Arriving for our first week of the Spring Residential Traineeship in Nature Recovery, we all knew the facts; it’s a rare opportunity to learn about the process of rewilding while living in the thick of it, in the beautiful Sharpham Farm near Totnes. But none of us really knew what to expect when we got here. What would the programme be like? What would our fellow trainees be like? The landscape? The food?
Our first week, as it turns out, has been the most perfect, gradual introduction to farm life. Most of the initial sessions have focused on team building and getting to know each other – all ten of us sharing the journeys that brought us here and our dreams for the future. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were a lot of common themes. Feeling overwhelmed and burnt out from living in a society that prioritises productivity over happiness; wanting to do something practical, to help heal the damage has been done not only to the world around us, but also to the bonds between us as people.
I’m already feeling closer to the land and the people around me after just a week. It’s hard not to, when the sound of birdsong fills your ears every time you step outside. Out here, it’s amazing how easy it is just to notice nature more, to tune into the sounds and become curious about them. I found myself excitedly badgering one of our tutors as he showed us around the place – that bird call, what is it? What about that one? And that one?
Even the food reminds us of nature. We’ve been doing everything communally, including eating, and all our meals are made with organic, seasonal food. Growing up in our society of abundance, few of us have ever actually been aware of which foods are in season at what time, until now. I didn’t know that March was such a great time to eat broccoli, or that it would be so good when fried with beans. As I write this, my new friends are cooking a meal together, made out of vegetables from the farm and other ingredients we sourced from the local market earlier today; it feels like a more natural way of life. It makes more sense, and it tastes better!
Lots of people will be eating with us tonight. The farm is less isolated than we expected it to be – in fact, what with the resident volunteers, the United Response team, and regular visitations from students and tourists alike, the farm feels very lively. A far cry from visions of cold, lonely cabins and trekking through mud – this is a place of joy, where we live in harmony with nature, and each other.
Because, the thing is – that’s kind of the point. If we’re going to fix the world, we can’t do it alone. Nature recovery is about helping the plants and animals around us to return to their natural processes and thrive on their own terms, yes, but real change requires a more holistic approach. Many ecological models place humans in antithesis to nature. In truth, we are natural beings, and if our first week at Sharpham has taught us anything, it’s that opening ourselves up to a more sustainable way of life is remarkably easy when we all support and care for each other.
✍️Geo, Spring 2026 Nature Recovery Trainee
