A once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund nature's recovery. Will you be part of it?
The countdown has begun. With just four years remaining until 2030, Kent Wildlife Trust is entering the most crucial phase of our mission: to reverse the decline of nature and create a wilder Kent for people and wildlife.
State of Nature in Kent 2021
But we can’t do it alone. Every one of us depends on a healthy natural world and its benefits. That is why we have launched the biggest fundraising appeal in our history: the KWT Nature Restoration Fund. We need to raise £3 million to save Kent’s nature and fund the transformation of Kent’s wild places – from woodlands and wetlands to grasslands and heathlands – bringing back lost species and making nature part of everyday life again.
This is a turning point for Kent’s natural future. With your support, we can create wilder landscapes, restore balance, and leave a legacy that will last for generations.
Will you help us make Kent wilder by 2030?
Nature can't wait.
And neither can we.
Kent’s wildlife is in serious decline. Over 200 species in the county are now considered threatened or endangered. Natural habitats are shrinking or degrading at an alarming rate.
We know we have the knowledge, experience and strategy to reverse this crisis. Our Wilder Kent 2030 vision sets out a bold plan to restore 30% of Kent’s land and sea for nature, aligning with nationwide goals. But to deliver it, we need to raise £3 million.
We know this is ambitious. But this is because funding for nature’s recovery is falling short – badly.
Public funding and grants for conservation work are increasingly limited, competitive and uncertain. Brexit has meant the loss of major EU funding streams for environmental work. National nature budgets remain a fraction of what’s needed to meet even basic climate and biodiversity targets. In Kent, the competition for grant funding is fierce, and what little is available is often restricted to narrow project criteria or short timeframes.
This means we are constantly fighting to secure short-term pots of money just to keep vital work going. It’s unsustainable (literally) - and it’s slowing down the scale of action nature desperately needs.
To truly restore wild places and bring species back from the brink, we need long-term, flexible funding. We need unrestricted income that can be directed where it’s needed most – quickly and strategically.
That’s why your support matters more than ever.
© Jess Allam
Your donations enable us to:
Scale up habitat restoration and rewilding across Kent
Respond rapidly to threats facing wildlife and wild places
Fund core ecological staff and ongoing species monitoring
Empower local communities to take action for nature
Advocate for stronger environmental protections at policy level
Every bridge we build, every species we reintroduce, every sapling we nurture – it’s all made possible by people like you.
We rely completely on the generosity of our members and supporters. Without you, none of this can happen.
You are part of the solution.
Will you help us fund nature’s recovery?
Illustration by Bea Baranowska
What could a Wilder Kent look like by 2030?
By 2030, we envision a county where woodlands teem with birdsong, wetlands ripple with dragonflies, grasslands blaze with wildflowers and heathlands echo with the call of restored species. Our focus is on restoring and reconnecting vital habitats such as:
Wetlands
From reedbeds to riverbanks, wetlands are nature’s lifeline.
We’re restoring these waterlogged habitats to support
beavers, amphibians, water voles and marsh harriers,
and increase flood resilience.
Grasslands
Our chalk and neutral grasslands support hundreds of
species of wildflowers and invertebrates, but they’re
vanishing fast. We’ve spent decades restoring meadows
and grazing regimes that support pollinators and
ground-nesting birds.
Woodlands
We’re expanding and regenerating native woodland,
especially through projects like Wilder Blean. We’re creating
rich, dynamic ecosystems where species like nightingales,
dormice and lesser spotted woodpeckers can thrive.
Coastlands
Kent’s coast is one of the most important in the UK, from
saltmarshes and shingle to chalk cliffs. They are vital for
rare plants, seabirds and overwintering visitors, but they’re
threatened by the impacts of climate change, disturbance
and development.
Your donations will turn degraded land into thriving ecosystems. By restoring nature at scale, we’re not just saving species – we’re securing a future where we can flourish alongside wildlife.
These landscapes don’t stand alone. They form a connected, climate-resilient nature network that benefits wildlife and people alike. Healthy habitats capture carbon, regulate water, reduce pollution and support our physical and mental wellbeing.
How it works
The KWT Nature Restoration Fund will power recovery through a series of targeted fundraising sprints. Each appeal under the KWT Nature Restoration Fund will focus on a different habitat – from woodlands to wetlands, grasslands to coast – and the species that depend on them.
By working this way, we can channel resources quickly and make real progress. Nature needs urgent action now, and your support today will lay the foundations for everything to come.
We’ve already had an amazing start with a £100,000 kickstarter fund from a generous donor. It’s a powerful message: that this can be done, if we act together. Now we need you to join them. Early donations give us the flexibility to move fast, plan ahead and ensure that when each sprint launches, we can hit the ground running.
Every gift is a vital step towards a Wilder Kent by 2030.
