Knepp Wilding

27/08/2026

Have any plans over the bank holiday weekend? Feel like spending a little time in nature? You can always get back to the earth at Knepp. Join a Landcruiser safari and see wildlife up close, wander the Market Garden on a guided tour, or simply slow down for a few hours on some of our 16 miles of public footpaths, with a pit-stop, of course, in our award-winning .

However you spend your weekend, we’d love to see you.

Check the link in the bio to see what we have going on.

📷 Cover photo by: Olivier Hess

21/08/2026

We can see no greater evidence of the benefits of rewilding in the face of climate change and extreme heat than what The Guardian has revealed in these aerial images from the Holnicote estate in Somerset. They show Holnicote’s rewilded land as still lush and green compared to the land around it.

Read the full article:

National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding

17/08/2026

Since taking office, Andy Burnham has barely mentioned the climate crisis.

The lack of focus on the crisis that is facing us all is desperately serious: The Guardian has found that just 20 of Defra's 6,613 staff work on climate adaptation. With nearly a thousand wildfires this year, and firefighters begging for 5,000 more recruits, and no water-bombing aircraft to call on, this is woefully negligent.

After centuries of draining the land in the UK we can now see how desperately we need to rewet it. At Knepp we're seeing how effective our beaver wetlands are in this heat. While the land around us desiccates, water is still trickling in the beaver ponds, there is no drop in water levels, and the whole area is a magnet for thirsty mammals, birds and insects. It will also be a vital firebreak should the worst happen.

Read the full piece here:

Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves

12/08/2026

While we haven’t seen rainfall at Knepp for over two months, the beavers have continued to enlarge their wetland oasis.

With record-breaking temperatures and wild fires a rising risk, resetting the landscape has never been more urgent. Down by the beaver lodges at Knepp, there’s a wonderland of greenery, trickling water, and creatures gathering around to cool themselves and drink.

Matt Phelps, lead ecologist at Knepp, shows us the beavers’ handiwork, and the many other species reaping the benefits.

04/08/2026

Have you heard the new episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast?

There’s something utterfly wonderful about watching a creature return to a landscape that was once its home. In this episode, our great butterfly friend Neil Hulme joins Isabella Tree to talk about Knepp’s latest reintroduction by the - the black-veined white, a butterfly absent from British skies for over a hundred years.

Neil takes us through the delicate, painstaking process of bringing this insect back to our shores: the particular blend of hope and trepidation that comes with trying to right past wrongs.

The podcast is out now. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The Knepp Wildland Foundation is coordinating this project in partnership with , , , and . And collaborating with , and

03/08/2026

What does it take to reintroduce a lost butterfly back to Britain?

In our upcoming Knepp Wilding Podcast, Isabella Tree is joined by butterfly expert Neil Hulme, as they discuss the exciting reintroduction of the black-veined white to Knepp by the Knepp Wildland Foundation- a butterfly that has been lost to Britain for over a hundred years.

The podcast is out tomorrow. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The is coordinating this project in partnership with , , , , and . And collaborating with , , and

28/07/2026

August is truly the month of abundance. Delicious fruits and vegetables are erupting out of our Market Garden and the drawn-out summer evenings signal to many insects, birds and small mammals it’s a chance to start scoffing, laying down fat reserves that will last them through winter.

For our visitors, there’s still so much to see. There’s still: the last chance to spot spring migrants such as turtle doves, swifts and swallows that have come to Knepp to breed before they fly south for winter. And in our Wilding Kitchen, the variety of seasonal dishes is at its peak - our chefs are literally spoilt for choice. It’s a glorious time to be alive!

Just a note on our beavers. We do kindly ask that if you’re coming to Knepp for a walk you stick - as always - to the public footpaths and please don’t venture off in search of beavers. August marks one of the final months when they have longer periods to forage, so it’s vital they feel safe. If they feel threatened, they may venture into an area, off Knepp, where they’re not protected.

Links in the bio.

28/07/2026

August is truly the month of abundance. Delicious fruits and vegetables are erupting out of our Market Garden and the drawn-out summer evenings signal to many insects, birds and small mammals it’s a chance to start scoffing, laying down the fat reserves that will last them through winter.

For our visitors, there’s still so much to see. There’s still: the last chance to spot spring migrants such as turtle doves, swifts and swallows that have come to Knepp to breed before they fly south for winter. And in our Wilding Kitchen, the variety of seasonal dishes is at its peak - our chefs are literally spoilt for choice. It’s a glorious time to be alive!

Just a note about our beavers. We do kindly ask that if you’re coming to Knepp for a walk you stick - as always - to the public footpaths and please don’t venture off in search of beavers. August marks one of the final months when they have longer periods to forage, so it’s vital they feel safe. If they feel threatened, they may venture into an area, off Knepp, where they’re not protected.

Links in the bio.

23/07/2026

Rare crimson underwings found in vast numbers at Knepp 🦋

Butterfly expert Neil Hulme has reported that these stunning nocturnal moths - both dark and light crimson underwings - haven’t been seen in these numbers in Sussex since the mid-19th century. Knepp seems to be their favourite spot. They’re loving our ancient oaks, feeding on sap bleeding from the bark.

Hard to spot by day, they camouflage perfectly into the bark, but just before dusk they take to the canopy, while resting they flash their brilliant crimson underwings to ward off predators.

Formerly restricted to the New Forest, seeing them here in such numbers suggests they're now firmly established at Knepp.

Photo credit: Neil Hulme

22/07/2026

Our young beaver kits are still getting to grips with sharing! 🦫

These semi-aquatic creatures build strong family bonds early in life. Living in lodges, families are centred around a monogamous breeding pair and their offspring, with groups ranging from 2-8 members. Younger kits learn their social skills from parents and older siblings, often through playful behaviour that helps cement those bonds.

As herbivores, their diet is mostly bark, twigs and leaves - especially fast-growing species like willow, aspen, birch and poplar - along with aquatic plants like water lilies, pondweed and cattails, plus grasses and ferns.

We ask that you please don’t venture off public footpaths looking for beavers on your own; they’re naturally timid creatures and it’s essential that they feel safe in their environment. If they feel threatened, they may escape into areas where they’re not protected.

If you’d like to see them, we’ve added some new dates for our popular beaver safaris. Book here: https://knepp.co.uk/view/safaris/beaver-safari/