Knepp Wilding
Website: knepp.co.uk
Knepp Wilding Project Overview
Knepp Estate covers approximately 3,500 acres in West Sussex and has been managed as a rewilding site since 2001. The project is recognised as one of Europe’s leading examples of large-scale rewilding on former agricultural land. Management practices have shifted from intensive farming to a low-intervention, process-led model where natural grazing and ecological succession shape the landscape.
Landscape and Habitats
The estate consists of a mix of habitats including:
- Scrub and wood pasture: Created by browsing from free-roaming livestock such as longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies, and fallow deer
- Wetlands: Formed through natural hydrological processes and minimal drainage interference
- Grasslands and wildflower meadows: Encouraged by reduced mowing and fertilizer use
Birdlife and Biodiversity
The variety of habitats supports diverse bird populations, including:
- Spring breeders: Nightingales, Turtle Doves, Yellowhammers, Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, and Bullfinches
- Raptors: Red Kites, Buzzards, Hobbies, Barn Owls, and Little Owls are commonly observed hunting over open areas
- Autumn Migrants: Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Reed Warblers, Grasshopper Warblers, and Redstarts use the estate as a staging area during migration
- Reintroduction success: White Storks have begun nesting at Knepp as part of a collaborative breeding and release programme, marking their return to the UK after several centuries
Conservation Significance
Knepp serves as a living demonstration of how rewilding can benefit biodiversity, especially species experiencing national decline. It contributes to research on ecosystem restoration and environmental resilience.