Introduction
Intensive farming has all but destroyed England's ancient woodlands and freshwater wetlands. On a farm in Lincolnshire, a radical aristocrat hopes to show that there's money in protecting nature.
The Context
In the silent countryside south of Grantham, three vast steel barns rattled in the breeze. Gathered in a loose circle beside them were 15 landowners, land agents and a couple of young investors; all expensively dressed men, many with a sceptical mien. It was June 2022, and Sir Charles Raymond Burrell, 10th Baronet, was explaining how the purchase of 1,525 acres (617 hectares) of prairie fields of wheat and beans could revolutionise farming and nature conservation, not just in South Lincolnshire but across Britain and beyond.
The Project
Burrell, known by everyone as Charlie, led the group on a walk from the barns beside the unlovable modern farmhouse, a red-brick behemoth with small windows like piggy eyes. We began by crossing a field of broad beans. Less than a century ago, it had been a patchwork of 10 fields. As we walked over the hard, cracked ground, we encountered not a single insect. Later, by a verge, a couple of butterflies flew. As for humans, we didn’t meet a single other person in our two-and-a-half-hour stroll across a range of footpaths and field edges. "This is a ruined landscape," said one of the guests, the architectural historian Matthew Rice. "Not because of the soils. Because there are no people here. I’m sorry there are not enough stoats but I’d like there to be some children here, too."
Conclusion
The rewilding project in Lincolnshire is an inspiring example of how nature can be profitable. With the help of investors and landowners, it is possible to create a model of nature conservation that is sustainable and profitable.
References
Source: The Guardian Environment