Farmer says rewilding will help look after nature

The farmer at Jordan's Farm believes rewilding will help boost the ecosystem of the land

A farmer has said rewilding her land is a key way to look after nature and "give life back to the soil".

Alex Stevenson owns Jordan's Farm in Wakes Colne near Colchester, Essex, and hoped that rewilding 25 acres land at her farm would help the ecosystem to thrive.

The process of rewilding aims to let nature take care of itself and repair damaged ecosystems naturally.

Ms Stevenson said: "We have literally allowed that field to just go for it and natural regeneration to take place. I am rewilding to look after nature and to give life back to the soil."

Alex Stevenson owns Jordan's Farm in Essex and hopes rewilding her farm will help the ecosystem to thrive

"People think it is the wrong thing to be doing, people think we should be producing food," she added.

However, Ms Stevenson said farmers should be doing both and said if there is not "good soil then we can't grow food in the future".

"Being pragmatic, I am not going to be here forever, I mean I physically won't be able to look after the place."

She said she hoped that rewilding the field would make the soil productive again.

Ms Stevenson said she wanted her field to resemble a wood pasture in ten years time.

She added: "I want it to be thriving with animals and insects and I want the soil to be really improved."

She said loss of biodiversity and climate change are key issues in the world right now.

But added: "Many people really do not care and it is so short-sighted.

"We are seeing the impacts now.

"The people who are going to suffer ultimately is humans.

"You have to value nature because nature sustains us - we are part of it."

Ms Stevenson believes rewilding will help the local ecosystem and help nature and animals thrive

Photographer Colin Shead has installed bird boxes around the farm to capture footage

Colin Shead, a wildlife photographer and cameraman, has installed bird boxes around the farm to capture footage.

He said over the next few years he hoped to install more bird boxes around the farm.

"The plan is to have more owls here, hunting in the natural habitat around Jordan's Farm. It [should] provide them with a natural habitat, where they can hunt and live without the destruction of their natural habitat."

Stephanie Callister-Jarrold from Owls and Birds Prey Rescue centre

Stephanie Callister-Jarrold from Owls and Birds Prey Rescue centre takes in injured or orphaned birds from around areas in the East of England.

She said she looked after them until they were ready to be set free into the wild again.

Ms Callister-Jarrold said: "I brought in seven little owls today, six of them were chicks and one is an adult and she seems to be mothering them all which is brilliant.

"But I only have got one flight aviary at the moment and it is important that we make sure their flight and wing muscles are really developed before they are released into the wild.

"So here they have got the space to do it and then we will do a soft release from here."