Wilding

The Return of Nature to a British Farm

De: Isabella Tree

Narrado por: 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

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.

Hooray for Nature, Hooray for Rewilding

Lovely text and narration, this book doesn’t shy away from all the perspectives of Rewilding. Isabell Tree has done a lovely job explaining and not simplifying their efforts to fight for our wild areas. 3% of meadows remain in the UK, hard to believe, but makes me want to try my hand at Rewinding. Listen to this book, it is fascinating and educational at the same time.

loved it

Sensible, fascinating, wonderfully written; I learned a lot!
I am very glad I listened to this.

Encouraging and educational

The state of the world leaves me sometimes in despair. This was an uplifting and encouraging book. It tells the story of British landowners who “rewild” thousands of acres of their family estate. More than that, it is a fascinating and educational trove of information about nature, man’s impact on it, and working to achieve a balance between the two. It’s complicated!

Equal parts inspiring and alarming

The author recounts the startlingly deep and rich ecological benefits of returning her husband’s ancestral lands in Great Britain to a modern estimation of their original biological diversity by abandoning unprofitable modern farming practices and allowing the land to heal. Interesting to hear the story in the author’s own voice, and to weigh with her the considerable benefits of their rewilding project against the disasters awaiting us and future generations if similar measures aren’t taken on a worldwide scale.

Trees reading

The most important book for the earth's future and for mankind. it is a book of hope.

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 ❤

Perfect book for perfect timing

The entire re-wilding concept keeps me thinking of the relationship between human being and the nature. The topic becomes even more crucial during the Covid19 crisis. How are we suppose to live with the rest of the world? When seeing footages of animals coming in herds into regular neighborhood because of the shelter-in-place order. It really make that question sounds even louder! We need to find a new way to share the earth with all the others. Not to continue exploiting it just because it seems that we can in the short term. Very inspiring topic being well explained in a scientific way.

On my travel wish list

This story of the ups and downs of healing the earth while keeping fingers in capitalism is so encouraging! I have to go see it!
Isabelle maintains a smooth calm reading style, even where I would have expected wild raving. Probably a good thing, but I just would have enjoyed a bit less stiff upper lip occasionally.