What if you just leave it? Rewilding unwrapped

This episode combines audio from November 2021 and January 2023, made in the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve in Dorset. Back in 2021 I interviewed David Brown and Mark Singleton about the natural process-led solutions that the National Trust and partners were adopting on the vast area of protected Heathland. The area is very important for biodiversity, but it has been a very highly 'managed' landscape for a long time. Drawing on principles from rewilding, the Trust are now adopting more natural process-led solutions for nature restoration at a landscape scale, including large herbivores and even thinking about Bison. The episode ends with an update from David in 2023, and it gives hope that it is possible to make these changes at scale, even in our busy and overpopulated land. Please do check out my website - whatifyoujustleaveit.info, and I do these podcasts for the love of it, so if you want to 'but me a coffee', please go to buymeacoffee.com/samrose Thanks for listening :)

This episode was recorded on a very wet day at Ben Goldsmith's estate near Frome in Somerset. A financier by profession, Ben has been involved in rewilding for some time, and this interview goes some way towards explaining why this is and what has driven his passion for nature. He talks very fondly about his home and area, and about bringing nature back - including the appearance of wild beavers on his land. Ben has had personal tragedy, and the solace of nature, talked about in terms of biophilia, is very important to him - as it is for many people. He is very engaging and welcoming, and I think you will find it a very enjoyable conversation - even if you can clearly hear that I am tying to keep the microphone up with his fast stride as we head around the estate. Finally, I do these podcasts for the love of it so if you feel like treating me to say thanks, please buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/samrose. Thanks for listening :)

This episode was recorded on a wet Spring day at Wild Woodbury, Dorset Wildlife Trust's rewilding site near Bere Regis. Having sold her stake in a high performing company, Julia is using her wealth to help bring about projects through philanthropic loans - reusing and 'recycling' the funds for multiple projects. She worked with Dorset Wildlife Trust to help Wild Woodbury come about, and she has since gone on to help a range of other projects around the country. This has been game-changing at a range of sites around the county, including for Somerset Wildlands - see Season 2, Episode 1 of this podcast. For more details about her scheme go to https://wehavethepower.org/ and for Wild Woodbury go to https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/wildlife-conservation/wild-woodbury. I hope you enjoy it, Julia talks a lot of sense. Finally, I do these podcasts for the love of it so if you feel like treating me to say thanks, please buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/samrose. Thanks for listening :)

This episode was recorded in September 2022 in Plymouth's Central Park. It is an interview with two employees of the City Council who are part of the ground-breaking urban rewilding project - Green Minds Plymouth https://greenmindsplymouth.com. Whatever your preconceptions about the idea of urban rewilding, I suggest that you listen to what Zoe and Andrew say before you jump to conclusions. It is not, nor could it be, another Knepp, Benloit or Wild Ken Hill, but it is a remarkable initiative looking at nature through a joined-up, city-wide lens, whilst engaging communities and tackling mental health issues at the same time. Plymouth are doing this with multiple partners, including the National Trust and the Arts University of Plymouth, and it was initially funded from EU funds (!!). Enjoy and if you like it you may wish to 'buy me a coffee' at buymeacoffee.com/samrose This work is all done for the love of it, and is thirsty going!

This is the first in my second season of podcasts about rewilding, and is an interview with Alasdair Cameron. Alasdair is the founder and Executive Director of Somerset Wildlands (somersetwildlands.org), a small charity dedicated to rewilding in the Somerset levels, and it all started when he bought a field about 6 or 7 years ago and just left it, to see what would happen; you can see why this really works with the title of my podcast ;) The interview is packed full of details, memorable quotes and some very clear and good thinking about rewilding from someone who is very clearly passionate about his subject. He also covers some of the basics very well, so you might want to treat this like a rewilding 101 refresher. I'm not going to go into any more detail, you can listed to it for that, suffice to say that you may need to listen to it a couple of times to take it all in. Thanks for listening and you can check out my website at whatifyoujustleaveit.info or even show your appreciation by buying me a coffee or two at buymeacoffee.com/samrose

In this episode I am delighted to bring you an interview with the people who inspired me to get involved in rewilding, Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell from the fantastic Knepp Estate in West Sussex.  There is not a lot to say that has not already been said or written about this project, but this is my take on it, and Charlie and Issy are warm and welcoming, with some great answers to my questions.  They are clearly so passionate about what they are doing, but also genuinely surprised at the success they have had.   I have put up extensive photos, drone video and audio alongside some text at whatifyoujustleaveit.info and this is the first of three podcasts about Knepp.  Whilst this approach is not for everyone or everywhere, it is one that has a wide appeal for marginal and more productive land throughout lowland England, and it this type of project can be widely supported, the change we can make to the UK's biodiversity can be immense.  I hope you enjoy it and any comments and reviews very welcome. Thank you for listening.

In this episode I visit the Axmouth to Lyme Regis National Nature Reserve - commonly known as the Undercliffs. It is an incredible seven mile long strip of coastal land dominated by vegetated landslips, cliffs, hidden pinnacles, self-seeded Ash woodland, ponds, springs, patches of chalk grassland, and remote beaches on the East Devon Coast.  You can see the photos, hear more audio, and see some drone footage at whatifyoujustleaveit.info and this podcast comprises an interview with Tom Sunderland, the Reserve Manager, and Rob Beard, the Reserve Warden, who work for Natural England.  They talk about what management means, both in the context of traditional nature conservation and of rewilding, and how the Undercliffs fits into this.  The webpage also gives an additional interview with volunteer Donald Campbell, who was awarded an OBE for his work on the Undercliffs.  My thanks to Tom, Rob, Donald and also Lyme Regis Museum. Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This is the second half of my interview with Professor Alastair Driver, environmental powerhouse and Director at Rewilding Britain.  If you haven't heard Part 1 yet then I recommend it, and in Part 2 Ali carries on from where he left off, looking at the importance and benefits of Rewilding.  I end with some more up to date detail about the national progress about rewilding, and you can see more details about this on the webpage https://www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info/rewilding-pioneer/ali-driver  I hope you enjoy it, and, as ever, any comments and reviews very welcome. Thank you for listening.

In this episode I talk to Professor Alastair Driver, environmental powerhouse and Director at Rewilding Britain.  The interview was so long that I had to split it into two parts, so Part 1 covers the basics of rewilding and a lot more besides.  Ali is a very engaging and passionate speaker, so this podcast and Part 2 are a must for anyone interested in the subject.  I held the interview at Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve in Sonning, near Reading.  This tiny LNR is named after the man himself for the work he put into making it, and it is an oasis of peace, calm and nature.  You can see the photos and read more at https://www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info/rewilding-pioneer/ali-driver but this and the next episodes are less about the photos and more about the man.  Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

In this episode I visit Black Down, primarily a heathland restoration project in the heart of the Dorset AONB.  You can see the photos and read more at whatifyoujustleaveit.info and this podcast is an interview with Tom Munro, who heads up the AONB Team.  Tom covers a wide range of subjects related to rewilding, including carbon storage in the soils, 'natural beauty' as a holistic concept that is not just based on aesthetics, ecological engineering with cattle and habitat mosaics being so important for allowing and encouraging nature to take a hold. Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

In this episode I talk to Sir Ferrers Vyvyan, landowner, agronomist and environmentalist.  Ferrers' family has been on the Lizard for more than 600 years and they are now looking at major changes to how they manage the land in their care.  He has been undertaking a small scale wilding project in a part of the estate, and you can see a range of photos showing this, and more details, at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info  It is a fascinating conversation covering a wide range of themes - enjoy! Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This episode is the first of my conservations with James Fuller, a businessman / farmer who is looking to farm much more sensitively with nature that those he bought the farm off.   It is very much a starting point and I will be back to see James as his project progresses.  I have developed a full blog entry with photos from the visit at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info so please do have a look and let me know what you think. Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This was the first interview I did about my rewilding project.  As you will hear, I spoke to Tim first as he is a friend, and someone who could inspire me with ideas and put me in touch with people - which he did admirably.  It is fascinating to hear Tim talk about, and around the subject, and I hope you enjoy it.  You can see the rushed photographs I took of him just after the interview at www.whatifyoujustleaveit.info   Any comments and reviews very welcome, and thank you for listening.

This is the long awaited Part 2 of my interviews from Knepp.  In this one I talk to Penny Green, their Principal Ecologist, and Ivan De Klee, who does, er, everything else!  It was recorded outdoors (the best way) in the scrublands at Knepp on a windy November day in late 2020, between lockdowns, but I have checked and they are both happy that everything they said back then still stands.   Penny and Ivan are at the 'coal face' of rewilding, in Penny's case particularly with the safari customers, and with Ivan, his role with other farms in a local cluster means that he is very tuned into the farming community.  They both have so much to say about their roles at Knepp that I think you will love the interview, and, if you haven't already been, be tempted again to go and visit for yourself.   Photos from this visit will be online at whatifyoujustleaveit.info shortly.  I hope you enjoy it and any comments and reviews very welcome. Thank you for listening.  You might also look for Penny's Knepp podcasts, but only of course, after listening to this :)