Springwatch can bring rewilding and green farming to the masses – Eastern Daily Press

The return ofSpringwatch to Norfolkhas been hailed asan "exciting opportunity" to showcase the benefits of rewilding and regenerative farming to a massive new prime-time TV audience.

The BBC's flagship nature programme will be broadcast from the Wild Ken Hill estate near Snettisham, starting next week.

Presenters Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan willuncover the secrets of the creaturesroaming itsdiverse woodlands, heath and wetlands, including Exmoor ponies, Tamworth pigs - and the beavers reintroduced to its "rewilded"area last year.

An aerial view of Wild Ken Hill, a patchwork of habitats between the main A149 coast road an the shores of the Wash- Credit: Wild Ken Hill

However, the estate is equally keen toshow howinsects, songbirds, lapwings and predators arethrivingon the farmland which covers half the estate andis managed using "regenerative"practices geared towards soil health and biodiversity.

Springwatch has previously made its home at the RSPB's Minsmere reserve in Suffolk and the Pensthorpe Natural Park near Fakenham.

But Dominic Buscall, project manager at Wild Ken Hill,said the show's decision to be basedat theworking estate in west Norfolk was a valuable chance to raise the profile ofthe growing rewilding and regenerative farming movements.

"It is a great opportunity to tell our message to a mainstream audience," he said. "It is definitely about rewilding, and the beavers will feature, but there is also the regenerative farming side of the project.

Red poll cattleon the Wild Ken Hill estate, on the west Norfolk coast near Snettisham- Credit: Les Bunyan

"Farmland is equally as important as the conservation area. There is going to be content in the series that focuses on the farmland birds and songbirds that you tend to find on farmed landscapes.

"I think the overall programme this year is hoping to tell a story of hope and nature recovery which is really exciting - and hopefully we can showcase some of the tools we can use to achieve that."

Around 50pc of the 4,000-acre estate is agricultural land, with the rest split between the rewilding area and traditional conservation features within an integrated "land use project".

The regenerative farming aspectincludes stopping insecticide use and reducing chemical sprays, and using minimum tillage and cover crops to protect and enhance soil health, while integratinggrazing livestock to help the nutrient cycle.

Meanwhile, hedgerowsand wildflower mixes and field margins are managed to encourage insect and birdlife.

"We embrace the opportunity and the challenges of taking new and alternative land management tools to a new audience," said Mr Buscall. "That is really important to us.

"If we are going to fix these things in the public eye, then we need discussions about biodiversity and sustainable food production to becommon.

"We are not the first people to do any of this - there are great rewilding areas that came before us, and regenerative farmers up and down the country.

Exmoor ponies on the Wild Ken Hill estate, on the west Norfolk coast near Snettisham- Credit: Les Bunyan

"We genuinelycare about taking these concepts mainstream. Secondly, the exposure will be helpful in making our overall project more sustainable, because with greater awareness people will hopefully want to come and visit us.We know that nature-based tourism will be an important part of our diverse business in the future."

The return of Springwatch to a conservation-minded Norfolk farm was also welcomed bythe WildEast movement, which aims to inspire nature recovery across the region.

Hugh Somerleyton, owner of Somerleyton Estate near Lowestoft and one of the founding trustees of WildEast, said the TV show was an "exciting opportunity" to show a massive TV audience how rewilding and conservation can be integrated alongside food production within a hard-working farmed landscape.

A beaver gets to work at Wild Ken Hill, on part of 1,000 acres of land which is being handed back to nature- Credit: Wild Ken Hill

"WildEast was delighted to hear Springwatch is coming to our region, and specifically Ken Hill," he said.

"Dominic Buscall was one of the first farmers to get in touch and support WildEast andthey are an exemplar farm. Ken Hill's combination of regenerative farming and wilding is achievable at any scale and is something all farms should consider.

"Hopefully Springwatch will strengthen the general feeling of the need for change and collaboration. By watching this, I would hope that more people might think they can do more, and see more relevance from their own contributions."

Tamworth pigs grazing at Wild Ken Hill, on the west Norfolk coast near Snettisham- Credit: Les Bunyan

Dominic Buscall at the Wild Ken Hill estate- Credit: Wild Ken Hill

Lapwings are one of the farmland bird species being encouraged at the Wild Ken Hill estate- Credit: RSPB

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Springwatch can bring rewilding and green farming to the masses - Eastern Daily Press