What does Knepp do and why it is important? Since its beginnings in 2001, Knepp's rewilding efforts have resulted in the return of extremely rare species, such as turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, and most recently, storks. One of the most famous rewilding projects underway in England is Knepp Castle Estate (Knepp) in West Sussex, which Clyde & Co has been working with since September 2020. Using grazing animals as the drivers of habitat creation together with the restoration of dynamic rivers and streams, rewilding projects see extraordinary increases in wildlife and, often times, the return of regionally extinct species. Zaneta: Instead of managing the land for the benefit of a pre-determined target species, which is a common approach in traditional conservation projects, rewilding lets nature take the driving seat and establish a functioning ecosystem for the benefit of all wildlife. You can read more about this from Zaneta who founded the CCG and other members of the team here, here and here. The CCG has grown to 33 members across our offices who all engage on a mixture of conservation work, energy start-ups, broker initiatives and more, alongside working with the wider firm to raise awareness of climate issues and the impacts on our clients. Robin: The CCG is a trainee-led initiative which has dedicated support from the firm to focus on pro bono climate change-related projects. Before joining Clyde & Co, I did an LLM at the University of Cambridge, where through my studies of International Environmental Law, I was able to develop a good understanding of main legal issues surrounding climate change. Zaneta: I am a final seat trainee at Clyde & Co and a founder of the Climate Change Group (CCG), the firm's trainee-led initiative that allows trainees to gain first-hand experience in business development while focusing on Pro Bono climate change-related projects. My fortune continued at Clyde & Co where the dedicated support to pursue my climate-related interests has allowed me to pick up skills and work on matters that would not otherwise have been possible. Over the last few years I’ve been lucky to have been involved in some incredible charitable and pro-bono opportunities even before my training contract began, such as volunteering at the incredible Free Representation Unit in London. Robin: In short, I studied Politics with International Relations at the University of York and I am now a final seat trainee at Clyde & Co. We discussed with Zaneta and Robin the group's pro bono rewilding work for Knepp Castle Estate and what they learnt by being involved. We recently caught up with the Climate Change Group at Clyde & Co, a trainee-led initiative at the firm.

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