WELCOME TO BOOTHBY WILDLAND
Beaver Fever
Beavers are coming to Boothby! These wonderful ecosystem engineers will help us re-wiggle the West Glen River, slowing the flow of water and creating a magical wetland habitat.
About Boothby
Boothby Wildland, purchased by Nattergal in December 2021, is a 617 hectare former arable farm in Lincolnshire, with variable Grade 3 soil types. Following lessons learnt from Knepp in Sussex, Boothby is now being led by Nature – and supported by a local rewilding team.
The story so far…
Over the course of three years, and following local consultation, the Boothby team has completed a phased retreat from arable farming, gradually removing fields from intensive cereal production. Our last harvest was in September 2024, with just a single farmed-field retained to provide a scientific comparison.
In the decade prior to our involvement, the farm had been part of a well-managed agri-environment scheme – meaning that around the edges were small species-rich hotspots of Nature waiting to burst out and colonise the depleted monoculture arable fields. Together with the variable soil types, the degraded West Glen river, and adjacent ancient woodland, Boothby provided the perfect opportunity for Nature recovery.
We are still in the early years of our rewilding journey, but it has been wonderful to witness Nature bouncing back so quickly at Boothby. Our once-arable land is now scrubbing up nicely, oak saplings are popping up in the middle of fields – and wildlife is returning.
Current Priorities
Nature is now taking the lead at Boothby – with the support of just a little human intervention.
A key focus for 2025/2026 is the restoration of the West Glen River. Over the years the river has been straightened and deepened to efficiently remove water from the farmland, contributing to problematic flooding downstream. Work is now underway to re-wiggle the river, to slow the flow and retain more water on our land. This will not only help mitigate the local flooding, but will also create a species-rich wetland habitat, providing vital biodiversity uplift.
Future Vision
Once natural vegetation has a good chance to re-establish (primarily through natural colonisation) free-roaming herbivores will be introduced to kickstart dynamic natural processes and drive ecosystem recovery. With natural hydrology also restored, we expect to stimulate a dynamic, functioning ecosystem.
Our Future Vision artwork shows how Boothby Wildland may change and develop over the coming years. Our ambition is to create a more complex, interesting and beneficial landscape for people and wildlife to enjoy.
Funding
Boothby benefits from a blended finance model, combining public and private investment.
Landscape Recovery
Boothby Wildland was the first project to progress to the implementation phase of Defra’s Landscape Recovery initiative – a publicly-funded Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). It supports large-scale, long-term projects that restore Nature, improve biodiversity and deliver environmental benefits across whole landscapes in England.
Ecosystem Services
Statutory markets such as BNG (Biodiversity Net Gain) and voluntary markets for carbon and biodiversity credits are essential to our rewilding ambition.
Onsite Experiences
Wildland tours, group activities and team away-days are providing additional funding, alongside increased access to Nature.
Support for Boothby Wildland