From Ponds to Profit: How Rewilding Your Land Boosts Nature and Income
Rewilding is often seen as something that happens on vast estates or remote reserves, but the truth is simpler: every landowner can benefit from letting nature back in. Whether you manage a farm, a smallholding, or a community space, rewilding can improve biodiversity, strengthen your land’s resilience, and open up new streams of income.
At Sasaquatics, we work across Devon and the South West helping landowners, farmers, and communities create thriving habitats through practical interventions—ponds, scrapes, wetlands, and natural swimming pools—that support wildlife and people.
Why Rewilding is Smart Land Management
Rewilding isn’t about abandoning land—it’s about working with natural processes to restore balance. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Improved biodiversity – wetlands, meadows, and woodlands attract pollinators, birds, and rare species.
- Soil and water resilience – healthier soils retain more carbon and water, reducing drought and flood risks.
- Policy alignment – with schemes like ELMS (Environmental Land Management Schemes) and Biodiversity Net Gain becoming central to UK land management, rewilding puts you ahead of the curve.
For farmers under pressure from rising costs and changing subsidies, this isn’t just “good for nature”—it’s smart business.
Wetland Wonders: Ponds, Scrapes & Natural Swimming Pools
Water is at the heart of rewilding. Even a single pond can create dramatic ecological change.
- Wildlife ponds provide breeding grounds for amphibians, increase pollinators, and support birdlife.
- Scrapes—shallow, seasonally wet depressions—are invaluable for waders and invertebrates.
- Natural swimming ponds combine biodiversity gains with eco-tourism opportunities, offering chemical-free, beautiful alternatives to conventional pools.
These interventions don’t just enhance habitats; they can be designed to deliver visitor experiences and business diversification.
From Nature to Income: Rewilding Revenue Streams
Rewilding can open doors to diverse and resilient income sources:
- Government schemes – payments through ELMS and Local Nature Recovery for habitat creation, carbon storage, and flood mitigation.
- Biodiversity credits & carbon markets – private sector demand for measurable environmental outcomes is growing rapidly.
- Eco-tourism – from wild camping and glamping to guided nature walks and wild swimming.
- Wild products – honey, herbal teas, foraged goods, and sustainable wood harvesting.
By mixing ecological restoration with creative land use, you can generate long-term financial returns while restoring ecosystems.
Funding Your Rewilding Journey
The biggest question we hear is: how do I pay for it?
Fortunately, there are grants and funds available:
- 🌱 Rewilding Innovation Fund – supporting projects that demonstrate innovative rewilding approaches.
- 💧 Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) – helps landowners develop nature-based enterprises.
- 🌿 ELMS – payments for sustainable farming and nature recovery.
Sasaquatics can help you identify which schemes fit your land, prepare applications, and design projects that meet both ecological and financial goals.
Getting Started: Five Practical Steps
Map your land using the DEFRA MAGIC tool to understand habitats, soil, and water features.
Spot quick wins – small-scale interventions like ponds or wildflower strips can deliver big results.
Explore funding options – don’t miss application deadlines.
Collaborate locally – neighbouring landowners, farmers, and community groups can create connected corridors.
Monitor progress – track biodiversity, soil health, and visitor engagement to demonstrate impact.
The Takeaway
Rewilding is more than conservation—it’s a resilient business model for the future of land management. Every pond, scrape, or meadow you create can deliver ecological value while strengthening your income.
At Sasaquatics, we combine consultancy with hands-on delivery: from feasibility studies and funding bids to the practical creation of ponds, scrapes, and wetland habitats.
👉 Ready to explore how rewilding could work on your land? Feel free to contact us!
