An abandoned golf course has been transformed into a wildlife haven as part of a landmark rewilding project.

Heather Corrie Vale, a 123-acre site in the Darenth Valley, has been rejuvenated thanks to the major scheme aimed at ‘rewilding’ large neglected landscapes and aiding the “fight against climate change”.

The site is at the heart of the Wilder Carbon initiative developed by Kent Wildlife Trust to to help businesses safeguard nature.

The project aims to rapidly scale up native habitat restoration in the UK by offering carbon units to approved buyers.

It has now reached a milestone as salad producer, GrowUp Farms, based at the Discovery Park site in Sandwich, became the first approved buyer of carbon units generated from the site.

Buying these units offers an opportunity for companies looking to offset unavoidable carbon emissions as part of their plans to reach net zero.

Heather Corrie Vale is an extremely valuable part of the Local Nature Recovery Network for Kent.

It currently consists of grassland, heathland, and scrub habitats that have low floral biodiversity.

However, the site will be transformed by locking up carbon and providing space for nature to thrive.

Restoration is funded by carbon finance meaning approved buyers directly contribute to a project with demonstrable positive outcomes for nature and climate.

Heather Corrie Vale is one of the first live Wilder Carbon projects and GrowUp Farms will now directly contribute towards the transformation of the site to become a haven for nature.

Sarah Brownlie of Wilder Carbon explained: “We are delighted to see GrowUp Farms partnering with Kent Wildlife Trust to directly contribute towards a certified Wilder Carbon project that will lock up carbon whilst also improving biodiversity abundance.

“The climate and nature crises are intertwined, and Wilder Carbon projects deliver solutions to both by restoring nature and its natural processes.

“By working with businesses like GrowUp Farms, Thakeham Group, and many others who are showing a real commitment to reducing their own emissions, we can deliver long-term carbon lock-up by restoring our valuable native habits here in the UK.”

Kate Hofman, founder of GrowUp Farms, added: “We are thrilled to be the first approved buyer of Wilder Carbon credits from Heather Corrie Vale.

“Investing in the right kind of high-quality projects such as Heather Corrie Vale that remove carbon and boost biodiversity is one of the best ways for us to fight climate change.”