The UN Decade is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems to benefit people and nature. And Wilder Doddington is setting out to regenerate the land by ‘letting nature recover, letting people connect to nature’.
Wilder Doddington is a 100-year project to encourage natural processes to operate at a large scale, and it will result in the development of wood pasture, wetland and species-rich grassland across the previously extensively drained and conventionally farmed arable estate.
Low-intensity grazing and browsing of Lincoln Red cattle, and the existing wild deer population will be the main management and habitat creation tool, with wild ponies and pigs to be added to the mix in due course. The result will be that woodlands and other habitats expand and connect, and new habitats are created, producing a huge increase in wildlife and biodiversity; a big reduction in greenhouse gases emitted; lots more carbon locked away in soils and vegetation; better and more resilient soils, better water quality; and reduced flooding, as well as sustainable, organic, pasture fed beef.
Wilder Doddington will also be offering a range of wildlife safaris, tours, guided walks and nature spotting; there will be camping, glamping and self-catering accommodation; new walking and cycling routes; access to Wilder Doddington for education and learning, health, fitness and nature-inspired creative and cultural events; and there will be exciting work experience and employment opportunities.
Claire Birch, partner of Doddington Farms said:
“I spent my 20s worrying about tropical rainforests, but now I realise that landowners in England can play a big part in addressing climate change and biodiversity decline, and we want to be an exemplar of that. It isn’t just about the large area of land that we are devoting to nature recovery, it is also about all the wonderful people who visit Doddington who can also be part of this journey and hopefully be inspired by it to play their own part in combating the most important issues of our time.”
To find out more about Wilder Doddington, visit:
www.doddingtonhall.com/wilder/
