SOPHIE Moseley writes for the Herald.

Wilding, the docu-film, with an exclusive Q&A is to be held at the Gateway Theatre in Seaton on Friday 12 July.

When Sir Charles Burrell inherited Knepp, a 400-acre farm, with a £1.5m debt, everyone expected him to follow what had gone before, and further intensify production to meet the agricultural quota.

But from 2000, under the watchful and critical eye of his farming neighbours, he did the exact opposite and with the help of his conservationist wife, Isabella Tree, they sold their herd of cows and rewilded the entire estate; it has resulted in a haven for wildlife with many endangered species finding refuge there, including purple emperor butterflies, and turtle doves. Incredibly the first wild storks to be born in the UK for 600 years, hatched at Knepp.

Based on the book by the same name, this inspiring and uplifting film is being screened at the Gateway Theatre, with an additional exclusive Q&A after the film, with special guests Ted Green MBE, and Jill Butler who were instrumental in restoring the estate to its natural habitat.

Programmer Ali Ransom said, ‘it is a privilege to have the country's top experts joining us for the evening, and we are incredibly excited to announce this exclusive Q&A opportunity’.

Ted is the President of the Ancient Tree Forum and Honorary Vice President of the International Tree Foundation. Conservation consultant to the Crown Estates in Windsor, Tom’s accolades are endless in recognition of his work linked to ancient trees and fungi.

In the early 2000s,  Ted was asked for advice on the ancient Knepp oak whose gigantic limbs were literally tearing the tree in half, Ted suggested it was the rest of the trees on the estate they should worry about, and for the next two decades, he was a source of invaluable advice and guidance.

Tickets are available now, and the Owl & Pyramid Bookshop will also be there on the night with copies of the Wilding book to purchase