Isabella Tree used free-roaming animals instead of intensive farming to revive soils; the result transformed 3,500 acres into a wildlife haven with 13 bat species

What happens when a struggling farm stops trying to control the land? At Knepp Estate in West Sussex, Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell made the extraordinary decision to abandon conventional farming and let nature take over. Free-roaming cattle, ponies and pigs became part of a radical experiment that transformed the 3,500-acre estate into a wildlife-rich landscape, as per a report by The Guardian. Research by Fritha West, Using Bioindicator Bat Activity to Compare Ex-Agricultural Habitats: A case study of Knepp Estate, West Sussex, examined bat activity across different parts of the rewilded estate and found that a patchwork of habitats was associated with greater bat-species diversity.

What pushed Knepp to abandon farming?

For years, Charlie Burrell had tried to make Knepp work as a conventional farm. He introduced new crops, technology and chemicals, following the intensive methods that were expected of modern farmers.

But the estate’s heavy clay soil remained difficult to farm. After 17 years, the couple were £1.5m in debt.


In 2000, they decided to stop farming altogether. Selling the machinery was painful for Tree because it represented generations of farming history.

“I found myself crying,” says Tree now. “Everything from semen flasks to shepherds’ huts. It was generations of farming and a whole culture. And you were just saying, ‘This hasn’t worked.’ All that effort. All those hopes and ambitions. It was horrible.”

The decision, however, opened the door to something completely different.

How did free-roaming animals change the land?

Tree and Burrell had already begun questioning intensive farming after meeting ancient-tree expert Ted Green. He explained how the estate’s ancient hedgerow oaks were suffering after decades of intensive agriculture had damaged the soil and its networks of mycorrhizal fungi.

Green then introduced them to Dutch rewilder Frans Vera. Inspired by his ideas, the couple chose to “let go” of the land and introduce grazing animals including cattle, ponies and pigs.

Instead of managing every part of the landscape, the animals were allowed to influence it through grazing and other natural behaviour.

The result was a landscape of scrub, trees, flowers and thickets, with wildlife returning in remarkable numbers.

What wildlife returned to Knepp?

Knepp gradually became known for species that had become increasingly rare across Britain.

The estate now has 69 singing male nightingales, compared with the five that conventional nature reserves can consider a success. White storks have also become a major part of the project, with 24 nests and 93 eggs reported in the year described by the article.

A 2009 Knepp bat survey recorded 13 bat species. Research by Fritha West also examined bat activity across different parts of the estate. Her study found that the different habitats at Knepp supported varied bat activity and concluded that bats could be useful indicators of habitat health within the rewilding project.

The wider transformation has also been visible in the landscape itself. A separate study using satellite data found substantial changes in vegetation across Knepp after two decades of rewilding.

Did rewilding make Knepp profitable?

The transformation was not only ecological. Knepp now has 90 full-time employees, compared with 23 when it was run as a conventional farm. The estate also developed new sources of income, including wildlife tours, glamping, a farm shop, café and restaurant.

Tree says the couple initially had no idea these opportunities would emerge.

“When we started the project,” says Tree, “we had no idea there would be alternative income streams. We just knew it was the right thing to do for the land. But we were still thinking, ‘God, how are we going to make the estate work financially?’ We certainly didn’t think there would be tens of thousands of people visiting.”

The success has also encouraged other farmers to consider rewilding.

Can farming and rewilding work together?

Tree rejects the idea that farming and rewilding necessarily have to compete. “Rewilding is farming’s most natural ally and they shouldn’t be separated or pitted against each other”.

She argues that healthy soils, pollination, clean water and natural flood protection are all connected to food production.

But Knepp’s popularity has brought new challenges. Tree worries about too many visitors, dogs entering wildlife areas and human activity disturbing species.

“It’s become people management now,” says Tree.

The film Wilding, based on Tree’s book and the Knepp story, brings the estate’s transformation to the screen. It includes reconstructions of the couple’s younger years, as well as some unusual moments involving the estate’s animals.

“I love the reconstructions. They are so good. They even got actor pigs in.”

FAQs

What happened to Knepp Estate?

The 3,500-acre farm moved away from intensive agriculture and towards rewilding, using free-roaming animals to help reshape the landscape.

How many bat species were recorded at Knepp?

A 2009 survey recorded 13 bat species at the estate.