Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) has welcomed the news that a small herd of wild bison will be released in Blean, Kent as soon as Spring 2022. Professor Richard Griffiths of DICE, who is also a founding Trustee of Wildwood and Chair of its conservation and rewilding subcommittee, said:
‘DICE is delighted to see the ‘Wilder Blean‘ project happening. This ground-breaking and innovative initiative will bring benefits to wildlife, ecosystem services and people, and act as a model for conservation elsewhere. DICE is proud to have worked with Wildwood on conservation and rewilding projects for many years and will continue to offer support as this important project develops.
‘Many of our students and alumni have gained valuable conservation training and experience at Wildwood. Indeed, current MSc student Julia Daly is compiling an evidence synthesis of the impact of large herbivores, including bison, on woodlands that will feed into the project. We wish the partnership between Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust all the very best in delivering this exciting programme.’
DICE is part of the University of Kent’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, and a Research Centre at the University of Kent. Founded in 1989, DICE sets itself apart from more traditionally-minded academic institutions by conducting applied conservation research that breaks down the barriers between the natural and the social sciences. It has a clear mission: To conserve biodiversity and the ecological processes that support ecosystems and people, by developing capacity and improving conservation management and policy through high-impact research. In 2019 DICE was awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of our excellence, innovation and benefits to the wider world.