E53: Benedict Macdonald

Benedict Macdonald is the founder and director of Restore, the UK’s specialised nature restoration organisation. A lifelong naturalist and nature writer, he is the author of the Wainwright Prize-winning Rebirding, co-author of Orchard: A Year in England’s Eden (winner of the Richard Jefferies Prize), and Cornerstones, an acclaimed book on keystone species such as beavers and boar.

Benedict is an influential figure in nature restoration in the UK, well-known for his vision for restoring British wildlife to its full extent, and pushing landowners, farmers and NGOs further in their quest for ambitious nature recovery. Benedict is also the chair of the Pelican Panel, which has been set up to assess the feasibility of reintroducing dalmatian pelicans to the UK.

A former television director, Benedict’s work includes Sir David Attenborough’s Our Planet and Apple’s Earth at Night in Colour, earning several shared Emmy awards. Storytelling remains central to his role in nature restoration.

Benedict’s new business fuses vision, finance, ecological management and species reintroduction expertise into one organisation – RESTORE, managing over 70,000 acres of UK land. Aiming to transform 500,000 acres by 2034, Restore seeks to revolutionise conservation by making nature restoration a primary financial driver. In this episode Benedict and Rich talk through these very chapters of life that led him to Restore.