The landowners stopped intensive farming in 2000, allowing natural processes to shape the landscape. Bird numbers rose from 55 birds, 22 species, in 2007 to 559 birds, 51 species, in 2025. Rare species, including the red-listed nightingales, have increased significantly on the estate.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: WILLIAN REIS;

Restored rivers, grazing animals, beavers and reintroduced white storks have created diverse habitats. Nightingales at Knepp rose from nine singing males in 1999 to 62 in 2025, and butterfly species have more than doubled in some areas, including a large population of purple emperor butterflies.