Wildlife trust bids to raise £500k to buy land

A wildlife charity is fundraising to buy a 400-acre farm so it can rewild an area of land between Kent and Sussex.

Kent Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign to raise £500,000 to purchase Hoathly Farm in Lamberhurst, near Tunbridge Wells.

The trust says if successful, Hoathly Farm would be added to its existing wilding projects at Scotney Castle and Furnace Farm, which it already owns, to create a "near-continuous landscape for nature" connecting Kent and Sussex.

Paul Hadaway, director of conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: "This is Kent's biggest opportunity in a generation to restore nature on a major scale.

"With the help of our supporters, we can reconnect landscapes, bring back biodiversity, and build a resilient future where people and nature thrive side by side."

The charity said transforming low grade arable land into a "wildlife haven" could "enhance and support farming", as well as improve soil health.

Mr Hadaway added: "Allowing nature to return to Hoathly Farm isn't just about wildflowers and woodlands.

"It's about shaping a future where children can grow up connected to the wild and where our farming practices enrich rather than deplete the land."

The charity said it was planning to reconnect fragmented habitats and support native wildlife, including the potential return of lost species like the pine marten.

In addition, it hoped to enhance carbon storage, improve flood prevention and water quality.

So far, the charity has raised £87,000. It said once it achieved its target of £500,000 the amount would be doubled through match funding.

The charity said the fundraising deadline had been set for 24 May.

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