Wilding Book
I recommend Isabella Tree’s book on re-wilding, which deals with the project at Knepp. This has been incredibly successful with using ancient breeds of cattle, pigs and other livestock. They have also had large gains in numbers of birds and butterflies, most notably Turtle Dove and Purple Emperor butterfly and are one of three sites being used for White Stork reintroductions, which have been very successful in 2021. They have also re-introduced beavers to the water courses.
Wilding open spaces in developments is the future and the ultimate way to ensure in excess of 10% biodiversity net gain and achieve nutrient neutrality:
We must start thing of Knepp as a blue-print for open space – as an attractive amenity resource and place to live. As it is, hundreds of people visit this project every week, so why not make it the new normal.
The great news for developers is just how much money it saves them, and just how great a world we can create to live in and beside.
