Rewilding the Lowlands: Lessons from Knepp and Beyond

Overview

How can rewilding take root in a landscape as densely populated, fragmented, and historically cultivated as lowland Britain? In this talk, Charlie Burrell will explore that question through the remarkable story of the Knepp Wildland Project in West Sussex – a pioneering experiment in letting nature lead.

Knepp began over twenty years ago as a bold gamble: to step back from intensive agriculture and allow natural processes to shape the land. The result has been a flourishing mosaic of habitats – scrub, wood pasture, wetland and meadow – alive with returning species from turtle doves to purple emperors and nightingales. But Knepp is also part of a wider movement. Across Britain and Europe, rewilding is challenging assumptions about conservation, land use, and the relationship between people and nature.

Charlie will use Knepp as a model to examine the spectrum of rewilding – from large-scale wilderness restoration to smaller, community-led and agricultural projects. Drawing on historical land use, he will discuss how the landscapes of the past can inform the ecological and social choices of the future.

The talk will also explore the powerful forces now driving the rewilding movement – from climate change and biodiversity loss to a growing recognition that nature recovery can deliver real economic and social benefits. Charlie will highlight the emerging role of philanthropy, particularly through the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, which is helping to finance major restoration projects across Europe.

Finally, he will turn to one of the most exciting frontiers in this field: how Nature-Based Solutions can be valued and monetised to create sustainable funding streams for nature. Using Nattergal, a company he chairs, as a case study, Charlie will show how private capital and ecological ambition can align to restore degraded landscapes, capture carbon, and revive biodiversity.

This promises to be an inspiring evening charting the next chapter in Britain’s evolving relationship with the wild.

Practical Information

The presentation will include time for questions and discussion. Booking is strongly advised.

Access

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk