What we liked most about Knepp

What is most significant for the future of (re)wilding?

The future at Knepp…

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On return from the tour, the following questions and comments emerged from participants:

What other approaches might be considered eg. planting aspen by water? Knepp has planted black poplars but is on the whole letting go.  For instance, hedgerow ditches will not be filled in, they will be overtaken by nature eg. rabbits will erode and help the process

There is a choice to be made about grazing. Notice the difference between the northern part of the estate (visited 12 April pm) where there are grazing animals and the southern part of the estate (visited 13 Apr am) where there are no grazing animals but more scrubing up. The grazing animals slow up the wilding/scrubbing up.

Does re-wilding wipe out all cultural traces? No - not necessarily as straight edges or lines on the land will be readable for a long time through overgrowth.

Knepp shows examples of several choices of how to go about wilding.

Connectivity. Is it desirable to connect the north and south parts of the estate over the A217? What do we mean by connectivity?  Some species will not readily move from the north of the A217 to the south. Other species will easily move. There are different types of connectivity and different ‘subjects’ for it.

What are the ‘functional’ connectivity issues at Knepp?  Livestock – mainly large ungulates. Also plant colonization.

The pioneer status of Knepp means it could be more eligible for funds for different strands of work, become a special project with special funding.

Why agonise now over tricky management issues that are x years off, eg. an eco bridge?

What about more ‘wild’ herbivores? Charlie Burrell recognizes that a wilder grazer would help tell the story…

Note that Heck cattle are not as feisty as perceived BUT public information on the safety issues is critical – tell the story.

Could the Knepp project have different components and thus different livestock in different parts?

What is known about ecological context now (beyond the baseline survey) surrounding the estate and more importantly, the potential at Knepp?

Participants also made the following post-it comments:

What we liked most about Knepp

• Interesting mix (mosaic) of vegetation … good landscape

• Wild flowers

• The open approach to ‘natural development’

• The patience

• The lack of detailed planning – so what happens can surprise and intrigue

• The letting go (ish)

• Sense of change

• No fences

• Free ranging cattle over large area

• Being able to see what might be able to happen all over the UK

• Sense of freedom

• Space. Endless fields. Birdsong. The space to wander, think and just be.

• Scale – very big!

• Wide open spaces! (+trees and scrub)

• Its long term

• Ambitious!

• It has all the elements to make it a success, not to mention a passionate landowner

• The enthusiasm of Charlie and Jason over their vision for the estate

• The passion of the owner

• Open-mindedness of owner and agent

• Cheerful!

• The Hospitality

• The vegetarian (food)

• Proximity to Gatwick

• We got to see wild pigs (8 year old)

• It was brilliant (11 year old)

Discussion added:

Is it possible to rewild land near Gatwick and get an urban fringe site linked to Knepp. And engage with a big section of nearby urban population. A wildland country park?

People think it is ‘brave’ to do what is happening at Knepp but they need to see this as an opportunity rather than a crisis.  There is a sharing of technical experience and the passion with those who come to see it, which is energizing.

Participants also made post-it comments on:

What do you think is most significant for the future of (re)wilding?

• Base management plan on ecological principles and let nature dominate

• Ecosystems / systems thinking

• The scale of change with confidence to work with and respond to the opportunities offered by nature as and when they present themselves.

• Integrated / collaborative decision making eg. not landscape v rewilding but how can we have both.

• To demonstrate it to others – both landowners / managers and the general public

• Having examples (good ones). For many people it is – first seeing, then believing. Also important is the exchange of knowledge and experience. Show people, they will become enthusiastic.

• Someone actually doing it and not just talking about it. People will be convinced when they can see it happening.

• To demonstrate that it can be done – where there’s a will there is a way

• Credibility of practical example

• Demonstrate successes to other estates … let’s see more examples across the county

• Having real life examples to inform and inspire

• The fact that we can come here and discuss and argue about it, with the landowner and agent

• Insight into obstacles

• Developing a practical demo site in Southern Britain

• This demonstration - and here in the south east!

• People like views and pretty things, don’t let these be obscured

• Reintroducing animals which have been hunted to extinction

• Create good conditions for wild animals

• English woodland has big population of bluebells. We can see the impact of pigs and others on the flora. Is it of concern (esp. re. wild boar!) for the wider countryside?

• Collapse of agriculture in the uplands and other marginal land

• The direction of grants and subsidies moving away from production and becoming more flexible re. environmental schemes.

Discussion added:

• Wilding / rewilding / naturalizing ?  What is the difference?

• The important thing is that there should be natural processes and a natural area …

• But natural is not a helpful word in Britain

• We need to acknowledge that each landscape is historically unique and we cannot re-create the past.

• Is this Knepp option/approach the best way of making wildland pay? Is it rational economics and practical enterprise?

• The flexibility of this Knepp approach is important and allows nature to tell us what we need to know, learn as we go along.

• Peter Taylor’s survey (see presentation on Meeting Report page) of wildland projects showed that projects which had visitor / education facilities ‘paid most’ (generated more income).

The event ended with participants’ thoughts of the future at Knepp…

• A suggestion for Knepp is to have wild animals here to attract visitors.

• Then use the visitor centre to offer education about wilding of place and spirit.

• Including wild examples from elsewhere.

• Visitors will be encouraged to go out and find/discover the wildlife eg. the ponies

• Offer fantastic, safari or African waterhole type spectacle and photography opportunties

• And show/demonstrate what an ecological landscape could be like.

• Accommodate visitors sensitively (eg provison of viewing platforms, hides)

• Accommodate visitors in some of the total area and leave the rest alone.

• The potential for all of this, a successful project, are already here at Knepp.

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