The Latest Breaking News from Knepp

Isabella Tree used free-roaming animals instead of intensive farming to revive soils; the result transformed 3,500 acres into a wildlife haven with 13 bat species

Once a struggling farm, the Knepp Estate is now a vibrant wildlife sanctuary thanks to the move away from intensive agriculture. Stretching over 3,500 acres, this rewilding endeavor has attracted a plethora of rare species, bringing back various birds and bats to the area. Additionally, this innovative approach has generated…

The Economic Times · Sep 22

Their 3,500-acre farm was failing in England's West Sussex. Isabella Tree and Sir Charles Burrell stopped farming it, and 20 years later rare birds, butterflies and wildlife have returned

A struggling 3,500-acre farm in West Sussex took an unexpected turn when Isabella Tree and Sir Charles Burrell stopped conventional farming and began rewilding Knepp. Two decades later, rare nightingales, turtle doves, purple emperor butterflies, beavers and white storks have returned, transforming the estate into a thriving wildlife haven and…

The Economic Times · Sep 16

A couple gave up on a failing 3,500-acre Sussex farm. Nearly 25 years later, it became Britain's most famous rewilding success

In the early 2000s, Charlie Burrell and his wife Isabella Tree faced a difficult choice. After seventeen years of trying to farm 3,500 acres of heavy clay soil at Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex, they were roughly 1.5 million pounds in debt, with intensive farming simply failing to turn…

The Times of India · Jul 28

Bird, butterfly and dragonfly numbers soar at flagship rewilding project

A 20-year ecological review at Knepp Estate in West Sussex shows the restoration of natural processes has paid dividends for wildlife.

The Independent UK · Jan 12

Why the UK’s butterflies are booming in 2025

Biodiversity is in rapid decline, across the UK and globally. Butterflies are excellent for helping us understand these changes. Where butterfly communities are rich and diverse, so too is the ecosystem. But the opposite is also true: if butterfly numbers are low and there are few species, it is a…

The Conversation · Jul 17, 2025

Rare butterfly hits purple patch at Sussex rewilding project

Ecologists say 283 purple emperor recordings on one day at Knepp signal higher numbers nationwide

The Guardian - UK · Jul 4, 2025

Going wild in the UK — Listen to The Standard podcast

Discover why nature tourism can be such a life-enhancing experience in the second episode of our new sustainable travel podcast series

Evening Standard · Sep 30, 2024

‘Some absolute gems’: £1.5m appeal to save rewilding haven Strawberry Hill

Crowdfunding aims to protect central England’s largest area of scrubland in heart of intensively farmed Bedfordshire

The Guardian - UK · Jul 19, 2024

‘Let’s see what we can do’: the market garden in a rewilding project

The tenants at Pentwyn, on land bought by Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, plan to produce plenty of food for local people

The Guardian - UK · Oct 19, 2023

‘It’s like winning the lottery’: Lincolnshire rewilding plan welcomed by some... others not so happy

Project promises to create jobs and restore biodiversity, but locals say it is taking food-growing land out of production

The Guardian - UK · Nov 12, 2022