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Nature-led restoration - Heal Somerset, England
The Heal Somerset site covers 186 hectares near Frome. Decades of intensive dairy farming degraded the soil through slurry, manure and synthetic fertiliser use, leaving the land species-poor. Heal acquired the site in 2022 to reverse this decline, reinstating natural processes and letting nature shape the landscape to restore fully functioning ecosystems. The Earthly Voluntary Biodiversity Credits cover the site's Northern Fields. Here, grassland, scrub and woodland habitats form a dynamic mosaic under nature-led management, rebuilding biodiversity on land once depleted by intensive farming.
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Project information
Rewilding Somerset’s farmland for nature and people
The Heal Somerset project supports six SDGs through its rewilding approach. Firstly, it supports SDG 15 (Life on Land) by restoring degraded former farmland into a mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats, reversing agricultural biodiversity loss and rebuilding species diversity through nature-led ecosystem recovery. Rewilding also directly addresses SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), as this process has the potential to produce clean water and clean air, and to reduce soil pollution and contamination. The creation of these habitats also supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) by increasing carbon storage and sequestration and increasing the ecosystem´s resilience to climate-related hazards.
The project also contributes to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by restoring natural water flows and removing man-made drainage, protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems on site. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) is addressed by securing land specifically to safeguard it for nature, placing natural heritage at the core of the project and through the provision of inclusive and accessible nature areas. The project supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by providing information about nature care and connection. Education and learning sit at the heart of Heal's work, delivered in person at events and virtually through webinars and online resources, communicating the vital role natural spaces play in supporting human systems and wellbeing.
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Key information
Intervention
Habitat Restoration and Creation
Location
England
Credit type
Biodiversity Credits
Standard
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Assessment methodology
Keystone 3.0
Sustainable Goals
Project performance
The Earthly rating
The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyse 160+ data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5/10.
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Carbon
4
external site surveys completed covering soil and biomass carbon pools, tree stock and canopy structure
Biodiversity
186
hectares restored according to rewilding principles
Social
999
young people engaged through environmental education, volunteering and work opportunities
Project impact
Local impact
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Project area: through time
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Positive for people
The project addresses barriers to accessing nature, social isolation, mental-health challenges and limited opportunities for young people through free public access, accessible paths and facilities, volunteering and targeted community programmes. Partnerships with organisations supporting people with disabilities, dementia, mental-health needs, young people and socially disadvantaged groups enable underserved communities to participate through needs-led activities and nature-based wellbeing programmes.
The community-designed Village Fields provide locally shaped amenities, including gathering spaces and a community orchard, while educational activities include curriculum-linked field visits, work experience, youth ambassador opportunities, citizen science and wider environmental learning. The project also supports the local economy through recurring employment of local contractors and demand for ecological and land-management services. Observed outcomes include improved wellbeing and connection, greater understanding of nature and rewilding, increased relaxation and positive intentions to adopt nature-supporting behaviours.
Good for earth
Before Heal acquired the site in 2022, decades of intensive dairy farming had led to degraded soil health and dramatically reduced biodiversity, leaving behind species-poor grassland. Heal acquired the land in 2022 with the aim of creating a dynamic mosaic of open grassland, scrub and woodland, interspersed with bare ground and water features such as scrapes, ponds, ditches and wetlands. Heal's approach to reversing this decline follows rewilding principles, allowing natural regeneration and the reintroduction of natural processes, including grazing, to shape the land over time. The restored habitats are expected to support biodiversity and deliver ecosystem benefits, including reduced surface water run-off, improved soil health, carbon sequestration and better air quality.
To track ecological transformation on site over time, the project has carried out baseline ecological surveys in 2023 and 2024, combining data collected by volunteers and specialist bodies including Conops, Providence Ecological and Treeconomy. Early signs of ecological change are encouraging: the diversity and abundance of native grasses appear to be increasing, and species such as cmmon vetch, cuckoo flower and fleabane have begun spreading out from the hedgerows into open ground. Because the project is still in its early stages, opportunities for robust comparative analysis remain limited, and these changes cannot yet be confidently attributed to management interventions. However, continued rigorous monitoring is expected to demonstrate the project's impact more clearly over time, while also enabling adaptive management that responds to how habitats develop.
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