Did you know that we pledge 1% of our profits towards Rewilding Britain? 

The natural environment is incredibly important to the whole GS team. All of our yarns are inspired by Mother Nature’s colour palettes – everything from moss and lichen to stones unearthed on the beach have influenced the tones of our knits. We take environmental responsibility at each stage of our manufacturing process, working with renowned mills and factories in the UK that we regularly visit and trust. Plus, our commitment to slow fashion inspires our customers to make more considered purchases.

With all of this in mind, when deciding on a cause to donate to, Rewilding Britain were the obvious choice for us. Their work aims to reconnect the population with the natural environment, which we’ll go into more detail about in our interview with them (below). Since 2023 we have pledged to donate 1% of our profits to Rewilding Britain through Work for Good – which means every time you make a purchase from Genevieve Sweeney, a small portion of what you spend is going directly to helping restore our natural world. 

We caught up with Ellen Rickford from Rewilding Britain to chat in more detail about what rewilding is, how it helps protect and restore ecosystems, and how they work as an organisation. 

What does rewilding look like in practice, and how does it differ from traditional conservation?

Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of nature to the point where it can look after itself (and us!) again. It doesn’t focus on a single species, but rather on the health of entire ecosystems.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in rewilding efforts across the UK?

We have learnt over the past ten years that even many of our protected areas in the UK are subject to nature-damaging practices. Only 6% of our national parks are managed effectively for nature, and the vast majority of marine protected areas still permit practices like bottom trawling, mining and dredging. That’s why in our manifesto we ask to see 30% of land and sea in Britain rewilded, rather than simply protected.

How does rewilding contribute to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss?

Rewilding restores ecosystems to the point where they can once again perform critical functions. Evidence shows that effective rewilding improves the quality of soil, water and air, reduces forest fires and mitigates coastal and inland flooding. All while enabling local communities to set up nature based economies, and providing increased opportunities for people to enjoy and connect with nature.

What role do beavers and other wildlife play in rewilding?

Beavers are a keystone species, and an ecosystem engineer – meaning they manipulate their landscape in ways that enable the improved functioning of the entire ecosystem. For example, by building dams beavers slow and disperse the flow of water downstream, providing a natural flood defence and water filter.

How do you know if rewilding is working? Do you have any favourite success stories? 

There have been many exciting successes over the years, illustrating the powerful solution that rewilding presents to some of our most urgent challenges. For example, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) – an inspirational and world renowned community-led organisation and Rewilding Network member – is not only a great example of the power of communities to be spectacular stewards of the nature they live alongside, but has also seen incredible results for the diverse marine ecosystems the project works to protect and restore. Studies have shown that marine life has returned at dramatic levels in these rewilded waters, with some species increasing by nearly 400% since protection measures have been brought in.

Pronounced biodiversity recovery has been witnessed in commercially important species such as lobsters and scallops, and the seabed is recovering with the growth of structurally complex ​’nursery’ habitats and key ​’blue carbon’ habitats showing particular recovery, which further supports the recovery of commercially important fish species.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from your rewilding projects?

Possibly not the most surprising, but certainly the most powerful thing we have learned is how much more effective and impactful rewilding is when it’s managed and driven by local communities. Local people are the most important stakeholders when it comes to rewilding.

What do you see as the future of rewilding in Britain, and how can people get involved?

Our Mission is to champion rewilding in Britain, acting as a catalyst for debate and action and demonstrating the power of working with nature to tackle the climate emergency and the extinction crisis. We want to see rewilding flourishing across Britain, reconnecting us with the natural world and sustaining communities.

People can get involved in myriad ways. Go along to visit or volunteer at your local rewilding site, they can fundraise or donate (we are taking part in the Big Give Green Match Fund later this month, so all donations made between 22nd - 29th April have the capacity to be doubled) or lobby political decision makers to make choices for nature. Email your MP in support of our manifesto. Or sign the Rewilding Charter to make Scotland the world’s first rewilding nation. More details here.

Read more about Genevieve Sweeney’s commitment to sustainability here.