Making Wildland Pay

We are pleased to bring you news of this one day workshop hosted by the Wildland Network:

Making Wildland Pay

A review of markets and enterprises from wild land and rewilding

A one day workshop hosted by the Wildland Network at the Knepp Estate, 12 April 2007 www.wildland-network.org.uk

Plus tour of Knepp Estate, 13 April 10.00 - 15.00

This event brings practitioners together to discuss:
• Examples of markets and enterprises based on wild land.
• Key options for new markets based on wild land.
• How further wild land ventures can be stimulated and sustained.

The event takes place at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex (www.knepp.co.uk). On 13 April participants will be able to learn more about the wildland project for the estate ‘where natural processes predominate and long term financial stability is achieved outside of a conventional agricultural framework’. The project is providing a baseline ecological and economic study for potential rewilding in the English lowlands.

MAKING WILDLAND PAY
12 April workshop programme

10.00 Arrival, coffee

10.30 Welcome and introductions Rick Minter

10.40 Jason Emrich, Knepp Estate
Knepp Estate’s wild land project – the experience to date:
11.00 Questions and discussion

11.10 Peter Taylor, Author, Beyond Conservation – A wildland strategy
A review of economic ventures from a sample of UK projects covering: Wildlife tourism, Meat, Game, Ecosystem services, Crafts, Outdoor adventure, personal development, local employment.
11.30 Questions and discussion

11.40 Frans Vera, Dutch Forestry Service, and author, Grazing Ecology and Forest History - ‘Fascination Will Pay’: Economic benefits from the Dutch river floodplains and from visitors observing wild cattle, deer and horses at Oostvaardesrplassen.
12.00 Questions and discussion

12.10 Views from Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency
Alison Field – Examples and issues from the Forestry Commission’s experience in rewilding
Bill Watts, Environment Agency – Gauging the ecosystem services from flood defence activity
12.40 Questions and discussion with the Agencies

13.00 LUNCH

14.00 Discussion in small groups
Facilitated by Alison Parfitt and Rick Minter
Participants discuss the following issues in small groups:

A. The economic drivers for wild land: what are the priorities and how can they be sustained?

B. In what ways can wild land add value and offer a brand to farms, estates, nature reserves, forests and related ventures ?

C. How can Government bodies assist enterprises linked to wild land? e.g. through payments, advice, training, etc

D. Other discussion topics identified by participants

14.50 Report back and collective discussion on key issues

15.40 Reflections on the main discussion points – Will Manley, Royal Agricultural College

15.50 Tea

16.20–17.50 Optional guided walk through part of Knepp Estate. (Seeing a different location from the 13 April tour)


Optional eve meal at the Crown Inn, Dial Post, for participants staying on for next day’s tour of the Estate’s wild land.


13 April: Tour of Knepp Estate - details below


13 April: Tour of Knepp Estate, 10.00 – 15.00

This is a chance to experience the variety and the scale of the wild land work in progress at Knepp Estate and to discuss the emerging issues with other practitioners and with Estate owner Charlie Burrell and the Estate’s agent, Jason Emrich.

10.00 Assemble and coffee

10.15 Guided tour of the Knepp Estate wildland project

12.45 LUNCH

13.45 – 14.45 Reflections and discussion on key issues

14.45 – 15.00 Tea and depart

For further information please visit www.wildland-network.org.uk