SLX partners with Wilderkind in environmental initiative
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Founded in April 2023 Wilderkind collaborates with businesses in South West England to combat biodiversity loss, prevent ecosystem collapse, and foster climate resilience.
SLX has been on a journey to evolve its business to become more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint. Following the release of its Impact Report earlier this year, and the announcement of attaining a B-Corporation status, this new partnership exemplifies SLX's commitment to making a visible environmental impact and aligning with the core values of its B-Corp certification.
Under the leadership of Nick Allport, founder of Wilderkind, SLX will fund an extensive 73-acre rewilding project led by the charity, the Somerset Wildlands, which is aimed at restoring parts of the Somerset Levels to its original state as a wetland. Specifically, SLX will be funding a project to construct scrapes – shallow pools - in selected areas of the rewilding site to create additional space for aquatic species to flourish. This should create a haven for aquatic life such as water voles as well as a host of insects, birds and amphibians and boost bio abundance and biodiversity at the site.
Both organisations share the same vision to make a positive and tangible environmental impact. From quarterly updates on the progress of the site, to providing opportunities to visit the project with an experienced ecologist, the whole SLX team will have the opportunity to witness the positive transformation of the site first hand. Through this engagement, SLX aims to help foster a deeper sense of connection to nature within the organisation.
"As the UK currently ranks within the bottom 10% of countries globally in terms of the intactness of its ecosystems and the abundance our wildlife has reduced by 69% since 1970, the urgency to rewild landscapes and restore healthy ecosystem processes has reached paramount importance,” says Nick Allport. “With the support from businesses like SLX, we can accelerate our work towards reverting biodiversity loss and building greater resilience to climate change. I look forward to sharing some positive and visible evidence of the project which we hope will become a catalyst for change in the industry.”
The initial partnership between SLX and Wilderkind is set for one year, during which the restoration of a specific part of the Somerset Levels will be a primary focus. However, SLX's enthusiasm for the project indicates a potential for long-term involvement in Wilderkind's rewilding journey.
“We are excited to partner with Wilderkind and contribute to their nature recovery focussed projects,” says Phoebe Currie, sustainability & social values manager, SLX. “Supporting Wildkind aligns with our ambition to drive meaningful change and we hope that through this relationship, we will enhance our impact, inspire our workforce and engage our clients with projects building resilience into our ecosystems.”
