The Return of the Grey Partridge: Restoring Nature on the South Downs

by Roger Morgan-Grenville, Edward Norfolk

The Return of the Grey Partridge tells the extraordinary story of how wildlife is restored to the Arundel Estate in West Sussex. Prompted by the collapse in numbers of one species, the grey partridge of the title, the managers of the estate woke up to the devastating effect modern farming methods were having on wildlife.

Following the estate through the seasons of one year, the book shows how the farm of Peppering is gradually fields are divided up with hedgerows and trees, beetle banks are built across fields, the land is manured rather than fed with artificial fertilisers, and much of it is returned to pasture. Detailed descriptions of nature give a sense of this large estate coming back to life - still very much farmland, but with a rapid increase in wildlife and biodiversity. And the partridges return.

Written in collaboration with the Duke of Norfolk, owner of the Arundel Estate, this moving and hopeful account shows how modern farming can work in partnership with nature to restore not only birdlife but to benefit the whole ecosystem.

Genres: Nature

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2024

Reviews

[Steve Lawless · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book about what I believe to be an important environmental project. I have visited peppering farm on many occasions as a bird watcher. It is known as one of the best sites in Sussex for certain species, especially raptors and of course grey partridge. What I hadn't realised about the estate is how fundamental conservation of grey partridge is to everything they do. This is not greenwashing, it is root and branch re-naturing. And there's no doubt that they do it very well. The additional benefits of a significant increase in biodiversity have to be lauded. The driving motivator is being able to shoot wild partridge when there is a big enough surplus not to affect sustainability. As with big game hunting which funds significant conservation I feel quite ambivalent about that but the bottom line is a significant increase in biodiversity. Without doubt the Duke has done a laudable job. He stands in contrast however too many of the inherited landowners who seem to have made a concerted effort at destroying biodiversity. As Guy Shrubsole points out in his book The Lie Of The Land, private ownership of land has by march been a very bad thing for nature in this country. There's a lot to debate about the book. Could all this have been done without a hunting objective? Of course it could but would it have? The farming that is done on the land is profitable and despite not being organic has not seen to have affected the important insect numbers. I would have liked more information about the use of insecticides. Certainly Silent Spring is mentioned. I was also quite sympathetic of the culling of predators such as crows and foxes. Similar to the need to cull deer in Scotland. Unfortunately those predators have grown out of proportion to the correct ecological balance due to the large number of pheasants that are released for shooting every year. The shoot on Peppering farm is exclusively of wild birds. The management system is described as regenerative farming. It is somewhat different to what is done at Knepp to the east. Recommended to those interested in conservation and indeed birding.

[m c wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really challenged me about how shooting fits with conservation. Worth a read. Feel I better understand differences between rewilding and regenerative farming and how different goals and motivations to mine can still produce outcomes I would like! Predator control in particular has left me thinking hard as I have realised that without a full ecosystem there is a place for it. Now I have to decide to what level I am happy with this. I can’t wait to go and see the farm for myself!

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and inspiring story of conservation (or “renaturing” as the book puts it) through shooting.

There are many ways to restore nature in Britain, and we need all of them. This story provides hard evidence of the role traditional field sports and farming can play. What an amazing success. A story that needs telling far and wide.