In 2025, British naturalist Chris Packham helped restore 55 acres in Devon with 3,500 native trees; a year later, wetlands, wildfowl, waders and otters had transformed the former pasture

A year ago, Downicary in Devon was, in Chris Packham's words, a plain, flat, green field. Today, the 55-acre site looks very different.

A system of ponds and wetland areas has been dug into the land, filling with water over winter and attracting wildfowl and waders. As the water level dropped back in summer, dragonflies, damselflies and marshland plants appeared. Parts of the grassland have also been left long and allowed to flower.

The changes are part of a wider rewilding project involving specialists, ecologists and conservation partners. Tree planting has also been a major part of the work, with 3,500 trees and shrubs sourced from the Woodland Trust going into the ground across the 55-acre site.


A year on, monitoring has recorded otters, kingfishers and beavers along the river, alongside wildlife settling into the new ponds and grassland.

From a flat field to a new wetland

When Packham visited Downicary a year ago, he described it as a plain, flat, green field. Since then, the landscape has been reshaped to create a wider mix of habitats.

The new ponds and wetlands filled with water during winter, attracting wildfowl and waders. As the water level fell during summer, dragonflies, damselflies and marshland plants appeared.

The grassland has changed too. Some areas have been left longer and allowed to flower.

Tree planting is continuing across the site. Black poplar is being planted alongside alder, which is thriving. Aspen was also planted partly as an experiment, and the results have been encouraging.

Monitoring has recorded otters, kingfishers and beavers along the river.

3,500 trees and shrubs across 55 acres

In February, local primary school children joined Packham at Downicary to help plant part of the larger tree planting programme.

The programme involves 3,500 trees and shrubs sourced from the Woodland Trust. The planting has been divided across three habitat types.

Wet woodland and riparian planting uses willow, aspen and alder, planted densely to extend and connect riverside woodland.

In the drier areas, oak, birch and rowan are being planted to create wood pasture and expand existing wooded patches.

The third element is bund planting, with flowering shrubs including blackthorn, hawthorn, spindle and dog rose. These are intended to help reduce bank erosion and provide forage for birds and insects.

Packham said, “Planting trees works on many levels. Obviously, biodiversity, carbon capture, flood mitigation, but also crucially in terms of personal empowerment. So when young people plant trees it instigates not only a clear connection with nature, but also a significant investment in a future. Planting trees is all about hope,” as quoted by Ecotalk.

Wildlife is already using the changing landscape

The changes at Downicary are being closely monitored.

Otters, kingfishers and beavers have been recorded along the river, while wildlife has also moved into the new ponds and grassland.

The wetland areas have changed through the seasons. Higher water levels during winter attracted wildfowl and waders, while the summer drop in water levels was followed by dragonflies, damselflies and marshland plants.

The site now contains a mixture of ponds, wetlands, grassland and newly planted trees and shrubs.

The work extends beyond Devon

Downicary is one of two rewilding sites being worked on by the team. The other is Bowyers Wood in East Sussex, where the landscape has also been reshaped for wildlife.

Across the two sites, 3,000 tonnes of earth have been moved to create new habitats for invertebrates, reptiles and small mammals.

At Bowyers Wood, the team dug a scrape and carried out a BioBlitz during the heatwave in June. Ecotalkers surveyed invertebrates, plants and wildlife living in the stream.

The earth-moving work has also created mounds and sheltered spaces, including basking spots for common lizards and grass snakes, perches for dragonflies and butterflies, burrows for small mammals and nesting banks for birds such as sand martins.

Bats and owls are being monitored

Bat surveys at Bowyers Wood have recorded several species, including common and soprano pipistrelles, Daubenton's, Natterer's and brown long-eared bats. The surveys have also recorded barbastelle, a rarer species associated with the woodland's rides.

Static acoustic detectors have been left at the site for up to two weeks at a time. The team has also carried out licensed trapping with harp traps, mist nets and acoustic lures with bat expert Professor Fiona Matthews.

The bats were weighed, measured and checked under UV light for damage that could not be seen with the naked eye.

Owls are being monitored too. Four raptor poles and six owl boxes have been installed.

Two of the three tawny owl boxes were occupied during their first breeding season. Both pairs laid clutches of five eggs, and nine tawny owl chicks have since been ringed as part of the team's monitoring of the local breeding population.

Beavers return to East Sussex after 400 years

One of the biggest developments at Bowyers Wood has been the return of beavers.

A family of beavers moved from Scotland into their new East Sussex home. A fence was installed as a condition of the licence issued by Natural England, which runs until 2030.

The team says it was the first time beavers had been in the area in 400 years.

The family has since grown, with a young beaver kit born at Bowyers Wood. Experts from the Beaver Trust are monitoring how the animals behave and settle into the site. Further down the line, some animals may be moved beyond the enclosure when the time is right.

Eighteen black poplars planted in the beaver enclosure

The East Sussex site has also seen 18 black poplars planted within the beaver enclosure.

The trees were protected while they establish, and the team chose a mix of male and female trees to support future seed production and genetic diversity.

Black poplar is one of the UK's rarest native trees and is historically associated with wet woodland and floodplain habitats.