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For anyone in the south east of England, I'd recommend a visit to the Knepp rewilding project if you want to experience this effect for yourself (for everyone e

For anyone in the south east of England, I'd recommend a visit to the Knepp rewilding project if you want to experience this effect for yourself (for everyone else there are some interesting YouTube videos). It's an old farm which has mostly been left to fend for itself, except for some carefully managed animal activity. The minute you walk into the site it's apparent from the dragon flies and insect noises that there is something different about the place. It just feels alive in a way I've rarely come across.

bmsleight_ 5y ago
Great tip, I am only 1 hours drive away. Look great - I fancy the walks. Have you done a stay over or a walk or something else (treehouse) ?
- VBprogrammer 5y ago
  We only managed the short walk, with a 2 year old that's about all we can manage. There are some longer walks which I'd like to go back and do. The overnight stays would be amazing, though they were reassuringly expensive when we had a look.
ookware 5y ago
Thank you for giving me a plan on where to visit for the upcoming weekends, it looks like a brilliant way of restoring nature.
joshvm 5y ago
There is also the accompanying book called Wilding, by Isabella Tree. Rewilding is the technique that Knepp promotes, and arguably got into popular culture.
mnahkies 5y ago
This is the sort of tip I've been looking for! We (NZ) got a gift from the UK of gorse bush which now runs pretty rampant, but interestingly it's now being used as a tool for repopulating native plants, as it's hardy nature means it can work as a shield for vulnerable young native plants (https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20210605/282024740190778 https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20210605/2... is the best source I could find for this, but I walked through that area about 10 years ago which is how I came to learn about it)
- dfcowell 5y ago
  This is a great short film that goes into detail about the project and the challenges faced in getting it off the ground: https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc
psd1 5y ago
My house is like that. I say "mine" - I'm just the temporary steward. I have seen insects that I've never seen before. The tree diversity is not that great - we have stands of plantation Douglas Fir, and "wilder" stands of birch/beech/oak/chestnut. I fully appreciate the diversity that oak supports, though. My suspicion is that the untamed meadow is a major factor in supporting the diversity. I have more tiny wildflower species than I can keep count of. I mowed a lot of it in this, my first, summer, but I will not be mowing as much of it going forward. I want a little lawn and some walkable paths - the rest I will refrain from taking from nature. Unfortunately I need to manage the land very intensively or it'll be all bracken in three years. My view on wilderness, in this place, is that it takes a lot of work to make something look like no work has been done.
- Daub 5y ago
  > My view on wilderness, in this place, is that it takes a lot of work to make something look like no work has been done. Nicely put.

bmsleight_ 5y ago

Great tip, I am only 1 hours drive away. Look great - I fancy the walks. Have you done a stay over or a walk or something else (treehouse) ?

VBprogrammer 5y ago
We only managed the short walk, with a 2 year old that's about all we can manage. There are some longer walks which I'd like to go back and do. The overnight stays would be amazing, though they were reassuringly expensive when we had a look.

ookware 5y ago

Thank you for giving me a plan on where to visit for the upcoming weekends, it looks like a brilliant way of restoring nature.

joshvm 5y ago

There is also the accompanying book called Wilding, by Isabella Tree. Rewilding is the technique that Knepp promotes, and arguably got into popular culture.

mnahkies 5y ago

This is the sort of tip I've been looking for! We (NZ) got a gift from the UK of gorse bush which now runs pretty rampant, but interestingly it's now being used as a tool for repopulating native plants, as it's hardy nature means it can work as a shield for vulnerable young native plants (https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20210605/282024740190778 https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20210605/2... is the best source I could find for this, but I walked through that area about 10 years ago which is how I came to learn about it)

dfcowell 5y ago
This is a great short film that goes into detail about the project and the challenges faced in getting it off the ground: https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc https://youtu.be/3VZSJKbzyMc

psd1 5y ago

My house is like that. I say "mine" - I'm just the temporary steward. I have seen insects that I've never seen before. The tree diversity is not that great - we have stands of plantation Douglas Fir, and "wilder" stands of birch/beech/oak/chestnut. I fully appreciate the diversity that oak supports, though. My suspicion is that the untamed meadow is a major factor in supporting the diversity. I have more tiny wildflower species than I can keep count of. I mowed a lot of it in this, my first, summer, but I will not be mowing as much of it going forward. I want a little lawn and some walkable paths - the rest I will refrain from taking from nature. Unfortunately I need to manage the land very intensively or it'll be all bracken in three years. My view on wilderness, in this place, is that it takes a lot of work to make something look like no work has been done.

Daub 5y ago
> My view on wilderness, in this place, is that it takes a lot of work to make something look like no work has been done. Nicely put.