The Return of the White Stork: From Folklore to Our Front Door

For centuries, the White Stork has been missing from the British landscape. While these magnificent birds remained a staple of European folklore - symbols of rebirth, fertility, and luck - they were missing from Britain’s skies for over 600 years.

A Brief History of Absence

The story of the stork in Britain is a familiar one of habitat loss and over-hunting. Historically, storks nested on rooftops and high trees across the south of England, but by the mid-1400s, they had vanished. Between the drainage of the wetlands they relied on for food and being hunted for the table (stork was once a medieval delicacy), they were pushed to the brink and eventually across the Channel.

This history feels quite personal to me. I grew up next to - and spent much of my childhood in - the Cliffe Pools RSPB reserve in Kent. While I loved spending time in nature, I was always keenly aware that our landscape was missing something; it wasn't bristling with life the way I was sure it once was.

The "Cliffe marshes" were a long way from their wild origins, having been dyked and drained for farmland. Besides seeing the occasional heron and hearing the frog choruses in the streams and breeding gulls in the lakes, it always felt a bit depleted.

But nature has a way of returning if we leave the door open.

Why Storks Matter: The Ecological Impact

The White Stork Project is bringing back this beautiful bird, and in doing so restoring a "missing link" in our ecosystem. Storks are generalist predators. They hunt in long grass and wetlands, snacking on everything from insects and earthworms to amphibians and small rodents.

By foraging across the landscape, they help manage prey populations and create a more complex, balanced food web. Their return is a sign of a healthy, "leaky" landscape - one where water sits in the fields and insects are plentiful.

Our Trip to the Wild Side: A November Greeting

As you might have guessed, I’ve been an avid follower of the rewilding movement for some time. However, a "proper" introduction to the White Stork Project came through the best possible channel: a Rewild at Heart customer!

Susan, a volunteer at Knepp, connected me with Laura, the Project Manager. This led to Paul and me heading down to Knepp on a crisp, bright November day. We weren't sure what to expect in the "off-season," but we were greeted by a sight I’ll never forget: around twenty white storks circling overhead almost as soon as we stepped out of the car.

Laura explained that these are the "resident" birds - many originally from Warsaw Zoo. While the younger generations have started to migrate to Africa and Spain, these original pioneers have made Knepp their permanent home, choosing to stay in the Sussex scrubland year-round.

Seeing Rewilding in Action

Walking through Knepp with Laura felt like stepping into a different version of England. Besides the storks and red kites flying overhead; it was the layers of life everywhere. We saw:

• Towering Oaks supporting massive, messy stork nests.
• Beaver Dams slowing the flow of water through the land.
• Dense Scrub providing a nursery for countless other species.

It was the perfect setting to discuss our new partnership over a coffee at the Knepp café.

Wearable Conservation: The New Collection

To support this incredible work, I have designed two new embroidery pieces: White Stork Flight (based on a photo of a stork landing in a nest, coincidentally reminiscent of the Project’s logo!) and the White Stork Portrait, a close-up of a stork, exhibiting the striking beak & markings of these beautiful birds.

We want these designs to do more than just celebrate the birds; we want them to help fund their future. Like our other charity partnerships, 10% of the sale price from each piece will be donated to the White Stork Project, helping them as they expand their reach across Britain.

When you wear one of these pieces, you’re carrying the story of the stork’s return with you. You're a part of the movement that says we want our skies to be a little bit wilder.