Rewilding update Summer 2025

Mike Cooke, ecologist with our rewilding partners Ambios Ltd, reports that there are new orchids, improved tree regeneration and ‘spectacular’ numbers of butterflies on the land that is bisected by the foot and cycle path from Totnes to Ashprington.

“Insects have been better this year than ever..and although this is much to do with the fact that it’s an exceptionally strong year for butterflies generally, the numbers are certainly also down to the progression of the rewilding,” he said.

Nettle plants have supported caterpillars that have developed into butterflies, he said, adding: “It's also been particularly heartening to see plentiful Small Tortoiseshells after seeing virtually none through the last five years. We've seen quite a few Painted Ladies arriving this year too.”

Mike said that solitary bees, great green bush crickets and grasshoppers have done really well this year. “Walking through Lower Brick Meadow, there has been a riot of great-green chirruping,” he said.

One longer-legged mammal has also been spotted. 

“It's been particularly exciting to see hare down on the rewilding for the first time given that we've only seen them on the surrounding high agricultural land before,” said Mike.

“It looks like hares might like rewilding too. Perhaps it is giving them the security of cover they need to be on the low-ground and so near to lots of people”

Bird-wise, the breeding of stonechat and whitethroat continues and goldcrest breeding in the central part of the site has been recorded for the first time. There’s been a new visitor to Sharpham too, with the first sighting of cuckoo on the rewilding land.

“This is most likely to be a bird on its return to Africa having bred already,” said Mike.

Other bird biodiversity gains on the rewilding fields include a dozen or so curlew roosting on the lowest part of Lower Brick Meadow. 

Said Mike: “It's a new thing to see overwintering curlews using both sides of the river now, and it's tempting to think that we've upped the local capacity of the River Dart to support this dwindling species during the winter months”.