WILDING

THREE STARS A farming couple rip up their fences and put their trust in nature.

DOCUMENTARY UK English #WILDING Starring Isabella Tree, Matthew Collyer

Around twenty years ago, Isabella Tree and her husband took the unusual decision of letting their property go to 'ruin'. Unusual because it was several hundred acres of agricultural land not terribly far from London, Knepp Hall was a stately pile that had been in the family for generations and most of all, unusual because posh people simply didn’t do that sort of thing. For those with long memories, there’s alignment with TV’s The Good Life in terms of testing the patience of ones outraged neighbours.

What tipped their hand was the realisation that most of the oak trees on their estate were seriously ill. Years of intensive farming had depleted the soil and overuse of pesticides had effectively poisoned what was left. The land had become a 'biological desert', farming was not the way forward.

So they chose to return the land to something close to its natural state, harnessing the assistance of ‘ancient’ breeds of cattle, horses and pigs. They firmly believed that nature knows best and with little protection and even less intervention, animals would regenerate the soil and plants would thrive. Which they did.

It’s around here that WILDING intersects with documentaries like THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, Damon Gameau’s acclaimed documentary 2040 and Bob Brown's THE GIANTS. Although WILDING is a thinner experience in terms of narrative drive and payoff, to watch said cattle, horses and pigs alongside reintroduced beavers and storks (the first time that these birds have bred in the wild, in England, in over 500 years, happened on the estate) is a delight.

Overall, WILDING is a welcome shot of hope for anyone suffering environmental blues. Their message born from experience: provide safe spaces and leave nature alone to do its thing. The results can be profound.

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