Wild Ken Hill at Snettisham launches video to inspire others to help tackle climate change
A video designed to inspire others to play a part in tackling climate change and support nature's recovery has just been launched by Wild Ken Hill in Snettisham.
Project manager, Dominic Buscall, son of landowner, Harry Buscall, is the presenter of the film which drives home the message of how important it is for action to be taken now to improve conditions in the future.
"The natural world has to be at the top of the UK and global agenda. The time bomb of climate change is ticking," he warned.
"In Britain we need more than just good words, we need concerted action. We have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get this right. Here at Wild Ken Hill we aim to be part of the solution. By farming regeneratively, and performing important rewilding and conservation works side by side, we are taking steps towards delivering change."
The family-run farm covers 4,000 acres, stretching inland from the coast. It includes saltmarshes, fields, woods and hedgerows. It began rewilding about 1,500 acres of land to benefit people, wildlife and the climate two years ago and is the largest project of its kind in East Anglia.
Dom said: "Today there is a critical conversation that holds our global future in the balance. We are facing many challenges."
Feeding the world's growing population, reversing climate change and restoring biodiversity were some of them, and he said the way land was used and managed played a crucial role.
"Soil is key in all this. Our farm director, Nick Padwick, knows that it holds the answer to today's problems and tomorrow's. Water quality, air quality, biodiversity, climate – these are all linked to the health of our soils.
"So here at Ken Hill we are farming regeneratively, that means focusing on long-term soil health, rather than short-term yields. As soil health improves, so does fertility. That means we can grow lots of healthy foods in the decades to come."
Healthy soil takes carbon from the atmosphere, locking it in the ground and helps in the fight against climate change while also enhancing biodiversity on farmland, he said.
In order to know what positive impact is being achieved, the soil is regularly tested and weather conditions are monitored.
He also spoke about the marginal land at the farm, poor for food growth but great for nature. This is where pigs, cattle, ponies and beavers have all been brought in the last year to rewild the landscape.
"It will return to a mosaic of heathland, scrub and pasture, valuable rare habitats. Biodiversity is taking off here. We've got 2,500 species and counting," he said.
The project is a boost for the local community too, providing jobs and volunteering opportunities as well as helping new businesses get going, he said. To view the video use the link https://vimeo.com/479317057.