Pony power will help rewilding
“We are delighted – this has been a long time coming – 4 years in the making, and actually it feels like bringing wild ponies back to these lands is connecting with our ancient ancestors, and with natural landscapes from centuries ago,” said Jack Skuse, rewilder and Ambios director.
“The addition of ponies will have a major impact on the structural diversity of the vegetation – grazing the tall grasses and woody hedgerows plants – which in turn encourages greater biodiversity. This will offer vital, missing habitat for wildlife.
For example, horses wallow in dry, sandy patches, which support insects who need these small sandy patches for breeding. Their addition will, we hope, support nature recovery at Sharpham, and bring missing wildlife back”
Sharpham Trust Director Julian Carnell said that rewilding The Sharpham Estate illustrated the charity’s ethos perfectly – whilst highlighting the need to support nature wherever possible.
“We want to make a more mindful and sustainable world and we’re doing our bit at Sharpham,” he said. “The project is called Wild for People because we recognise that rewilding has to involve people and connect them back to the land.
“When people are connected to nature, they’re much less likely to want to harm it so if we can do that at the same time as supporting biodiversity, then that’s a real win-win”.
Around 1500 people a year come from all over the UK to stay on mindfulness retreats at The Sharpham Trust.
Each retreat incorporates nature-connection techniques and retreat-participants can access the rewilding land to witness the flora and fauna there.