Hepple Wilds

The estate’s wilding approach focuses on strengthening the natural assets already present and creating a wilder, more resilient ecosystem through light-touch, nature-led management. This includes restoring peatlands, creating wetlands, planting native trees and scrub, and carefully introducing species such as Mangalitza pigs to reinvigorate soils, vegetation, and the wider food chain.

These efforts are designed to allow natural processes to flourish while providing space for both lost and existing species to thrive, from upland birds and woodland mammals to dragonflies and fungi.

NatureSpy is supporting Hepple Wilds with a suite of trail cameras, helping the team monitor species presence and movements, assess the success of habitat creation, and better understand how wildlife is responding to their managed wilding ethos.

Since 2020, Hepple Wilds has taken a transformative approach to restoring ecosystem function, working at both microscopic and landscape scales. Restoration of soil carbon, fungal networks, water retention and insect populations form the foundation for a thriving food web, which supports recovering species higher up the food chain. Some of the changes so far include:

● Removal of over 10km of internal fencing to restore natural grazing patterns.

● Removal of the Blackface sheep flock and the introduction of Exmoor ponies, Highland and Longhorn cattle, and Mangalitza pigs for pulsed grazing that mimics ancestral herbivore activity.

● The creation of four wetlands spanning 7 acres, as well as the restoration of over 400 acres of peat bogs. 

● Planting native woodland and scrub, including birch, alder, rowan, willow, hazel, holly, juniper, aspen and Scots pine.

● Restructuring of historic plantation woodlands and the creation of significant amounts of important deadwood habitat in the process. 

Early Signs of Recovery

The arrival of Mangalitza pigs in 2024 has brought a new ecological role: their rooting and wallowing create bare patches for plants to germinate, form pools for amphibians and invertebrates, and reduce dominance of bracken and invasive shrubs. Pigs act as a keystone species, opening up habitats and increasing structural complexity across pasture and woodland.

Wetland creation and peat restoration have already benefited a diversity of dragonflies and damselflies, with twelve species now recorded on the estate, including the spectacular Golden-ringed and Emperor dragonflies. The expanding network of ponds and scrapes supports amphibians, insects, and birds while contributing to carbon storage and water retention.

Peat cores from Boddle Moss are helping researchers trace over 9,000 years of ecological history, providing insights into the long-term relationship between people and this upland landscape. Meanwhile, footpath restoration on Tosson Hill protects sensitive moorland habitats while maintaining safe, sustainable public access.

Trail cameras play an important role at Hepple Wilds, helping the team monitor species presence and habitat use, inform management decisions, and assess the success of habitat creation. With such a diverse range of habitats across the estate, the team needs cameras that perform well in a variety of conditions and locations.

To support this, we’ve donated a selection of cameras tailored to different scenarios. The versatile NatureSpy Helarctos Solar, powered by solar energy, delivers high-quality 4K video and produces particularly sharp night-time footage. The Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 is another versatile all-rounder, with fast detection and vibrant daytime footage. For remote or sensitive locations where frequent camera checks aren’t possible, the Camojojo Trace provides reliable 4G connectivity to check footage remotely. 

Together, this combination allows the team to monitor wildlife in a range of scenarios, from otters along streams, squirrels in woodlands, to upland birds on the hilltops, giving detailed insights into how wildlife is responding to habitat restoration and changes to the landscape.