Rewilding Scotland: 5 years of the Natural Capital Laboratory
After five years of research into how rewilding can tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, experiments at the pioneering Natural Capital Laboratory are bearing fruit. As a founding partner in this world-first pro bono project, we reflect on our involvements and the significant progress made to date.
Nestled in a remote corner of the Scottish Highlands near Loch Ness, a pioneering rewilding experiment is underway.
When landowners Emilia and Roger Leese first bought the 100-acre stretch of commercial conifer forest in 2017, they had a bold vision to rewild the land back to its natural state. So, the pair set out to do something extraordinary.
In 2019, the world’s first Natural Capital Laboratory (NCL) was born. It had a clear remit: to explore the potential of rewilding in tackling the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
AECOM has been a proud partner in this first-of-its-kind 'living’ outdoor laboratory since its inception, alongside the Leeses, the Lifescape Project and the University of Cumbria.
For the past five years, we have been working together to rewild the site – known as Birchfield – through a variety of active and passive techniques. This includes habitat restoration and species reintroduction, as well as using both established and innovative techniques to quantify, measure and communicate the environmental changes and social impact associated with rewilding.
Now that the project is nearing the end of its initial five-year tenure, we reflect on the unique learning environment of the NCL and share some of the key achievements.
What’s unique about the Natural Capital Laboratory?
Natural capital refers to the world’s natural resources such as soil, air, water and all living things that provide essential services for human wellbeing and survival. The NCL project is a much more holistic way of looking at natural capital accounting than you'd normally expect to see and a testbed for innovative techniques and methods.
“From the beginning, the NCL has been a holistic approach to discovering the benefits of rewilding. We've created a space for gaining knowledge, improving well-being, understanding the connection with [nature], and more,” explains Roger Leese.
As an experimental project, the partners established a five-year plan to test out theories and technologies alongside the practical rewilding activities with a view to sharing the findings. All the work has been non-commercial, and access is open to anyone who wants to contribute to research. To date, we estimate over 100 people have worked on the project including scientists, academics, lawyers, students and technical experts.
Says Milica Apostolovic, Sustainability Consultant at AECOM and NCL Project Manager: “The whole point of the NCL is to experiment with interesting ideas. We don't always have to have the right answer to everything. When we think about a lab, we think of a sterile space where certain procedures. And certain methodologies are followed. The NCL is the opposite. It's a wonderful environment where you can relax, do your best work, bring your best self and enjoy the process.”
Project highlights so far include:
Reintroducing missing species
Early in the project, we determined that a key focus of the research would be identifying extinct or missing species and planning rewilding activities to facilitate their reintroduction.
From an initial list of 60 species, we prioritised nine for reintroduction: wood ants, osprey, freshwater pearl mussels, holly, Scots pine, aspen, juniper, European beaver, and sessile oak.
As a first step in the reintroduction process, wood ant nests were translocated to the site. This species was chosen due to the relative simplicity of their reintroduction compared to others. The wood ants' presence is being studied to assess their potential impact on carbon sequestration through feeding and nest-building activities.
Developing brand new ways to measure ecosystem services
A key achievement of the Natural Capital Laboratory (NCL) has been the development and application of new tools, approaches and technological applications to measure, assess, monitor and value nature, which we didn’t have before.
For instance, by employing advanced biodiversity monitoring technologies such as camera traps and Audio Moths, alongside AI-assisted analysis, we have established efficient workflows to handle and interpret vast datasets.
Additionally, pioneering techniques like Air eDNA sampling and advanced 3D modelling using Neural Radiance Fields have enabled detailed monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem changes.
Goodbye Excel, hello interactive digital platform!
Natural capital accounts are traditionally presented as complex calculations in an Excel-based spreadsheet. However, the team wanted to find a better way for the public to explore Birchfield’s natural capital account.
The decision was made to host the baseline accounts on AECOM’s PlanEngage, digital platform instead, which transforms natural capital accounting into an interactive and accessible experience for the public.
The platform incorporates elements such as videos, maps, camera trap data, carbon sequestration models and sound recordings as well as virtual reality to show what the site could look like in 100 years once the impact of rewilding takes effect.
Linked to the experimental activities taking place on the site, the platform also shows the impact of those activities.
The first comprehensive draft framework for social capital accounting
Throughout the five years, the NCL has hosted visitors, volunteers, artists, filmmakers and musicians as well as students, scientists and researchers. We wanted to capture that engagement alongside the natural capital, but standardised metrics do not exist.
As a result, the team has pioneered the development of social capital accounting, an emerging and vastly understudied area in rewilding projects.
By incorporating themes such as recreation, education, social inclusion, and health benefits, we created the first comprehensive draft framework for assigning measurable values to social exchanges and assets.
This framework mirrors natural capital accounts, placing economic value on social benefits such as improved wellbeing, reduced anxiety, and community engagement, providing a template for integrating social capital into broader environmental accounting.
This innovative approach has the potential to enhance investment opportunities in rewilding by demonstrating the combined environmental, social, and economic benefits of such projects.
A living legacy
Over the past five years, the NCL has made remarkable strides, earning 13 award nominations and widespread recognition for its innovative work.
In the summer 2024, the Minister for Climate, Ms. Kerry McCarthy, visited the NCL as part of her fact-finding mission to understand better the potential of natural ecosystems to sequester and store carbon and the effectiveness of different restoration approaches.
It can take tens to hundreds of years to see the true impact and benefits of rewilding. A site the size of the Natural Capital Laboratory will only play a very small part in improving the biodiversity and carbon sequestration in its corner of the Scottish Highland.
However, what it has shown is that through a focus on innovation and knowledge sharing, rewilding on a small scale can still deliver amazing results, as well as contribute to our learning and inspire others to do the same.
Delve into the data-rich world of the Natural Capital Laboratory using this interactive platform. Watch videos, read about key findings, listen to audio recordings – and much more!