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Wilding | Isabella Tree

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One of my favourite reads of this year. It's so wonderful to see such clear evidence for hope, such rigorous documentation of positive change, such stalwart defence of the need for such projects. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? A beautiful mix of bombarding the reader (or cynic) with facts, amongst narrating the journey from their starting point to where the project had arrived at the point of publication, you have moments of pure appreciation for nature, but much of the book is divided between: 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? 1) the steps necessary to begin and continue rewilding: planning and research, consulting experts, soliciting funding, modifying land to give it the best start recovering from industrial farming, and establishing borders, reintroducing species, before mostly letting things alone 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? 2) supporting their efforts via:
a) presenting findings/success in reintroduced and rediscovered fauna alongside newly flourishing flora, restoration of water features and noting recovering soil health
b) tackling the contentious attitudes of the present and the research of the past, breaking down what was once understood as 'the facts' with ideas such as the shifting baseline - 2mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? the notion that Britain might think of the Victorian cultural landscape as the moment in time, the image in their heads to protect, but heavy conversion of the countryside and even species loss was already present in this period - that we need to look further back to see what the landscape looked like, what species are native to the UK, even if we can acknowledge we'll never have exactly what the landscape of the past was, 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? what varied habitat various animals thrive in versus have been forced to adapt to, that there are actually many benefits to neighbouring farms and communities of rewilding land in proximity, rather than viewing it as an eyesore with seed bearing weeds and new (old) animal.populations, and many environmental, health and economic benefits to expanding the project to more areas of the UK. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/? I love the ongoing nature of the project, that even as the area gains revenue from tours, there is no microfocus on a particular 'charismatic/rare' species, it's a joy for them to continually discover new animals and plants and the way the land is changing, to see longer into the future ratbwr than reach stasis, a new way of thinking for the various environmentalists and scientists consulted to recognize the full system, 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/? rather than attempting to manipulate nature to engineer a preferential habitat for a certain animal or plant, especially as evidence mounts that we know less about preferential habitats than first thought.
Knepp is an ambassador for the idea of wilding, and while specific actions were taken with the help of knowledgeable consultants, it lives as an example to the wider world of what is possible in various countries/climates/ecosystems, as the 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 9/? Oostvaadersplassen did before it.
I admit, I enjoy when Tree politely claps back at more rigid, traditional views that would negate her team's efforts, and gently calls out those agencies which are bogged down by a particular way of doing things, the need for policy reform, or perhaps more accurately, policy loosening.
I appreciate that managing a reasonable population size of larger herbivores on the land 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 10/? available within the policies in place for such spaces means that culling or castration are the solutions available, but that doesn't make it easier to read. I should be fair and recognize that they practice as much non-interference with the animal populations at Knepp as possible, and since they are not allowed to let the carcases feed back into the soil, then harvesting and sale of the meat means revenue for the project. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 11/11 It's the circle of life? 🫤

I had a great time doing a tandem read, as having it in front of my eyes and in my ears simultaneously helped with fact absorption, as she's not afraid to throw numbers in to make the argument, and as the author narrates the audiobook, I am certain she will be a great voice for the Knepp Wilding podcast she does! Giddy to get more wilding tidbits. ☺️

⚠️ Animal death 2mo

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

Cleopatra says yes: she would still love you if you were a worm. 👑♥️🪱

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

Aw, puppy, no. Put spiky new friend down. 🤦🏼‍♂️🥴🦔🐶

Singout Poor Mrs. Tiggywinkle! 2mo

Robotswithpersonality @Singout I didn't cheat and Google, but I have to guess: is that a Beatrix Potter reference? 🫣 2mo

Singout Genius guess! I sent my sister this quote from another feed and she said she thinks Mrs. Tiggywinkle had a pretty good set up. “i'd give up everything to be a small anthropomorphic woodland animal wearing victorian clothes living in a little house in a meadow and my neighbour is a goose wearing a bonnet and my only worry is will my apple pie be ready for when mrs owl comes visit me for tea time” 2mo

Robotswithpersonality @Singout I did an adult reread of Potter's collection either this year or last year so more recent memory served me well! That woodland existence does sound amazing. 2mo

Singout I skimmed through the one we sent over to my sister for my niece and nephew: so many words we wouldn‘t use in kids‘ books today! 2mo

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

This image makes me very happy. ☺️🐖

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

Striking colouration.

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

Anthropocene B.S. 😑

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

Alka-Seltzer for piggies?! 🐖☺️🤦🏼‍♂️

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

👀

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Robotswithpersonality

Wilding | Isabella Tree

A linguistic cornucopia. ☺️

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Robotswithpersonality

Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea and Human Life | George Monbiot

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I don't think the book needed a different title, but it might have needed a different editor. There is a significant portion of the book, say from 75 pages in to the last 20 pages, where the chapters focus directly on issues related to rewilding, for the most part in a UK context, though international concerns and stats are introduced as supplementary examples. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? The beginning and end of the book, along with moments in the more focused chapters are a mix of exquisite descriptions of local flora and fauna, the sights and weather, and the personal asides of an individual with a strong appreciation for wildness and a passionate interest in evidence-based speculation about the previous/pre-history animals that inhabited local ecosystems. 6mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? There's about a third of a skeleton that might have been a compelling memoir of Monbiot's travels and musings, his wilder days and encounters with the wild.

The vast majority is similar to what I was looking for when I picked up the book, with one subjective flaw: perhaps understandably Monbiot spends a lengthy amount of time detailing the madness that is current policy (circa 2013) surrounding conservation in the UK, the various ecosystems 6mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? I really prefer the sections where he talks to people about their reasoning, where others are coming from and how changes might be made without undue controversy, with partnership of local residents/industry (small farms NOT tax shelters, wildlife tourism NOT maintaining the overpopulation of select species for hunting 😑). Where he outlines what could be done as first steps.
6mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? I'm very glad there's a chapter that underlines how not to rewild: the human tragedies that have unexpectedly resulted in ecosystem recovery, the forcible removal of people for green vanity projects and hunting reserves.

I think it's important that Monbiot clearly indicates where local government is befuddled with bad science and lobbying groups with other priorities are calling the shots, that he describes why changes in law and policy 6mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? need to be part of this movement, so grassroots efforts are not bumping heads with the rule makers.

I don't think I can see quite as far ahead as he has, I don't need to consider how much wilder an area can get than just letting things grow back and reintroducing some recently absented species, leaving ecosystems alone to adjust to climate change, without human management/interference.
6mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/7 I also think if this book focused clearly on a summary of what hasn't worked/made things worse, and what the best options are going forward, it could be half the length and a resource I'd more readily recommend. 🤷🏼‍♂️

⚠️animal death, mention of WW2 violence, genocides, the Holocaust 6mo

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