BOOK REVIEW – WILDING BY ISABELLA TREE (from 8th August Newsletter)

One of the books recommended by the Eco-Judaism website is Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm, by Isabella Tree (Picador, 2018). Widely hailed at the time of its publication, the book made numerous books of the year shortlists and won awards. It tells the story of how Isabella and her husband, Charlie Burrell, struggled to maintain their family estate and farm, Knepp, in Sussex. Finding it increasingly hard to make the farm economically viable, whilst at the same time becoming aware of the ecological shortcomings of their efforts, they made a radical decision to stop farming and let the land run wild. The results were astonishing, if controversial, as nature flourished in ways that challenged conventional wisdom and mores around conservation, farming, landscape aesthetics and rural values.
There is no question that the story of the Knepp Estate is remarkable and inspiring; whether you consider the book itself to be a good read may depend on your appetite for ecology, since it goes into great detail about topics such as soil science, land management and bird and insect conservation. For those willing to persevere, there are enormous riches on offer here, for what the book uncovers completely upends received wisdom about the past, present and future of the natural landscape in Britain, Europe and beyond. This book will change the way you look at nature and the landscape, from individual trees and bushes, to woodlands, rivers and fields.
For a primarily rural community such as 3CLJC, Wilding offers urgent insights, challenges and questions, with a revolutionary vision of the history and evolution of the landscape and a timely prescription for its future health.
Joel