Wilding

The Return of Nature to a British Farm

By: Isabella Tree

Narrated by: Isabella Tree

An inspiring story about what happens when 3,500 acres of land, farmed for centuries, is left to return to the wild, and about the wilder, richer future a natural landscape can bring

For years Charlie Burrell and his wife, Isabella Tree, farmed Knepp Castle Estate and struggled to turn a profit. By 2000, with the farm facing bankruptcy, they decided to try something radical. They would restore Knepp’s 3,500 acres to the wild. Using herds of free-roaming animals to mimic the actions of the megafauna of the past, they hoped to bring nature back to their depleted land. But what would the neighbors say, in the manicured countryside of modern England where a blade of grass out of place is considered an affront?

In the face of considerable opposition the couple persisted with their experiment and soon witnessed an extraordinary change. New life flooded into Knepp, now a breeding hotspot for rare and threatened species like turtle doves, peregrine falcons, and purple emperor butterflies.

The fabled English nightingale sings again.

At a time of looming environmental disaster, Wilding is an inspiring story of a farm, a couple, and a community transformed. Isabella Tree’s wonderful book brings together science, natural history, a fair bit of drama, and - ultimately - hope.

©2019 Isabella Tree (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Nice information even in another continent

I am impressed with the amount of information shared
Enjoy the narration of the British voice as well

Excellent!

Everybody should read/listen to this book. So much fascinating information about our natural world and the creatures who share it with us. It is full of ways we can do a better job of caring for our land & animals.This book is on par with Peter Wohlleben’s “The Hidden Life of Trees”. I will be listening to it again and have already recommended it to family and friends.

This beautiful book gives me hope

I listened this book directly after listening to North Woods by Daniel Mason.
I think every reader should do the same. They belong together.

Inspiring; scientifically informative; impressive!

Both inspiring and scientifically informative. Dense, but in a fulfilling manner. The short lists of species, which are like the punctuation of sentences, would be better consumed from a paper book, but the audiobook listener will just have to live with this aspect! The story is both large and impressive.

Amazing! Beautiful and Terrifying

Learning from those who actually did the work, rather than always going by predictive "scientists," is a real eye-opener. Would that we all take on this level of caring for animals and our environment. I loved this, and living on my 80 acres of farmland with cattle, horses and some crops, plan to change some things so I too can be more proud of doing my part. So much for city folk to learn here, rather than just judging from their easy chairs. Thanks Isabella ❤