Isabella Tree

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

North Carolina

The Return of Nature to a British Farm

Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp in West Sussex was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer - proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain - the 3,500 acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade. Once-common species, including turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, lesser spotted woodpeckers and purple emperor butterflies, are now breeding at Knepp, and populations of other species are rocketing. The Burrells' degraded agricultural land has become a functioning ecosystem again, heaving with life - all by itself. This recovery has taken place against a backdrop of catastrophic loss elsewhere. According to the 2016 'State of Nature' report, the UK is ranked 29th in the world for biodiversity loss: 56% of species in the UK are in decline and 15% are threatened with extinction. We are living in a desert, compared with our gloriously wild past. In WildingWilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.

Wilding

c4b89928-8255-4073-a6db-8fe9de4a7502-1

Eric Schlosser

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

South Carolina

Returning Nature to Our Farm

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.

'The remarkable story of an astounding transformation' George Monbiot, author of Feral.In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the 'Knepp experiment', a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer - proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain - the 3,500 acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade.Extremely rare species, including turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, lesser spotted woodpeckers and purple emperor butterflies, are now breeding at Knepp, and populations of other species are rocketing. The Burrells' degraded agricultural land has become a functioning ecosystem again, heaving with life - all by itself.Personal and inspirational, Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible.

Category - Non Fiction / Nature

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Excellent

Listed - A month ago

Views - 1

Ships From - North Carolina

Est. Publication Date - May 2018

Additional Information

Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm

ISBN: 9781509805099

Publisher Description

Tags

Wilding

By:

$13.00

Meet the seller

Discover more

Wilding

By: Isabella Tree

More from this seller

Additional titles by Isabella Tree

'Wilding' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed

Browse by categories

Category - Non Fiction / Nature

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Excellent

Listed - A month ago

Views - 1

Ships From - North Carolina

Est. Publication Date - May 2018

Additional Information

Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm

ISBN: 9781509805099

Publisher Description

Tags

Wilding

By:

$13.00

Meet the seller

Discover more

Wilding

By: Isabella Tree

More from this seller

Additional titles by Isabella Tree

'Wilding' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed