‘Citizen rewilders’ invited to invest in Highlands Rewilding project
Aunique Scottish rewilding project has launched a major crowdfunding push with a target of raising £8 million-plus.
Highlands Rewilding is a groundbreaking “mass-ownership” company with more than 2,000 acres of land stretching across two estates – Bunloit, in Inverness-shire, and Beldorney, in Aberdeenshire.
Its mission is to fight climate change and reverse biodiversity collapse via large-scale landscape restoration, providing green jobs, boosting eco research, and helping Scotland achieve its net-zero goals.
It is hoped a mixture of local people, equity investors and financial institutions will buy in during Highlands Rewilding’s three-month fundraising drive, which will raise capital through sales of shares in the business and all of its land and buildings. “Citizen rewilders” can invest from as little as £50 up to £200,000.
The cash call is the second round of fundraising for Highlands Rewilding – brainchild of ecoentrepreneur Dr Jeremy Leggett, a former scientific director at Greenpeace. More than 50 investors – including a Hollywood screenwriter and a world champion free-solo mountain climber – have already bought in, becoming the first shareholders in the firm with investments totalling £7.5m.
Jeremy says: “This round of funding is an exciting opportunity to significantly scale the project as we look to invest in more land, people, and further improve Scotland’s biodiversity in our efforts to combat the climate crisis and biodiversity collapse.
“We ideally want to have hundreds, if not thousands of shareholders from across the world, but especially Scotland, where we will continue to work as closely as we can with local
Highland communities, including via joint ventures with community organisations.
“Our citizen rewilder option within the crowdfund allows for genuine co-ownership for a minimum amount of investment.”
By managing its land for carbon and biodiversity uplift, Highlands Rewilding aims to provide shareholders with ethical capital returns while using the business as a model to encourage other landowners to adopt more environmentally friendly practices.
The company will be able to acquire further land providing biodiversity opportunities if the target amount is raised.
Additional funds would also bring its long-term goals – including plans to offer corporate nature recovery retreats on each estate; create eco-buildings, including affordable housing; and increase scientific research – a step closer.