White Stork Project

Founded: 2016

Organisation Type: Wildlife reintroduction conservation project

Location: Southern England, UK

Mission Statement:

The White Stork Project is a UK-based conservation initiative working to restore a free-living population of white storks to Britain through carefully managed reintroduction, habitat restoration, and long-term ecological monitoring. By re-establishing this iconic wetland species, the project aims to reconnect people with nature, support healthier landscapes, and demonstrate how rewilding can help reverse biodiversity loss.

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Chicks remain in the nest for roughly two months before fledging. © Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay
Chicks remain in the nest for roughly two months before fledging. © Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay

White Stork Project

The White Stork Project is a pioneering UK conservation initiative working to restore white storks as a free-living breeding species in Britain for the first time in centuries. Through carefully managed reintroduction, habitat restoration, and long-term ecological monitoring, the project demonstrates how rewilding can help reverse biodiversity loss while reconnecting people with nature.

By focusing on landscape-scale recovery and public engagement, the return of the white stork has become both a practical conservation success and a powerful symbol of nature’s ability to recover when given space and support.

White Stork Project: Current programmes and initiatives

The White Stork Project is actively focused on establishing a free-living, breeding population of white storks in southern England through a coordinated reintroduction programme that began in 2016 and continues with selective releases and habitat enhancement. Over recent years, birds have been released at a couple of partner sites in Sussex, contributing to expanding wild colonies. The project has facilitated scientific monitoring, GPS tracking of migration routes, habitat restoration, and community engagement initiatives such as live nest cameras and educational outreach.

Since 2025, Knepp and the nearby town of Storrington have been accepted into the European Stork Village Network, through the White Stork Project. This makes the UK the 16th country to join the Network, a trans-boundary initiative to preserve wetland habitat for storks and other species.

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Their return to the UK is seen as a milestone in rewilding and species recovery. © George Wietschorke
Their return to the UK is seen as a milestone in rewilding and species recovery. © George Wietschorke

What are some White Stork Project Statistics and Achievements?

The project has achieved the first successful breeding of wild white storks in Britain in centuries, marking a major milestone in UK species recovery. Through the release and monitoring of dozens of birds, the establishment of multiple nesting pairs, and ongoing tracking of movements and survival, the White Stork Project has provided robust evidence that reintroduction can succeed in modern, working landscapes. In parallel, the project has helped raise public awareness of rewilding and biodiversity loss, using the return of white storks as a powerful symbol of nature’s capacity to recover when given space and support.

Storks migrate thousands of kilometres between Europe and Africa each year. © Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay
Storks migrate thousands of kilometres between Europe and Africa each year. © Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay

Who Founded White Stork Project?

The impetus for the White Stork Project originated with reintroduction experts Roy Dennis and Derek Gow, who developed the concept of restoring Britain’s native white stork population through phased releases of captive-bred and rescued birds. Their work, supported by partners including Cotswold Wildlife Park, Knepp Estate and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has guided the project’s phased reintroduction strategy and scientific framework.

Long-term landscape stewardship by the Knepp Wildland team, led by Isabella Tree and Sir Charles Burrell, has provided vital habitat and operational support, situating the storks within a broader rewilding context on the estate. These collaborations among conservation practitioners, landowners and scientific partners underpin the initiative’s ongoing conservation and monitoring activities.

Both male and female storks contribute to nest construction and maintenance. © Marcel Langthim
Both male and female storks contribute to nest construction and maintenance. © Marcel Langthim

Shop for White Stork Project

Our White Stork Project collection is inspired by the return of this iconic wetland bird to British landscapes. Each consciously made piece helps support real-world rewilding efforts, with 10% of every sale contributing to the White Stork Project’s conservation work. Explore the collection and be part of nature’s return.