Foolish dream or reasonable plan?

[sar]

I am shortly going to become a pensioner and will have some money saved up and plenty of time!
My plan is to buy some land , approximately 4 acres and enhance, if it is already there or restore if it is not, the natural habitat. The little bit of reading I have done indicates I need to be careful in what I do and since I have no environmental experience I will take advice. I do have a science background so will plan to survey as well as monitor. At least in the early years my focus will be on vegetation and insects. My ideal( I think) would be chalk land but it will be dictated by closeness to home and price.
I know from the bit of lurking I have done on this forum that there are lots of knowledgable people here.
What would you do in these circumstances?
What land would you look for?size, location
What pitfalls do you see?
Am I a naive idiot Be as brutal as you like!
I could of course get an allotment but I suspect hawthorn hedges buttercups and thistles wouldn't go down well.

[vole-woman]

This sounds fantastic! Why not ask your local county wildlife group to help? Thy might be able to spare an officer or two to help advise you. (If not, they bloomin' well should!)

[Nettle Runner]

Hi sar

See if you can obtain a second hand copy of the book "Near Horizons. The story of an insect garden" by Edwin Way Teale. Published in Britain in 1947 by Robert Hale Ltd.

He did exactly what you are proposing. I find it fascinating to read.

Good luck with your project
Les

[nightshade]

You beat me to it vole woman, look for good drainage and water supply,
that it slopes to the sun not the reverse can you excavate a pond where is the water table will you need to plant conifers as a wind break what wildlife is already in the area where shall I put the Bat boxes where do I store my tools/park the car/bicycle are those hoodies over there will they vandalise all my hard work
Sorry I am not one of the clever people on the site I do envy your plan so!
Good luck and stay focused there will be plenty of positive help along shortly I am sure

[nightshade]

Can you get permission to use an old caravan on the land as a base
Alibris a s/h book store have copies of the book by Edwin Teale from
£2.06 upwards

[barquar]

Wow what a geat idea for your retirement,I hope you find a nice little bit of land. Look if there are any government grants going to assist you in your project you never know you might get a bit off help.
Barquar

[Susie]

I can't offer any advice but I can wish you good luck.

And your dream isn't foolish, it is what I hope to do one day too.

A friend of mine has done this and turned several fields which were just grazing land into a mini nature reserve - he's won awards for it - so it is possible.

[Gill Catton]

I think its a reasonable plan though bear in mind it can take 30 years or more for a patch of grassland to start coming true to its original form especially it has been arable farmland. Some improvements acn be made though within a couple of years so its worth trying! It might be a good idea to work alongside a local wildlife trust esp as if it develops into something really lovely you may want to leave it to the trust to look after when you can't and its protected for the future.....

[thunder]

Also look for a book called A Sanctuary Planted by J C Murray Walter (or Walter J C Murray, depending on website!). Seems to describe the sort of thing yoiu want to do. I read it from the library years ago, found a second hand copy a few years later and then somebody half inched it!

henrya

[Shearno]

fantastic dream which could turn into a brilliant plan

for some inspiration, look what this couple are doing in Dorset, recreating a mini sherwood forest from the Major Oaks acorns over a 7 acre site
Oak Blog - planting a new Oak Wood
and look what Jonny Kingdoms done on his laaand in less than a year

Shearno