Re-wilders forget that humans are ‘nature’ too

‘Life pours back in.’ A score of us, listening to Charlie Burrell at the Knepp estate ten days ago, will always remember his words: so palpably true. We could see just what he meant as he took us through his work ‘re-wilding’ the estate in West Sussex where he and his wife, Isabella Tree, live at Knepp Castle. The family have owned and farmed these 3,500 acres for more than two centuries. Sir Charles, 10th Baronet, and Isabella are giving their all to this brave project, for which they have become pioneers, leaders, opinion–formers and evangelists.

And the religion is spreading. Everyone in the world of environmentalism talks about re-wilding now. But as (for me) with so much religion, I admire the people and applaud the practical results, while nursing doubts about the core theology. Christianity has something called ‘God’ at its centre. The re-wilders have something called ‘nature’. ‘It works in practice,’ as a now-forgotten economist once said, ‘but will it work in theory?’

Charlie Burrell has certainly converted me to the practice. I want projects like his to spread right through our islands; and, more, I’d like to see the possibilities that re-wilders can teach, touching the whole farming industry; influencing it from top to bottom; changing the way we see farming as a vocation.

Here, though, is my theological doubt. I remain to be convinced whether the expression ‘re-wilding’ — whether, indeed, the word ‘wild’ itself — has any clear meaning. I submit that we’re simply making something nice.

At Knepp we stayed for two nights in a yurt. Truly this was glamping not camping: a wonderful dwelling. The estate also offers wild camping, with a limited number of pitches spread across a field of long grass. There are cabins and huts, outdoor hot baths, and a big pond to swim in, all almost fully booked right through the season… and this (Charlie told us) proves how landowners and farmers can generate extra income.