Since I read Isabella Tree's 'Wilding' book, I have wanted to visit Knepp. The book describes the incredible journey of turning Knepp Castle Estate, once intensively farmed, into a pioneering rewilding project. In 2002, they began to rewild 1400 hectares of heavy Low Weald clay farmland, that had historically been farmed and was haemorrhaging money, leaving them no option other than a complete rethink about the land.
Knepp’s ethos is to enable natural processes , allowing nature to dictate the changes. Free-roaming grazing animals — cattle, ponies, pigs and deer — drive this process-led regeneration. They impact the land as herbivores would have thousands of years ago. Their different grazing preferences are creating a mosaic of habitats — from grassland and scrub to open-grown trees and wood pasture.
Knepp has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife since rewilding began. Extremely rare species such as turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, storks and purple emperor butterflies are now breeding there. Populations of more common species are rocketing and this project has demonstrated how nature really can bounce back if it is given the chance. The project has initiated national conversations about how we can look to restore habitats and how we can all play a part in this.
"Wildlife has been remarkably swift to respond to the new habitats provided by rewilding. Populations of common species have rocketed, and numerous rare species have found us.
Knepp is now a breeding hotspot for critically endangered nightingales and turtle doves. Peregrine falcons, ravens, red kites, sparrowhawks, lesser-spotted woodpeckers, skylarks, house sparrows and yellowhammers are also breeding here.
We have the largest population of purple emperor butterflies in the country. All five of the UK’s resident species of owls can be found here, and 13 out of the UK’s 17 species of breeding bats. Numerous insect species now proliferating at Knepp – such as the violet dor beetle and the scarce chaser dragonfly – are notable or rare.
Occasional visitors, like Montagu’s harrier, hoopoe, golden oriole, and even a black stork in 2016 and 2019 (one of the rarest birds in Western Europe), are on the rise. " From Knepp website
When the Leica team invited me to a press event there, I leapt at the chance. My presence was multi-layered. The team wanted some product photographs and I use and love the Leica Trinovid 10 x 42 binoculars and have been lucky enough to try out some of their other products too. I would also have the chance to have a look at Leica's new thermal imaging camera; the Calonox 2. Also, I am incredibly interested in the process going on at Knepp and how I can translate any of that here on my land.
Joining fellow wildlife enthusiasts and friends of Leica, Harry Read ( @harryreadphoto on Instagram ) and Elle Kaye ( @ellkayetaxidermy on Instagram ), we were all very happy to scan the Knepp landscape for wildlife and have our photographs taken too!
We were greeted on site and were lucky enough to embark on a bit of a safari in some very cool vehicles, along with Katie, from Leica! The weather had been very wet, so lots of puddles to negotiate, but the rain held off somewhat as we stopped regularly to hear more about the landscape and how it is evolving and developing.
As you drive around the site, it is incredible to think that this mosaic of thriving habitats was all farmland just over 20 years ago. As I looked over the landscape, and hear of the species increase, it can't help but leave you feeling that there is hope and that the enormity of our UK biodiversity crisis can be halted and reversed, if only we take action quickly.
We were lucky enough to see most of the main grazers used at Knepp; Longhorn Cattle, Tamworth pig, Exmoor pony and then fallow, red and roe deer. These are key to the success, as all graze in different ways. Without grazing animals, the scrub emerging the post-agricultural fields would soon turn into closed-canopy woodland, which is not species rich. Disturbance from grazing, browsing, rooting through the earth, rubbing and trampling, keeps the scrub under control. If the grazers are correctly managed, both in number and the way they have access to the ground, the land responds and a dynamic and shifting mosaic of habitats emerges. It was fascinating to observe and hear about.
Below are some of the Leica images taken as we toured around, stopping at various locations to see what we could spot. Nature-wise, it is quite quiet at this time of year, but I am desperate to return in the Spring to hear nightingales and see turtle doves!
After a few hours of bumping around in the tracks and visiting various parts of the estate, we returned to the Barn to meet up with some other visitors, collect some of the new Leica Calonox2 thermal cameras and head out on a night safari!
I have used some thermal imaging cameras in the past and they are just fabulous for night-time wildlife watching! This new Leica unit is very small, light and with amazing capabilities regarding image quality, along with the ability to take stills and record video. It boasts 2.5x basic optical magnification and up to 4x digital zoom.
Heading out along the tracks in the fading light, we were on the look out for wildlife to test this kit out on. We pulled up next to a large field. In the gloom, we could just make out shadows of red deer and a bellow cutting through the night air, told us there was a stag somewhere on the edge of the tree line.
We had to take it in turns to try out the kit, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Calonox2 just as the stag came to the edge of the hedgerow. I could not see it with my naked eye, but looking through the Calonox2, I was able to get a brilliantly clear, glowing image of a huge stag some distance away. Wow! The stag showed up as a glowing white image. You can change the colour view within the camera if required, but scanning the hedgeline in this mode, it was easy to pick out all the deer along there. Smaller mammals, such as rabbits were easy to spot as well.
I would have loved to have had some more time with this kit, but we wanted everyone to be able to see the deer, so I passed them on to the next excited participant!
After an hour of excitement, looking an listening out for night-time wildlife, we headed back to the barn.... the evening was not yet over. We were to be treated to a meal cooked by the resident chefs from produce from the Knepp Estate and what a treat it was! We were able to watch the meal being prepared and all the ingredients and creations were expertly explained to us. I don't think I'll ever experience anything as delicious as that salted caramel cheesecake!
What an incredible day; one which not only had me surrounded by amazing fellow wildlife enthusiasts and naturalists, but also gave me the chance to observe, first-hand, how nature can recover, given the chance.
A big thank you to Leica, Katie, the wonderful rangers at Knepp and the chefs who prepared us the most incredible feast. What a day! I will be back!
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