Insects and plants have come flooding back to a pioneering Norfolk farm which has been handing back land to nature, including a colony of beavers.
On World Rewilding Day Dominic Buscall, founder of Wild Ken Hill at Snettisham, said nature was being allowed to steer its own course and shape the landscape.
"We are celebrating World Rewilding Day alongside rewilding projects from around the world, as part of this fantastic movement which we are all contributing to," said Mr Buscall.
"We tend to think of rewilding as a different style of conservation, another tool in the box for those of us trying to restore nature, fight climate change, and engage people about the natural world.
"In rewilding systems we aim to let nature steer the course, letting trees, scrub and flowers plant themselves through natural regeneration, letting water go where it wants to leading to diverse landscapes which are wonderful for nature.”
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The boost to biodiversity has been seen on the ground in the rewilding area of Wild Ken Hill, where many animals have arrived for the first time in the past 12 months, including a colony of Bee Wolf, Great Green Bush-crickets and Wasp Spiders.
The Coastal Park area also saw the first caterpillar of the rare Spurge Hawk-moth found in Norfolk since 1952.
The wet woodland that has been created by the beaver colony has witnessed a dramatic increase in invertebrate life, including Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral butterflies enjoying the newly created glades, as well as a significant increase in dragonflies and damselflies.
Wild Ken Hill hosted the BBC's Autumnwatch, Winterwatch and Springwatch programmes for two years, bringing its ethos onto the screens of millions.
Some 1,000 acres of land at the site was returned to nature in 2019. Wild Ken Hill has expansion plans including converting existing farm buildings to create a cafe, retail space and an indoor play building, along with camping pitches.
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