Welcome

Getting out and about into Kent's woodlands during autumn is a real pleasure. The leaves change through gold and crimson, carpeting the forest floor as nature transitions towards the colder months ahead. It's a time of change, reminding us how dynamic nature is. It's a great time of year for a quintessential Kentish habitat. So, in this edition of Wilder Kent, we're celebrating our woodlands.

You can read about the action we're taking to protect and restore our woodland reserves. a day in the life of a Blean volunteer and our top tips for how to create a wilder autumn with your family. Yet as we celebrate our woodlands and wildlife, we also need to remember that much of it is highly vulnerable. Across Kent, over 200 species are now threatened or endangered. Only a fraction of our land and water is well-managed for wildlife, and many of the habitats we take for granted are under growing pressure.

This is why we are launching the KWT Nature Restoration Fund - our most ambitious appeal to date. We're on a mission to raise £3 million to restore wild places and reverse species decline across the county.

This fund is not about a single habitat or species. but about creating a Wilder Kent by 2030: expanding and connecting landscapes. reintroducing lost species. responding rapidly to wildlife emergencies and ensuring nature has the resilience to face a changing climate. It is about securing the future of Kent's wildlife on a scale that matches the urgency of the challenges it faces. With your support and our expertise. we can make this vision a reality.

Through the KWT Nature Restoration Fund, we will shine a spotlight on the habitats that make Kent so special: from wetlands shaped by beavers to meadows buzzing with pollinators. to chalk grasslands that support rare orchids and invertebrates. Each stage of the appeal will explore what makes these places unique, the species that are most under threat and the action Kent Wildlife Trust is taking to bring them back from the brink.

I hope you enjoy this woodland-themed edition of Wilder Kent. Thank you. as always, for your ongoing support as members. At a time when wildlife in Kent is in crisis. your commitment has never been more vital.