An inspiring story about what happens when 3,500 acres of land, farmed
for centuries, is left to return to the wild, and about the wilder,
richer future a natural landscape can bring.
For years Charlie Burrell and his wife, Isabella Tree, farmed Knepp
Castle Estate and struggled to turn a profit. By 2000, with the farm
facing bankruptcy, they decided to try something radical. They would
restore Knepp's 3,500 acres to the wild. Using herds of free-roaming
animals to mimic the actions of the megafauna of the past, they hoped to
bring nature back to their depleted land. But what would the neighbors
say, in the manicured countryside of modern England where a blade of
grass out of place is considered an affront?
In the face of considerable opposition the couple persisted with their
experiment and soon witnessed an extraordinary change. New life flooded
into Knepp, now a breeding hotspot for rare and threatened species like
turtle doves, peregrine falcons, and purple emperor butterflies.
The fabled English nightingale sings again.
At a time of looming environmental disaster, Wilding is an inspiring
story of a farm, a couple, and a community transformed. Isabella Tree's
wonderful book brings together science, natural history, a fair bit of
drama, and--ultimately--hope.
