The fabulous, uplifting story of how a barren, lifeless, and over-farmed estate in southern England was transformed into a thriving landscape filled with an enormous variety of wildlife (both naturally occurring and skilfully introduced) has been captured in a new film set for release this summer.
Wilding tells the story of the 3,500 acre estate in West Sussex, about 40 miles south of London, whose owners Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree, started two decades ago restoring the land “by letting go and allowing nature to take the driving seat.” OGN first featured the Knepp estate in October 2020, calling it one of the largest and most prosperous rewilding projects in Britain.
Indeed, Knepp was an early demonstration of what we now call 'rewilding' and how it can have a cascade of benefits for wildlife and local communities. Today, Knepp is a haven for species of all kinds, from turtle doves, nightingales, and peregrine falcons to barbastelle bats, dormice, slow-worms, and grass snakes.
The film follows the release of a book by Isabella Tree - also called Wilding - which itself is well worth a read - as is her more recent Book of Wilding, a hands-on “practical guide to Rewilding, big and small.”
In these times of routinely crushing news, stories like Wilding provide an inspiring antidote for us all. Here's the movie's trailer...
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