My Week at Knepp

I heard about Operation Wallacea, via the Knepp Estate newsletter, which I have been subscribed to for some years now. As I have a keen interest in conservation and wildlife, and live only a few miles from Knepp, I thought this would be a great way to immerse myself in nature for a week, whilst also learning a bit about wildlife surveying.

So, I signed up for my weeks camping at Knepp in the middle of June 2023, after attending the online introduction to OpWall’s course.

For the last 30 years or more, I have worked as a gardener, landscaper and garden designer.

My aim is to encourage people to share their gardens with nature, increase biodiversity, at the same time as creating outdoor spaces that people can enjoy.

Photo by Fran Anderson

I was feeling a little bit apprehensive about being a more mature student on this course, but I soon realised that I was among a bunch of like-minded people, who were as interested and cared about our natural environment, as much as I do. Age didn’t seem to matter!

There were students, with their tutors, over from Pennsylvania, university students, expert environmentalists and we all just got on well from the word go.

The OpWall team were fantastic, helpful and so knowledgeable and the specialists that led each section of surveys really knew their stuff.

It was quite a tiring week, getting up at the crack of dawn, but to be woken most mornings by a purring turtle dove and the dawn chorus was a magical experience.

One of the most amazing happenings of the week was when a purple emperor butterfly landed on my leg.

I found the whole week interesting, inspiring and reassuring that there is still hope for the future our planet.