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.

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.

20/05/2026

Let’s hear it for bees on World Bee Day! 🐝

Everyone loves a honeybee, but we’re championing other bees, like bumblebees and solitary bees including mining bees, mason bees, and hairy-footed flower bees. They’re brilliant pollinators and they need our help.

In our Rewilded Walled Garden, our gardening team has been creating ‘bee banks’ by placing piles of fine sand around which native solitary bees like to burrow into.

Here’s how you can help bees at home:

Carefully drill different sized holes into wooden things like a timber gate posts. Different bees like different hole diameters, so creating a range of openings will support a diversity of species.

Love weeds! Thistles and foxgloves are perfect for long-tongued bumblebees, while brambles, goat willow and hairy bittercress are great for short-tongued bumblebees.

Be(e) sceptical about signs on garden-centre plants which say ‘perfect for pollinators’ – some may have been grown in nurseries using insecticides. Choosing reputable, independent and organic nurseries is a good idea. Or even better, grow from seed yourself.

Avoid pesticides. And be mindful about flea-killer on pet cats and dogs too.

Visit our Rewilded Walled Garden or join a workshop. See link in comments.

Photos: Charlie Burrell, Anna Ford

17/05/2026

Last year’s inaugural White Stork and Nature festival was a soaring success 🪶

It’s back on Saturday 23 May in Storrington. Join us, if you can, for a day celebrating white storks and nature recovery. 🌿

10/05/2026

Yes, migrating birds are impressive. But what about the trillions of insects that migrate with them?

In the new podcast episode, Erica McAlister and host Isabella Tree discuss how scientists are only just discovering the astonishing ways in which insects migrate to our shores every year.

Erica is principle curator at the Natural History Museum and a devoted advocate for bugs.

📻Listen to Bug Life Garden on the Knepp Wilding Podcast, where you get your podcasts.

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New Barn Farm, Swallows Lane
Dial Post
RH138NN

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