Rewilding at Maple Farm in Partnership with Youngwilders
Maple farm is a 30-acre rewilding project on former grazing land on the Surrey-Sussex boundary. The project aims to demonstrate the principles of rewilding on a smaller-scale, mimicking natural processes to encourage the return of a healthy, balanced ecosystem that benefits native species. From regenerating native woodland in open areas to enhancing habitats for rare species such as nightingales, Charity Buddy and Youngwilders will use Maple Farm as an experimental site looking into the various ways nature can return on a smaller plot of land.
Ecological Restoration
The vision for Maple Farm is a thriving diversity of habitats in keeping with the natural ecology of the area, providing a haven for plants, insects, birds, and mammals. A mix of scrub, woodland, grassland, and riparian and wetland will be encouraged through natural regeneration, enrichment planting and other interventions, taking an experimental approach to encourage nature’s return.
The project will follow the key principles of rewilding - aiming to restore natural processes to facilitate the return of biodiversity. Where possible, Youngwilders will use a hands-off approach to encourage, observe and record natural processes returning. Smaller rewilding projects like Maple Farm, however, differ from the approach that can be taken at large sites like Knepp and Wild Ken Hill. A greater degree of intervention is required to kickstart and mimic the processes on a smaller site that would occur naturally at a landscape scale. Well-targeted interventions in the initial phase, and light-touch management of the site thereafter, will be necessary to achieve our habitat enhancement aims on Maple Farm.
Youth Engagement
Our work here will be documented for scientific research and communications in order to bring a wider community along with nature’s recovery at the site. Specifically, the project will aim to involve young people where possible - including young ecologists, volunteers and researchers - aiming to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards. Youngwilders will seek to collaborate with existing research institutions and youth engagement groups and, in the long term, the project will collaborate with surrounding landowners to enhance habitat connectivity.
Our Achievements March 2022 to March 2023
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March 22 - Ground-breaking eco hot water treatment was tested to tackle invasive Giant Hogweed as an alternative to the traditional glysophate chemical application.
May 22 – “Visions of Soon” , a climate activism magazine and project conducted interviews and attended a photoshoot onsite at Maple Farm. The article was released in early 2023 to a positive reception.
June 22 - Mulching volunteer day. 15 young people mulched over 1000 trees in the newly planted, central hedgerow.
June 22 - Joe Revans published his AI art piece on the rewilding of Maple Farm, exhibited at the Central Saint Martins Masters Show. Interest in the Maple Farm project received a marked boost.
July 22 - Film crew from the UN Climate and Oceans filmed on location at Maple Farm for part of their documentary on rewilding in Sussex, ‘Revival’.
August 22 – The drought seriously affected the newly planted hedgerows. Youngwilders team members watered the central hedgerow during the Summer 2022 heatwave to aid hedge and tree survival rates
September 22 - An animal temporary fencing infrastructure was installed to contain resident sheep.
A bug hotel, bird boxes and bat boxes were also scattered around the site.
October 22 - ‘Revival’ premiered at the Horsham Green Film Festival to a very positive response. Interest in the Maple Farm project received its most significant boost yet.
November 22 - ‘‘Free the landscape” volunteer day involved 16 young people removing around 1 km of fencing. Fence posts were turned into an animal shelter with a camera trap set up to record new residents.
December 22 – Youngwilders team members came to site to complete the sheep fencing in readiness for late winter grazing, allowing for increased natural regeneration in other parts of the site. Re-mulching and de-weeding was undertaken on the central hedgerow.
January 23 - Details and design for the Wilding Hub, an onsite structure for the Youngwilders and Charity Buddy nature education programs, were confirmed. It’ll be built using materials repurposed from equestrian field shelters.
February 23 - 20 volunteers planted and mulched a new 100-metre, 700-tree hedgerow on the north side of the site.
March 23 – Youngwilders’ new‘Project officer program’ formally began. This is an action-focused, nature education program that aims to engage young people in nature, involving them in restoration/nature recovery projects in their local area.
Our Achievements April 2023 to date
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April-May 2023 - Youngwilders lead a large volunteer effort dismantling two disused horse shelters on the site, and using these and other waste materials to construct a large outdoor classroom on the site. This activity engaged with 40 young people over two weekends.
June 2023 - Giant Hogweed management, work towards containing the presence of harmful invasive species.
July 2023 - Working with the Youngwilders Summer Intern and a team of 5 young volunteers, soil soakage testing was carried out across the site to assess the suitability of floodplain wetland scrapes
October 2023 - Fence removal volunteer day, engaging 15 young volunteers. Waste material used to build an animal shelter on the site.
November 2023 - Camera trapping exercise, fixed point photography of the site.
December 2023 - Relationship established with Jack and Gill forest school, for shared use of the outdoor classroom on the site. First collaboration scheduled for Spring 2024. This will enable pre-school children to spend time every week in nature.
January 2024 - First artist in residence began. Sound artist Dee Sharma will be producing a series of bio-acoustic recordings from the site for public exhibition.
February 2024 - Lead ecologist Meg Cookson designed our new "Wayfinders" programme, a series of youth-lead fields skills lessons and citizen science efforts based at the Maple Farm Classroom to both educate young people and formally survey the site to measure our ecological progress. Wayfinders conveniently coinciding with the new beehive building education era!
March 2024 - Project Officer Conor McNeil conducted a series of minor interventions, removing excess fencing, etc. starting our national Wild Stewards Programme in earnest.
April 2024 - 2 x Eco Bee Hives installed to provide essential habitat to wild honeybees (Phase 1 of project to help wild honeybees)
May 2024 - Wayfinders weekend - Habitats & Birds Field skills training for 20 young people using the outdoor classroom
June 2024 - Wayfinders weekend - Invertebrates Field skills training for 20 young people using the outdoor classroom
July 2024 - Wayfinders weekend - Bats & Woodland Field skills training for 20 young people using the outdoor classroom
July 2024 - Log Hive building workshop to create natural style hives for wild honeybees. (Phase 2 of the project to provide habitat for wild honeybees, and to teach people how to make hives)
What’s in our plan for the rest of 2024?
● August - Collecting reptile survey data and materials, mains water pipe investigation in advance of the proposed newt pond creation, and new bridges installed across the river Lox, with removal of styles and stock fencing to allow greater movement for wildlife through the land.
● September - Artist in Residence Dee Sharma to do a talk at Knepp on their insect recording work at Maple Farm. Also test pit digging to monitor water levels in prep for the newt ponds.
● October - Winter-proofing the Eco Classroom for extended forest school use. Youngwilders team members, Conor and Moss, will sand the classroom and put down flooring to prevent mud issues, and repaint where appropriate
● October/November - Pond digging in conversation with our team and The Newt Conservation Partnership. Sowing Yellow Rattle seeds to kick start our wild flower meadow.
● October/November - Drain removal. Mapping drainage as part of a desktop feasibility study and, if the study suggests removal is straightforward/sensible, working out a cheap mode of disruption
● November - Further ‘de-fencing’ and bioturbation in Middle field. Specifics to be worked out and organised with our Steward, Conor as part of the Autumn ‘Wild Stewards’ practical module
Want to know more?
Follow our blog for updates on the project. We’ll share everything we’re learning, as well as potential opportunities to get involved. We’d also love to hear from you so please do message us at 4youngwilders@gmail.com
