Knepp has also had a profound impact on conservation charities and community groups, many of whom have embraced its rewilding model. Professionally (as I'm a narrative non-fiction writer myself) this is yet one more example of why I believe the publishing world would benefit from paying far more attention to non fiction of all kinds and end the singular hype around more and more young first time novelists. There is more genuine consolation for the soul in this book than in a dozen well written novels. Please give this book to anyone you know that is a struggling farmer or has land. And to everyone else as well. :-) Personal and inspirational, Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible. The passages about the process of wilding - breed choices, population control choices, problems with the neighbours - were fascinatingly colourful and informative.

It's very clear that the authors are very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject, and while a lot of the aims are by their very nature idealistic, this book always makes sure to state their case properly, and makes clear why the seemingly extreme path of rewilding is both sensible, and cost-effective in the long run. I'm also impressed by the depth to which they've researched the matter; delving into the historical and even pre-historical ecosystems of Europe to really hit home how unnatural our modern environment is. This book has left me distraught, hopeful, happy, sad, angry and overjoyed at what can be achieved. There is a gathering trend in the UK for 'wilding' or re-wilding - returning agricultural landscapes to nature in a (mostly) hands-off way. This is a major and refreshing change from the control-freak, focus-on-a-few-species approach that dominated post-war conservation thinking. This change presumably - surely - started with this book and with what the author and her husband undertook at their farm in West Sussex. The Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell The words Isabella Tree uses to describe the journey from unprofitable farm, to a haven for endangered species and reintroduced species are magical. This book is not a heavy scientific tome but it contains enough information to make you question your purchasing decisions at the supermarket, and what you consider beautiful in the natural environment.The book gives guidance on everything from keeping water buffalo to reducing light pollution in gardens; from preventing flooding in cities to rewilding schools. We are treated to the delights of recovering wildlife in dazzling and sometimes confusing variety. Sometimes the vocabulary is unfamiliar, but the meaning is almost always clear from the context. I wasn't familiar with the verb 'cover', for example, when appplied to a bull and cows. Not hard to work out. Not just my book of the year but I think the most enlightening book I have *ever* read in my, ahem, almost 50 years on earth. Reading how letting nature take its course and can heal the earth so rapidly, as well as allow wildlife we thought would soon be gone forever to absolutely thrive has been a real eye opener - I'm a farmers son and our family thinks we know a lot about nature, how it works and what we as humans need to do to help it. We know NOTHING! This book and the 20 years the Knepp estate has been allowed to find its own way shows there is no need to do anything other than have the guts to let nature take over and change our business practices accordingly.

This book really opened my eyes even more and I learned many things despite being an ecologist and life long conservationist. The chapter on soil and worms is especially thought provoking. Again and again, this book challenges the reader to think about the broader picture. I am not naive enough to think that there is not another side to the story and I am sure that there are farmers and farming scientists who can paint a different picture, but I did find the arguments in this book very compelling.This book contains some fantastic nature writing and - its real strength - brutal and unsentimental honesty about the economics of farming, the economics of giving up farming and the compromises involved. It makes a convincing case for wilding (which largely involves leaving land alone; a mix of large grazing herbivores were involved, but there was no control field) and for wilding being incentivised by policy. Which is a good thing.

When Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell realised that it was not economically feasible to continue their farming of land in Knepp, West Sussex, they made a bold and radical decision: they decided to step away from the land and watch as nature took over. This book describes the almost twenty years of that project/experiment. The results are staggering and challenge some fundamental assumptions that often guide even the most well-meaning of conservation or ecological decisions. The Book of Wilding] is an eloquent yet hard-hitting synthesis of how a little helping hand can allow nature to heal itself, resulting in astounding outcomes for wildlife, while enriching our own lives in every conceivable way. With rare honesty and thoughtful reflections, the authors share their experiences and vision for greening farmscapes and cityscapes at every scale. This book is not merely important, it is epoch-making and world-building”— Dr Gabriel Hemery, author of The New Sylva Protecting the ecosystems we have left is no longer enough. Given our long delays we must actively support the regeneration of our web of life. This brilliant book tells us how”— Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Content wise, the book is spot on. Reading it gave me some hope that we may be able to avert the crash course the mass of societal pressures and economic interests would have us follow. It was disheartening to read about the opposition that the project has faced, especially as I have read even recent comments about Alan Savoury's work that adamantly claim that such an approach cannot work. But it's also heartening to have seen the proof that it can work with my own eyes, and to know that at least some are willing to take this leap of faith. Despite other points of contention, no one visiting Knepp could say that grazing herbivores can only have a negative impact on the environments they live in, or that 'wildness' cannot exist in modern lives. A gloriously produced and carefully researched educative guide to rewilding. Full of valuable advice for all who want to help restore nature — whether you have a country estate or a window-box on an estate, this book will help you on your rewilding journey”— Dr James Canton, author of The Oak Papers

Having seen Isabella speak at the Edinburgh book festival, and being a fan of Wilding, I knew this book would not disappoint. This is a deep, dazzling and indispensable guide to the most important task of all: the restoration of the living planet”— George Monbiot The Book of Wilding is a handbook for how we can all help restore nature. It is ambitious, visionary and pragmatic. The book has grown out of Isabella and Charlie’s mission to help rewild Britain, Europe and the rest of the world by sharing knowledge from their pioneering project at Knepp in Sussex. It is inspired by the requests they receive from people wanting to learn how to rewild everything from unprofitable farms, landed estates and rivers, to ponds, allotments, churchyards, urban parks and public spaces.. The Book of Wilding has the answers. To note: fallow land can be a massive carbon sink and flood plains and other wetlands, er, absorb water. We don't need to build hugs concrete walls, we need the land to do its thing. And it is also a massive mistake to try to create habitats we think will suit rare species because as Knepp has shown we often misinterpret what those are given so many of these species are hanging on at the margins. We need to make space.

So yes. this is my review. I loved it, and unlike me, I didn't skim read any passages. I absorbed every word. In current society it is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the many issues of biodiversity loss and climate change, but Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell's guide offers some comfort, demonstrating just how versatile and resilient nature can be. Rewilding is possibly the most important and empowering revolution to have evolved out of the conservation movement in the last hundred years. This book shares the knowledge and wisdom of that movement that we all need to better understand how we can all play our part in helping nature restore the planet Her best-selling book Wilding – the Return of Nature to a British Farm is published by Picador. It won the 2019 Richard Jefferies prize for nature writing and was one of the Smithsonian’s top ten science books for 2018. This beautiful book is both highly accessible and deeply practical and does a lot to break down any idea that wilding is only for those with vast wealth and large tracts of land. It should be compulsory reading for all Master Planners, landowners and gardeners as it will become a handbook for anyone seeking to create a wilder world. I love this book because it is at once humble and expansive, spiritual (with a small s) and resolutely practical. If you know anyone owning a window box or a country estate buy them this book, it will inspire them … A Bible for a new green enlightenment”— Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden ProjectThe Book of Wilding is a handbook for how we can all help restore nature. It is ambitious, visionary and pragmatic. The book has grown out of Isabella and Charlie’s mission to help rewild Britain, Europe and the rest of the world by sharing knowledge from their pioneering project at Knepp in Sussex. It is inspired by the requests they receive from people wanting to learn how to rewild everything from unprofitable farms, landed estates and rivers, to ponds, allotments, churchyards, urban parks and public spaces. The Book of Wilding has the answers. Evan Bowen-Jones, chief executive of KWT, said: “Knepp is an iconic project in UK conservation terms now. All these serendipitous benefits have proved the case around things like nightingales not being dependent upon coppicing.” He also noted that letting pigs roam freely had churned up the ground and allowed for goat willow, the favoured food of purple emperor caterpillars, to regrow. Rewilding is possibly the most important and empowering revolution to have evolved out of the conservation movement in the last hundred years. This book shares the knowledge and wisdom of that movement that we all need to better understand how we can all play our part in helping nature restore the planet”— Benedict Cumberbatch This is a landmark publication. There are good books, great books - and books that actually change things.