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BBC Springwatch at Wild Ken Hill 'amazing for rewilding'

EPA Springwatch presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Gillian Burke and Iolo WilliamsEPA
Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan, with fellow presenters Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke, are the current Springwatch/Autumnwatch regulars

The project manager of a sustainable farming scheme said BBC Springwatch had been "amazing" for raising awareness of rewilding and regenerative farming.

The latest series of the programme was based at Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk. Two years ago it began a rewilding project.

Dominic Buscall said the show revealed to mainstream TV audiences practices which "might hold the key to nature recovery in the UK".

He had also "seen more wildlife in three weeks than in the year combined".

"They found nests which we didn't know were there - like the sparrowhawk," Mr Buscall said.

Wild Ken Hill
Wild Ken Hill is a 4,000-acre site in west Norfolk which has been part of a rewilding project since 2019

A slimmed-down, Covid-compliant BBC crew of between 25 and 30 joined presenters Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan on the 4,000-acre (1,619-hectare) family farm.

Mr Buscall said this was still "many times the size or our own team... but it's been an incredibly smooth experience".

"They've been very sensitive to our site and the fact we are a working farm," he added.

Dominic Buscall Dominic BuscallDominic Buscall
Dominic Buscall said behind the scenes the BBC team were thrilled with the amount of wildlife they were able to see

Wild Ken Hill Estate stretches inland from The Wash near Heacham.

It began turning 1,000 acres of farmland and forestry back over to nature two years ago, with beavers helping to recreate wooded wetlands.

Crops continue to grow on another 2,000 acres using "regenerative" agricultural techniques which cut out insecticides and provide food and habitats for wildlife.

A live feed - with a close up of the chiffchaff nest and a cross-section of different camera feeds beneath
BBC Springwatch broadcast from the farm for three weeks between Tuesday 25 May and Friday 11 June

Mr Buscall, 28, said he was aware "we're not the first people to do things like this", while the farm had already hosted "hundreds of land managers and farmers... to exchange ideas".

But having the programme on site had been "awesome".

He said: "It's been amazing for awareness about what we're doing.

"We have brought ideas like rewilding and regenerative farming to mainstream audiences and that's really, really exciting because we believe these might hold the key to nature recovery in the UK."

BBC Autumnwatch is due to to return later this year.

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