White stork comeback hope for new project

A new project to reintroduce white storks to Derbyshire has been announced.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said the species vanished from the region about 600 years ago, but it was using £300,000 in funding to create a purpose-built white stork enclosure at the Willington Wetlands nature reserve.

The predator-proof enclosure is designed to support breeding, chick development and carefully-managed soft releases into the wider landscape.

It has been developed with Celtic Rewilding, specialists running a captive breeding facility just over the border in Staffordshire, the trust said.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said white storks would have been present across the county until the 14th Century, when loss of habitat and hunting led to their disappearance.

More recently, sightings have increased, including birds recorded flying over Willington Wetlands in 2024 and nearby in 2025, but none have yet stayed to breed.

The project, due to launch in April, will see both flightless and flying storks introduced to the site.

Katie Last, living landscape officer at the trust, said: "We could not be more excited about bringing white storks back to the Midlands.

"This project isn't just about returning an iconic bird. It's about reigniting people's wonder for nature and showing what's possible when communities come together for wildlife.

"Their return offers a powerful opportunity to engage communities with nature recovery, rewilding and the restoration of lost species."

Beavers were reintroduced at Willington Wetlands in 2021, leading to the birth of two babies in the county for the first time since the 13th Century.

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