White storks return to Derbyshire after 600 years in historic rewilding effort
Derbyshire: The last time a white stork nested in Derbyshire, King Henry VI was declaring war against France.
After a 600-year absence, the iconic bird has returned to the English Midlands as part of an effort to establish a healthy, wild breeding colony on the same river where authorities recently reintroduced beavers – missing for 800 years since the Magna Carta era.
The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust manages the Willington Wetlands site on the River Trent where the storks will be released. They will undergo an acclimation period in a predator-proof enclosure designed by Celtic Rewilding, a charity that runs a similar project in nearby Staffordshire, from where the birds arrived.
The £300,000 project was funded by Veolia Environmental Trust. The site was chosen after wild storks were recently recorded flying over the River Trent, with hopes that settled birds will encourage wild ones to breed.”From this nature-rich enclosure to the possibility of a future wild population, every step will help strengthen wetland habitats, enhance biodiversity, and inspire people of all ages to reconnect with nature on their doorstep,” said Katie Last, Living Landscape Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
“This project offers a rare opportunity to facilitate the return of a key missing species,” said Harvey Tweats, Director of Celtic Rewilding.”The Trent Valley is uniquely placed to support white stork recovery in the Midlands, combining extensive wetland habitats with restoration opportunities in former gravel pits.”
