University of Glasgow conference to explore how rewilding is reshaping nature and historic landscapes

UofG students Rachel Mconald, Luca McCall, Ethan Power with Prof Emma Jenkins (Bournemouth)on Auger survey floodplain. Credit Nicki Whitehouse

(IN BRIEF) University of Glasgow will host a major conference on 21 and 22 May 2026 exploring how rewilding and nature-based land use strategies are reshaping both ecosystems and historic landscapes across the United Kingdom. Led by Nicki Whitehouse through the Into the Wild research network, the event will bring together experts from archaeology, conservation, geography and land management to discuss how environmental restoration efforts can be balanced with the protection of cultural heritage. The conference forms part of a broader interdisciplinary research initiative supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and involving several UK universities and conservation organisations.

(PRESS RELEASE) GLASGOW, 18-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Researchers, conservation specialists and policymakers from across the United Kingdom will gather at the University of Glasgow later this month to examine how rewilding and other nature-based land management approaches are transforming both the natural environment and the historic landscapes shaped by centuries of human activity.

The conference, titled Into the Wild: exploring rewilding, nature-based land use and the historic environment, will take place on 21 and 22 May 2026 and is being led by Nicki Whitehouse, Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Glasgow. The event will bring together experts from archaeology, geography, conservation, land management and policy to discuss how rewilding initiatives intersect with cultural heritage and long-established landscapes.

According to the organisers, rewilding — which focuses on restoring natural ecological processes and allowing ecosystems to recover — is gaining increasing support as governments and organisations respond to climate change and biodiversity decline. However, many rewilding initiatives are taking place in landscapes that also contain archaeological sites, historic settlements, agricultural systems and industrial heritage features.

Professor Nicki Whitehouse said rewilding represents one of the most significant shifts in land use in decades and stressed that the conversation extends beyond environmental restoration to include people, history and cultural identity. She noted that archaeology offers long-term insight into how landscapes evolve and how societies adapt to environmental pressures, knowledge that could help shape future land-use strategies.

The conference is organised through the Into the Wild: rewilding and the historic environment research network, a collaborative initiative involving the University of Glasgow, Bournemouth University, University of Plymouth and the National Trust. The network is funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Other contributors highlighted the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in balancing biodiversity goals with heritage protection and social engagement. Kate Welham of Bournemouth University said the initiative demonstrates how archaeological insight can support resilient nature-based strategies, while Kim Ward from the University of Plymouth emphasized the importance of reconnecting communities with long-term cultural landscapes.

Hannah Fluck, Senior National Archaeologist at the National Trust, said organisations managing sites rich in both environmental and historical significance are increasingly looking to integrate archaeological understanding into conservation and restoration projects.

The wider research initiative also includes practical case studies such as the Drumadoon project on the Isle of Arran, where researchers are working with landowners to combine archaeological research, rewilding and sustainable land management practices. Organisers say the project aims to support future decision-making by balancing biodiversity recovery, carbon storage and heritage conservation.

The conference will additionally examine related topics including biodiversity net gain strategies, nature recovery initiatives and net-zero land management approaches.

Media contact:
media@gla.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Glasgow