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What happens when you remove that pressure and let the land recover? It takes time (something we are notably not prepared to give much of in our modern world), but it turns out that nature is remarkable. What happens challenges some of our most basic assumptions about the land. There is a thing in ecology, or at least in this book, called “shifting-baseline syndrome” and this refers to the fact that often the baseline for a project, the goal it sets out to achieve, is derived from data that consistently gets more and more recent i.e. the baseline gradually includes more and more of the effect that the project is aiming to counter. We make wrong assumptions: as the book points out, we label nightingales and purple emperor butterflies as “woodland” creatures because that is here we see them, but, if we stop interfering and watch what nature does, we learn that they are not really creatures of that environment. Once you begin to learn things like this, the whole basis of many conservation projects is called into question (should we really be micro-managing woodland environments to encourage the purple emperor butterfly when that butterfly would, left to itself, prefer to be somewhere else?). Knepp has also had a profound impact on conservation charities and community groups, many of whom have embraced its rewilding model.
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. An aristocratic couple struggling to run a large farm may not elicit much sympathy. And the tale of how they turned around a loss-making business may seem a niche interest. The first half of the book is a great read for anyone with an interest in British nature, but the second half might be of more limited appeal. I read through most of it, but I skipped some sections; it delves into the real nitty gritty of the practical applications of wilding, even down to stuff like securing funding and getting permissions for projects, which is only really of use to people actively embarking on rewilding projects. For me personally, this was of limited use, but I wouldn't say it all detracts from the value of the book. In fact, it adds to it immeasurably; I'm glad a book like this exists, to provide more than just the vague theory of how to make a positive change.
The only issue of contention for me was her mention of using wild Exmoor ponies for meat!!! Wtf?!!! Apparently once wild ponies breed and their numbers become undesirable, they bring little income when sold (!!), so the theory has been bandied about that they should be allowed to breed and used for meat! Erm, no!
What will stay with me most after reading this book is the soil. The solution to many of the major environmental issues of our time might literally be the ground beneath our feet. Soil that is managed by nature rather than by man has a huge capacity for storing carbon. Letting nature manage nature has the potential to solve global warming. This is a staggering thought. As the book puts it The result, a proliferation of threatened species find a home in this wild estate. Turtle doves, purple emperor butterflies, peregrine falcons, multiple owl and bat species all find a place at Knepp. It takes on traditional notions of conservation that aims to save specific species in favour of building an ecosystem that allows endangered species to thrive. This explosion in biodiversity shows what can happen when people surrender the management of nature to nature. But this rewilding of Knepp estate delivers even more unexpected and significant changes right down to the soil itself and the land's ability to mitigate against flooding.
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To begin with, it seems that the target audience of this book is farmers and large estate owners. However, the book's aim is to educate those people interested in re-wilding and saving our green spaces. Bel Mooney, 'The Year's Best Books on Nature', Daily Mail Particularly timely . . . an excellent primer, and anyone who is interested in how we share the planet — what it looks like, what we eat, and what nature can teach us — should read this book. The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave us feeling overwhelmed. How can an individual ever make a difference? 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.
I think that sometimes when people write “This is an important book” what they mean is “Finally I have found a book that agrees with me.” At the risk of falling into that trap, I’m going to start by saying this is an important book. I can already say, with absolutely no hesitation, that this will be one of my books of the year. There is no book I’ve learned more from, or been more enthralled by reading. I say this as someone who has only a mild-to-middling interest in nature/environment/ecology issues, at least in terms of prior knowledge and depth of scientific understanding. Isabella Tree is a great storyteller who manages to convert quite a lot of technical information into a plot - a drama, even - which any reasonably intelligent and diligent reader can follow. 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. 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. This is Oh, the Places You'll Never Go—the ultimate hilarious, cynical, but absolutely realistic view of a college graduate's future. And what he or she can or can't do about it.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.
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