As spring edges ever closer, we’re back with another little bundle of good news. And no, we’re not just talking about the rain easing off and the sun finally peeping out from behind the clouds, though that certainly helps.
Across the UK this month, there have been some genuinely hopeful stories. Birds returning to places they have not bred for centuries. Urban rewilding gathering real momentum. A butterfly once thought lost to Britain turning up again. Even practical new tools are being developed to help growers work more efficiently and with less waste.
This is your monthly round-up of positive stories from across the wider world of land, nature and community. Here at WWOOF HQ, we hope taking a few minutes to read them brings a little hope to your day.
White storks set their sights on the Midlands
One of the most striking stories this month comes from Derbyshire, where white storks are being reintroduced to the Midlands, with the aim of establishing a breeding population there for the first time in more than 600 years. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust announced the project on 10 March 2026, describing it as an ambitious effort to bring the species back to the region.
The project is centred on Willington Wetlands, a restored wetland site in Derbyshire, and is being delivered by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in partnership with others including Celtic Rewilding and supported by The Veolia Environmental Trust. The broader hope is not just to welcome back a much-loved species, but to use the return of white storks as part of a wider story of wetland restoration and species recovery.
For anyone involved in land care, it is a reminder that habitat restoration can have very visible, very uplifting outcomes. Some returns really do capture the imagination.
Click here for more information
Allestree Park shows what community rewilding can look like
Also in Derbyshire, Allestree Park continues to show what urban rewilding can look like when it is shaped not only by ecology, but by local people too. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust describes the site as a community rewilding project, where changes are being led by nature and supported by the people of Derby.
This is not just a vision on paper. The park is already seeing practical habitat work, volunteer involvement and grazing management to improve biodiversity. A recent winter newsletter notes that cattle have been grazing parts of the site as part of stewardship work to support meadows and semi-improved grasslands, while 2026 activities include volunteering sessions, wildlife surveys and public learning events.
What makes this one feel especially relevant is that it is happening in a city park. It speaks to something many in the WWOOF community will recognise: that meaningful land-based work does not only happen in remote or rural places. Sometimes it happens in the public green spaces people pass every day.
Click here for more information
Meadows are back on the agenda
Meadows do not always make dramatic headlines, but they should. This month, The Wildlife Trusts made a strong case for why support for farmers to restore grasslands matters, noting that England lost 90% of its lowland grasslands during the 20th century, largely through intensification and conversion to arable land. Their message was simple: meadows have slipped out of focus before, and now is the time to bring them back properly.
That matters because meadows are not just pretty places. They store carbon, support pollinators, provide habitat, slow flooding, and form part of healthier, more resilient farmed landscapes. In other words, they sit right at the centre of the conversation about how farming and nature can work together.
There is something reassuring in the fact that meadows are being talked about again, not as nostalgia, but as part of the future.
Click here for more information
An ‘extinct’ butterfly turns up again in England
A particularly joyful wildlife story this month came from Butterfly Conservation, which reported that the large tortoiseshell butterfly, a species classed as extinct in the UK for more than 30 years, has been seen across southern England. Recent sightings have come from Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight.
The charity says the species is now breeding again in Britain and should be regarded as re-establishing itself as a resident butterfly, rather than just appearing as an occasional visitor. That is a significant shift. It means this is not simply a rare sighting, but a genuine sign of return.
It is also the sort of story that gently reshapes your sense of what is possible. Species do disappear. But sometimes, if conditions change and enough habitat remains, they find their way back.
Sycamore Gap will become something public and hopeful
Not all good news begins in a good place. This month, the National Trust opened a public vote on six shortlisted artist proposals that would transform wood from the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree into a lasting public artwork. The Trust says the aim is to create a legacy that is nationally meaningful and shaped by public involvement.
The shortlisted proposals range from sculptural and participatory works to projects that gather stories, encourage reflection and create spaces for shared remembrance. The public vote opened in mid-March, with the chosen artist or collaboration set to develop the final piece from the preserved timber.
There is something quite moving about this. A moment that felt brutal and senseless is being turned, slowly, into something collective and constructive. Not a replacement for what was lost, but perhaps a way of carrying it forward.
Click here for more information and to vote on your favourite
A new nutrient planning tool could make life easier for growers
Among the more practical bits of good news this month is the growing attention around Defra’s new Plan and Manage Nutrient Applications Tool on GOV.UK. The tool was launched on 4 February 2026, and on 26 February the Organic Research Centre highlighted a webinar explaining how it works.
The aim is straightforward but important. Better nutrient planning helps farmers and growers match fertiliser and organic material applications to what crops and soils actually need. Done well, that can improve productivity, cut costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower the risk of nutrients ending up in rivers and streams.
It may not be the most romantic story in this round-up, but it is exactly the kind of practical progress that matters on the ground. Good tools, used well, can make sustainable growing a little easier and a little more effective.
Click here to find out more about this .GOV tool
Have you spotted any good news?
If something positive is happening in your patch of land or community, we would love to hear about it. Click here to send us a message and help us spread a little more good news across the WWOOF community.
