we have at Allestree Park? 

Bumblebee Identification Training

Did you know there are over 270 species of bees in the UK – 1 honey bee, 24 bumblebees and over 240 species of solitary bees! If you want to know how to identify some of those different species then join us for this training workshop in partnership with Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT). We will also be showing you how to carry out BBCT’s national BeeWalk Recording Scheme so, if you feel inspired you can help record bees in your local area.  

Have a Bash!

Join us to control the spread of the invasive Himalayan Balsam on site through the process of ‘bashing’, helping to protect our valuable native plants.

Community Celebration Event

Join your community to celebrate all of the wonderful projects that are happening at Allestree Park and get involved in actions for nature.

Summer Tree Identification

Join us this summer for a Tree Identification training session at Allestree Park. If you’ve always wanted to know how to identify different trees on your walk, then come along to this free workshop.

Scything Workshop

Join DWT to learn how to use a scythe to cut a meadow and find out more about traditional meadow management. The removal of nutrients is key for a wildflower meadow to flourish – come and help us do this at Allestree Park and learn a new skill too!

Dung Beetle Monitoring

There are 60 species of dung beetle in the UK – how many do we have at Allestree Park? Join us this autumn to find out! 

Be a Jay Day

Jays are often called ‘nature’s foresters’ thanks to them planting thousands of acorns that grow into wonderful oak trees! Now it’s your turn to ‘Be a Jay for the Day’ by searching for nuts and berries and then burying them on Allestree Park. 

Be a Wild Pony Day

As selective grazers, wild ponies play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by managing the spread of tougher grasses and plants. Using tools, we’ll mimic their behaviour - pushing back the brambles to maintain species diversity.

Be a Bison Day

Naturally, bison manage woodlands. They encourage more light to the woodland floor and increase the amount of deadwood to benefit native plants and animals. Using tools, we’ll roam through the Allestree woodlands and mimic the behaviour of these incredible ecosystem engineers. 

Wilder Schools Engagement

Throughout the project, we are keen to engage the future Derby residents as much as possible and enjoy the benefits of Allestree Park. From planting trees to undertaking ‘leading a project for positive change’ courses, we have enjoyed sessions with many schools, local and further afield. 

We are looking to engage with more budding rewilding lovers in 2026, please do get in touch if you would like your school to get involved!

Allestree Park Community of Practice

We are pleased to offer support to local practitioners to enrich outdoor learning. We will be running a series of twilight sessions that respond to the needs of local schools whilst building a local support network where outdoor practices and expertise can be shared for many years to come. For more information, please get in touch.  

Allestree Park Junior Rangers

Junior Rangers is a group designed for 11–18-year-olds who love the outdoors and have an interest in conservation. They meet once a month and carry out activities linked to the community rewilding project, led by our trained, community-volunteer leaders.

Find out more about Junior Rangers

See the Junior Rangers in action

Allestree Park Nature Tots

Led by St Edmund’s Baby and Toddler Group and supported with training and resources from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Nature Tots is a playgroup with a difference. Designed to connect pre-school children with nature, encouraging learning, play and fun outdoors.

For more info contact Caroline at St Edmunds - steds.stmatts@outlook.com

Outdoor shelter design

Plans are taking shape to create an outdoor learning shelter and a dipping pond for local school children, Nature Tots, Junior Rangers and other community groups. The shelter will provide a base to learn from whilst the pond will enable learners to get up close with pond lurking critters during school visits and events.

In the meantime, two pop up canopies in the trees are being used – a parachute canopy by the utility building facing the hall, and a tarp canopy close to the entrance near The Evergreen Hall. Both can be put up and taken down as needed to support educational sessions. 

Site interpretation

We’ll be working to develop ways for new visitors to engage with the park and learn not only about the rewilding project but the cultural, environmental and historical importance of the park.

Accessibility and Inclusion

Derby City Council will continue to carry out a feasibility study on how to make the park more accessible and inclusive. This will include the installation of new benches, communal seating areas and the improvement of existing nature trials.