Leonardo DiCaprio urges Scotland to become a ‘world leader’ in rewilding

Leonardo DiCaprio has endorsed a Scottish environmentalist alliance that is urging the Scottish Government to declare the country a rewilding nation.  

The Hollywood actor shared the Scottish Rewilding Alliance’s message to more than 61million Instagram followers.  

The alliance is comprised of more than 20 nature organisations urging ministers to declare the country as the world’s first rewilding nation in the hope that it will boost conservation.  

DiCaprio has called for a commitment to “nature recovery across 30 per cent of the land and seas to benefit nature, climate, and people”. 

According to the alliance, 2.1 per cent of Scotland’s land has been restored to its natural uncultivated state.

However, according to NatureScot, Scotland remains one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, with land use named as one of the key drivers for biodiversity loss. 

DiCaprio appeared in Scotland in 2021 at Cop26 in Glasgow, where he acted as a UN representative on climate change.  

He posted to Instagram: “The Scottish Rewilding Alliance is urging the Scottish Government to declare Scotland a Rewilding Nation, committing to nature recovery across 30 per cent of the land and seas to benefit nature, climate, and people. 

“About 6,000 years ago, most of southern Scotland was covered by broadleaf woodland, interspersed with patches of rich scrub, heath, and bog. In stark contrast, the landscape today is nature-depleted hills, with highly degraded sheep-grazed areas (so called 'sheep-wrecked' landscapes) and blocks of non-native spruce plantations. 

“With this campaign, Scotland could be a world leader in rewilding its landscapes, ensuring clean air and water, storing carbon, reducing flooding, restoring wildlife, and improving the lives of locals.”