Reviewed by Ian Mowll.
This is a wonderful film about the Knepp Estate (https://knepp.co.uk/), which is a farm that has been rewilded – mostly by letting Nature do its thing but also with the introduction of some animals such as pigs.
Rewilding is important for many reasons, one of the main ones being soil health. Fertilisers and pesticides damage the soil and soil depletion could be a serious issue in the future for crop growth; this is in addition to the damage done to wildlife in general and our own health.
Rewilding also produces a much more diverse eco-system (https://knepp.co.uk/), which can be much more robust when protecting against external threats such as a change in weather or disease. It also reduces air pollution, creates clean rivers, insect populations increase which is important for the natural fertilisation of plants, the risk of flooding can be reduced – the list goes on.
It was heart-warming to see endangered birds nesting in the estate as well as the re-introduction of storks. It must be a bird watchers paradise.
The project had its critics in the early days, particularly from local farmers who did not understand why this was being done. But now, due to the benefits that can be seen by the project, it is getting much more acceptance. In the future, the founders hope to establish rewilding corridors across the country so that wildlife can roam, creating even more robust and diverse ecosystems.
I’ve read the book by Isabella Tree, “Wilding”, and this film really brings the project alive. I also wonder whether there is a psychological reason as to why this project is so much loved. Maybe it touches a deep nerve in our psyche with a longing to rediscover our hunter gather roots and regaining our deep connection with the wildness of Nature.
This film gives us a much-needed message for our time and is warmly recommended.