TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham has led calls to the Church of England to commit to re-wilding 30 per cent of its land.
The call is backed by high profile figures including former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, former cabinet minister Michael Gove, and actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, as well as 100,000 members of the public.
The campaign, by the Wild Card group, was launched on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral in London, where Packham unravelled the '95 Wild Theses' - a spin on Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses that triggered the Protestant Reformation.
The 95 Wild Theses set out why the campaign thinks that the Church Commissioners should rewild more of the Church of England's 105,000-acre estate.
Speaking outside St Paul's, Packham claimed that a "majority" of Church of England land was "in a dire ecological condition".
"The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Church's wealthy investment arm – The Church Commissioners – are failing all things bright and beautiful," he said.
"As one of the biggest institutional landowners in one of the world's most nature depleted countries, the Church should be a leader in restoring our precious wildlife."
He alleged that the Archbishop and Church Commissioners had declined to discuss rewilding the Church's estate with campaigners, and said he hoped that the campaign would "help to convince Church leaders to step up to the pulpit".
"If they are willing to practise what they preach they could rewild just a third of their land, which would equate to an area 90 times the size of Hyde Park, and give British wildlife the salvation that it desperately needs," he said.
Dr Williams said: "Letting the natural world be itself – not just a reserve bank for our convenience – is an act of grace, and one that we should be glad to embrace, because when the world around us flourishes, so do we."
Mr Fry said: "The Church Commissioners have a wonderful opportunity to make so much of its unique landholding. The 30×30 plan is potent, achievable, manageable and hugely beneficial."
Responding to the campaign call, Paul Jaffe speaking on behalf of the Church Commissioners told Premier Christian News that much of the Church of England's estate was farmland that was unsuitable for re-wilding on a large scale.
"While large-scale rewilding is not appropriate for our highly productive farmland, we are deeply committed to supporting nature through a range of initiatives," he said.
"We focus on sustainable farming practices, collaborate with organisations like the RSPB and FWAG, and actively integrate biodiversity projects, such as woodland creation and wetland restoration, across our portfolio.
"Our approach ensures we balance food production with stewardship of the land, helping to safeguard nature for future generations."
