An historic woodland in Somerset is being brought back to life with the help of sustainable finance.
Triodos Bank – a Good With Money ‘Good Egg’ company – has provided a £1.5 million loan to support a major rewilding initiative in the ancient Selwood Forest.
The funding has enabled the purchase of a 133-acre site known as Hicks Park Wood, which will help create a connected, landscape-scale network of restored habitats across the region. The project focuses on letting nature take the lead, with native plants regenerating naturally and grazing animals playing a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, improving biodiversity, and enriching the soil.
3 investment funds fighting deforestation
Bringing history and nature back to life
Hicks Park Wood is an ancient woodland dating back to the 13th century, once part of the Saxon Selwood Forest. Traditional forest management will support habitat restoration, helping native oak woodlands thrive and encouraging biodiversity.
In the first phase, non-native conifers will be selectively removed to increase sunlight and stimulate native regeneration. After this, a low-intervention approach will allow forests, grasslands, and wetlands to recover naturally.
Free-roaming grazing animals such as Longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies, and red deer will act as ecosystem engineers, shaping vegetation and improving soil health. Wetland restoration will include re-meandering streams to enhance water quality and reduce flooding risk for local communities.
Connecting people, wildlife, and landscapes
The project will also improve public access by restoring nature trails and aims to expand educational opportunities for local schools, inspiring future generations in conservation.
By linking with nearby rewilding sites, Hicks Park Wood strengthens ecological corridors across the region, supporting species recovery on a much larger scale.
Triodos Bank’s commitment to nature
Triodos Bank specialises in financing nature-based solutions that help tackle climate change and ecological decline while delivering social benefits. The bank previously supported Heal Rewilding with a nearby land purchase in 2023 and Avon Needs Trees with a 422-acre acquisition between Bristol and Bath.
Laura Rumph, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK, said: “As a sustainable bank, we are supporting the restoration of biodiversity and protection nature in the UK. Both are essential in addressing the interconnected climate and ecological emergencies that we face.
“Nature will only recover if it has far more space to thrive. We are excited to see how Hicks Park Wood progresses and hope to be able to support similar landscape-scale initiatives nationwide that are advancing more connected and coordinated rewilding efforts.”
Triodos has committed over €500 million (£427 million) globally to support nature-based solutions by 2030. This aligns with its mission to create a society that protects and promotes quality of life for all, with human dignity at its core.
