rewilding

Especially in the light of the success of the iconic rewilding project at Knepp, conservation biologists and the public are hugely excited by the potential of “rewilding” to transform land which has previously been used for intensive farming and other human activities for the benefit of biodiversity. Rewilding typically involves the removal of land from agricultural or commercial use, and the (re)introduction of large herbivores and other keystone species, which disturb vegetation succession and generate habitat heterogeneity. The aim is to develop self-sustaining conservation projects which can boost biodiversity while delivering services such as tourism and meat production, but which require minimal management intervention in the long-term.

In 2022, the team responsible for the Knepp project led the purchase of a site near Boothby in Lincolnshire which they plan to “rewild” over the coming years. In the first three years of the Boothby Wildland project, land will be taken out of production gradually, and then large herbivores and omnivores will be introduced. The project presents a range of unique opportunities to study how communities change after farming ceases and keystone species are introduced. As well as watching the recovery of nature, we have a chance to observe the impact of the project on beneficial and pest species which impact agricultural production at Boothby and in the surrounding farmland.

Graham Smith and Lucy Baker, amongst others, will be looking at the response of various insect pollinators, herbivores and their natural enemies in the early years of the Boothby project.