The campaign is the creation of London Met University researcher Siân Moxon, and an advisory group of marketing experts. Siân leads the award-winning Rewild My Street movement, and is an associate professor of sustainable architecture in the university’s School of Art, Architecture and Design.
London, let’s get rewild will run for three months through the summer. It has two purposes: firstly, straight-forwardly, to encourage Londoners to support local nature recovery through small personal steps. These might include: mowing grass less often to help pollinators find dandelions and daisies; planting window boxes with flowers for bees and butterflies; or cutting holes in fences to create routes for hedgehogs.
Secondly, the campaign will test the effectiveness of different messages for inspiring people to look after their local environment. Using digital media, via the @rewildmystreet Instagram account, the campaign will test audience engagement with three different sets of messages.
The first type of message will be about the wider context of climate change. The second will test if people are motivated by things that benefit them personally, such as boosting health and mental wellness. And the third set of messages will show how wilder landscapes can provide solutions to problems, such as creating cooler, more temperate, more flood-resilient environments.
Throughout the three months, the campaign will rotate the messaging evenly so the research team can test what people respond most to. Afterwards, the team will analyse whether engagement with the campaign translated into actual pro-environmental action.
Sian Moxon, associate professor of sustainable architecture at London Met, said: “While London has beautiful green spaces, nature in the city is under threat from urban development. What’s more, as our climate warms, Londoners, like all city-dwellers, will feel the impact of heat waves and flash flooding more intensely than their rural neighbours. And by 2050, seven in ten people globally are predicted to live in urban areas.
“But all is not lost. Wildlife can thrive in cities, especially if we give it a helping hand. And studies show that access to green spaces makes people healthier, calmer and happier.
“Our hope, with London, let’s get rewild, is to inspire people to embrace wildness in their city. And it’s also, as researchers, to provide us with an evidence base for what messages best motivate people to restore nature.”
Professor Nathalie Pettorelli from ZSL's Institute of Zoology said: "Not only do we know that wildlife can flourish and thrive in cities, but it's vital that it does. From improving people's mental wellbeing to buffering city dwellers from the worst impacts of climate change, the science shows the wide-reaching benefits that come when we give nature the space to recover in urban environments.
"Everyone can take small steps to boost their local wildlife. It may even be as simple as spending less time mowing the lawn - a definite win-win! The more we can understand what drives people to make these changes, the sooner we can realise this vision of rewilded cities that protect people, nature and the planet."
Sophie Cloutterbuck, director of London engagement and the London Met Lab: Empowering London at London Metropolitan University, said: "The London, let's get rewild campaign, perfectly embodies the spirit of civic engagement that is central to London Metropolitan University's mission and the work of the London Met Lab.
“This initiative goes beyond simply encouraging biodiversity in our urban landscape; it's about actively involving Londoners in creating a more resilient and liveable city.
"By testing different communication strategies, we're not just promoting pro-environmental action, we're also gaining invaluable insights into how universities can effectively connect with and empower their communities to address critical challenges like climate change and nature loss.
"This project underscores our commitment to being an anchor institution for London, using our research and expertise to foster positive change right here in our city."
The campaign is part of a research project, Wild Ways, which is a collaboration with London Met associate professor Justin Webb, and which uses behaviour change and design approaches to motivate nature-friendly actions. Its findings will be published so that other nature campaigns can benefit from their research into what motivates people to restore nature.
London let’s get rewild is supported by the Arts & Humanities Research Council through the Design Museum’s Future Observatory, and industry partner Kusuma Trust.