Knepp Wilding

Knepp Wilding Guided wildlife safaris and luxury campsite in the heart of the Knepp Rewilding Project

The Knepp Wildland Project is a pioneering experiment in habitat creation, the largest of its kind in lowland Europe. Part-funded by Natural England it is at the cutting edge of current environmental thinking in terms of landscape-scale restoration which allows natural processes – driven by large ungulates – to take place on a significant and influential scale. Over the course of little over a dec

ade, since the project began, we have seen a remarkable come-back of species, many of them red data species or nationally scarce. We can now boast 2% of the UK’s population of nightingales and one of the largest populations of purple emperor butterflies. From observing just these two species at Knepp, ecologists have gained new insights into their behaviour and habitat needs, demonstrating that the Knepp Wildland Project, with its open-ended, non-goal orientated ethos, has ground-breaking scientific value. Join us on one of our vehicle-based safaris or guided walking tours and experience our profusion of birds, mammals, butterflies, beetles, reptiles, plants and fungi in a setting that feels as wild and dynamic as the African bush. Stay in one of our beautiful shepherd’s huts or luxurious tents, or simply pitch your own in our exclusive Wildland campsite. You don’t have to take one of our safaris to stay here, and you don’t have to stay here to take a safari – though naturally we hope you’ll be tempted to combine the two. For reasons of safety and to ensure quiet observation of our wildlife we operate a 12yrs+ policy.

21/06/2026

Every year, our ecologists work with the British Trust for Ornithology to ring barn owls at Knepp. 🦉

This can only be done under licence from the BTO. So, no, we’re not, errr, ‘winging it’.

Barn owls are a key indicator species — their populations reflect the health of the wider ecosystem.

The band that we attach to one leg is lightweight and uniquely numbered. As you can see, the owlets are relatively relaxed about the process, which takes just moments. When we return the juveniles to the nest their parents are quick to return.

Ringing is important. It allows researchers to identify that individual bird for the rest of its life, should it ever be seen or caught by birders or ringers.

The data tells us how far young owls travel from their nest site to find their own territory; how long barn owls typically live in the wild, and what causes mortality; and which landscapes best support healthy populations.
It also helps us understand the threats that owls face - problems like road collisions and secondary poisoning from rodenticides. (If you ever find a dead owl with a ring on its leg, do contact the BTO.)

This information, built up over decades, is invaluable for the conservation of these wonderful creatures. 🌿

Video credit: Matt Phelps

15/06/2026

Did you hear Isabella Tree on Radio 4 yesterday for the Tweet of the Day?

It’s part of a series Isabella is doing, and yesterday’s bird of choice was the cuckoo.

Cuckoos are homing in on Knepp because there’s plenty of insects here for them to eat and a good population of both dunnocks and reed warblers - two of the species in whose nests cuckoos lay their eggs.

Thanks to Hazel Reeves for the audio recording, taken at Knepp.

Catch up on Radio 4. Link in Bio.

10/06/2026

For the fourth year in a row, our beaver family at Knepp have bred.🦫

This year is the earliest sighting we’ve ever had.

A new kit swimming with a parent in the safety of night.

Kits usually emerge in July or August, at least six weeks after being born.

This one was spotted in late May, suggesting it was born in April, and conceived around 100 days previously. It’s possible that the notably mild, wet winter was a factor. While we’ve just seen one kit so far, there may be more to come.

Join a beaver safari to learn about beaver wetlands and how these remarkable creatures are bringing life back to our landscape. Link in bio or via Knell website.

🙏🏻 Please do not venture off the footpaths to look for beavers on your own. They are easily disturbed, especially by dogs, and particularly vulnerable when they have kits.

08/06/2026

Have you ever thought that your own garden could be an ideal habitat for grass snakes and slow worms? 🐍

In the new episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast – out today – Isabella Tree meets Tim and Reuben Martin. Father and son, they are expert reptile surveyors.

Listen as Isabella joins them as they survey Knepp for reptiles.

Learn about the habitat that keeps snakes and lizards safe, and how we can improve conditions for them in our own landscapes and gardens.

The ‘Snakes and lizards’ episode is out now. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

📹 Charlie Burrell

05/06/2026

It’s World Environment Day, and this year’s theme is climate action.

Here, Dr Nancy Burrell – daughter of Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell – tells us how rewilding might just be the best kept secret in climate action.

New research is revealing that rewilded scrubland is a surprisingly powerful carbon store. And Nancy has found in her own research at Oxford University that scrub growing under browsing pressure from animals stores four times more carbon in its roots compared to trees of a similar age growing without browsing.

So whatever springs to mind when you think of climate action… perhaps our greatest tool in the fight against climate was here with us all along. 🌿

04/06/2026

Reptiles like snakes and slow worms are so secretive – how easy is it to survey them? 🐍

In the new episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast ‘Snakes and lizards’, host Isabella Tree is joined by father and son duo, Reuben and Tim.

They are expert reptile surveyors, including at Knepp.

Listen to the new Knepp Wilding Podcast wherever you get your podcasts – out now.

📹 Charlie Burrell

03/06/2026

On Saturday, 6th June, we’re once again opening the gardens at Knepp for the National Garden Scheme. 🌿🪏🫜

Head Gardener Charlie Harpur tells us he and his team look forward to this special event every year.

Come along to hear talks by Knepp’s team. They’ll introduce you to our experimental Rewilded Walled Garden and share how we garden for biodiversity and resilience.

All the ticket sales go towards charities supported by the National Garden Scheme.

We hope you come!

Tickets via the National Garden Scheme website.

🎥 .harpur

02/06/2026

Meet Reuben Martin, an amazing seventeen-year-old herpetologist who has been monitoring Knepp’s snakes and lizards with his father Tim. 🐍

Reuben’s ability to read a landscape and know where snakes and lizards lurk is extraordinary.

He is passionate about communicating the wonders of these secretive creatures to those of us who may be a little less certain of their charms.

Reuben and Tim join Isabella Tree for the latest episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast, ‘Snakes and lizards’

Listen to the new Knepp Wilding Podcast wherever you get your podcasts – out now.

📹 Charlie Burrell

28/05/2026

Did you see this on Springwatch last night? This is the nest featured in the White Stork Project’s live web cam.

This clip shows the remarkable way that white stork parents keep their chicks hydrated in a heatwave. The chicks are exposed in the nest, and can’t yet fly to find their own water, so the parent gathers up water and ‘hoses’ it into the chicks’ beaks.

Tonight, White Stork Project manager Laura Vaughan-Hirsch will be on Springwatch explaining the amazing story of Knepp’s white stork colony.

Tune in at 8pm on BBC 2.

Even better, join us on a White Stork Safari yourself. Link in bio.

27/05/2026

Ever wondered how the Springwatch team prepare for their live broadcasts from remote locations? We went behind the scenes with them in the beaver habitat to find out.

BBC Springwatch are broadcasting from Knepp all this week, until Thursday.

They’re covering some of the most exciting species who have made Knepp their home – from purple emperor butterflies and nightingales to white storks and beavers and more.

Tune in at 8pm on BBC 2 or catch up with the episides on iPlayer.

Address

New Barn Farm, Swallows Lane
Dial Post
RH138NN

Telephone

01403 713230

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