BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM

In a major victory for conservation and rewilding, RSPB Geltsdale in the north Pennines has grown by a third, making it the largest bird sanctuary in England. Covering over 5,500 hectares (13,590 acres) of blanket bog, heath, meadows, and woodland, the expansion solidifies Geltsdale as a critical habitat for rare and endangered birds.

“This is going to be a reserve on a different scale,” said Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive. “It’s going to demonstrate what is possible when it comes to rewilding and protecting birds.”

The reserve, which stretches from the valley floor to the 640-meter summit of Cold Fell, is already home to curlews, golden plovers, merlins, and ring ouzels. Critically, it also serves as one of the few nesting sites in England for the hen harrier, a bird of prey that has been pushed to the brink of extinction due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction. Last year, eight hen harrier chicks successfully fledged at Geltsdale, a promising sign for their recovery.

A thriving bird sanctuary

With the newly acquired land, Geltsdale will provide an even greater refuge for threatened bird species. Among the diverse bird population, visitors can spot short-eared owls, black grouse, lapwings, redshanks, and snipe. Conservationists hope that with continued restoration, the reserve may even attract golden eagles in the future.

The expansion marks a milestone moment for the RSPB, which has been working at Geltsdale since the 1970s. Until now, the organization owned two-thirds of the site and leased the remaining third. With this new purchase, the reserve is now entirely under RSPB ownership, allowing for full-scale conservation efforts across the entire landscape.

“We now have the ability to manage the entire reserve as one cohesive unit,” said Dave Morris, RSPB area operations manager for Cumbria and Northeast England. “This allows us to create a sanctuary that spans from the valley floor to the mountaintop, offering diverse habitats for a wide range of species.”

Balancing conservation with sustainable farming

What sets Geltsdale apart from other reserves is its integration of conservation with agriculture. A working farm exists within the sanctuary, and much of the future rewilding will focus on harmonizing farming with nature.

One of the key innovations being introduced is invisible fencing, a high-tech solution to traditional barriers that often pose risks to wildlife. Cattle will wear GPS-enabled collars, which emit a sound and mild electric pulse if they approach a designated boundary. This eliminates the need for physical fences, which have been known to cause fatal collisions for black grouse and other ground-nesting birds.

“This is how farmers will manage cattle in the future,” Morris explained. “It allows us to mimic natural grazing patterns without the dangers of traditional fencing.”

Restoring the land and fighting climate change

In addition to protecting bird species, the Geltsdale project is playing a vital role in climate action. Efforts are underway to restore peatland, remove artificial moorland drains, and stop harmful heather burning—all of which contribute to carbon sequestration and climate mitigation.

Heather burning, historically used on grouse shooting estates, releases carbon dioxide trapped in peatlands. This practice has now been halted at Geltsdale, allowing the ecosystem to recover. Similarly, moorland drains have been removed, allowing sphagnum moss—a key player in peat formation—to flourish, increasing the landscape’s ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide.

Streams within the reserve are also being restored to their natural, meandering courses, which improves fish spawning conditions and attracts predators like osprey.

A model for future conservation

Beyond its immediate impact on biodiversity, Geltsdale stands as a powerful symbol of what the uplands could be if conservation and sustainable land management are prioritized.

“When you walk through the reserve during breeding season, it’s incredible,” Speight said. “The place just swarms with birdlife.”

With this expansion, Geltsdale is proving that large-scale rewilding is not just possible but essential for the future of Britain’s wildlife and ecosystems. And with innovative conservation strategies in place, this growing bird sanctuary may well become a blueprint for similar projects across the UK.