Norfolk Rewilding Project Doubles Plant Species in Just Three Years

Wild Ken Hill, a farm in Norfolk, England, converted 500 acres of former arable land into a rewilded nature reserve as part of a pioneering conservation initiative. Within three years, the number of plant species on the site nearly doubled, with plant variety increasing fourfold overall. Grazing animals played a central role in driving this growth by improving the structural complexity of the ecosystem. The surge in plant diversity is expected to bring cascading benefits for local insect and bird populations. The results highlight nature's strong capacity for recovery when agricultural pressure is removed.