How To Build Your Very Own Rewilding Safari Park

3 part series on how to build a small rewilding safari park.

LettsSafari is a pioneer and expert in smaller-scale rewilding. We have developed models for small gardens, medium and large gardens. We have also built models for small, medium and large parks. All are live and operating at our rewilding centre in Exeter, Devon. More across LettsSafari's Network of Parks . Over the next few months we will show you how to create your very own rewilding safari park - starting with a small park.

We break this into 3 parts:

1. Layout and overall design

2. Infrastructure and planting

3. Wildlife and maintenance

What your 20 acre park could look like (computer generated)

Building a Small Rewilding Safari Park - Part 1

Let's begin by jumping right in and define a small scale rewilding safari park in detail. What are the initial steps to get the right layout and design and let's not forget to consider what differing toplogy and landscape means when deciding on layout and design.

So what do we mean when we say a small rewilding safari park? We start with a truly simple definition. Its any piece of private or public land that is between 10 and 25 acres . It is typically fenced off with simple, cost effective 4 ft sheep fencing and it often has a track of some kind running through it or around it.

These public and private parks are typically walking parks packed with wildlife and plant life - driving a range of dynamic biodiversity benefits while removing carbon - but they are not big enough to keep herbivores enclosed within perimeter fencing . It would have to be a medium size LettsSafari park (25 - 75 acres) to achieve this. In a few months we’ll show you how to build one of these as well.

Wandering Exeter's Capability Brown Gardens

Designing your small LettsSafari park many people or communities start with a space that was utilised for grazing in a past life with perhaps a few trees strewn around. The ideal plot to get going would have around 20-25% tree cover, a bunch of wild grasses and some open scrub - with a stream that runs through the middle! The chances of starting with this are almost zero. But, bear in mind that from a very high level this is roughly where you will want to end up.

Before you get going with whatever piece of land you have you will want to develop a checklist:

1. how do you want to enjoy the space?

2. do you have any specific carbon removal or wildlife conservation goals?

3. boundary fence?

4. access points and tracks

5. soil type

6. soil health

7. aspect

8. predominant wind direction

9. natural tree types in situ

10. predominance of local wildlife species

11. land typography and water retention/run off.

The word ‘safari’ means journey in Swahili. We coined LettsSafari because setting up and running any safari park or garden is a journey. Perhaps one of the most satisfying and valuable journeys of your life - alongside family, career, hobbies and trips. So plan this journey well and bear in mind that you will need to be out there with a spade, saw or clippers on a number of rain-drenched weekends.

“Done right you can set your small safari park up in about 5 years - so long as you keep moving and design it right”.