Natural Capital: Reimagining Estate Management for the Future

Hidden Heritage

Welcome to a special episode of Hidden Heritage! In this episode, Lady Violet Manners is joined by two exceptional guests: Molly Biddell, head of natural capital for Knepp Estate in West Sussex, and Katie Talbot, a tax trusts and succession lawyer for Charles Russell Speechlys.

Join us as we explore:

1. Natural Capital and Estates: The role of natural capital for estates and the opportunities and challenges it brings.
2. Knepp Estate's Rewilding Project: The background behind Knepp Estate's revolutionary 3,500-acre rewilding project and its impact on ecological thinking.
3. Legal and Financial Perspectives: How estates can navigate the complexities of natural capital initiatives from tax and legal standpoints.
4. Future of Land Management: Insights into emerging nature markets and the evolving landscape of estate management.

Key Points

• 00:00:04 - Introduction of Molly Biddell and Katie Talbot
• 00:01:22 - Overview of Knepp Estate's rewilding project
• 00:03:17 - Explanation of Knepp Estate's location and history
• 00:04:17 - Katie Talbot defines natural capital and its relevance to estates
• 00:06:43 - Discussion on responsible land ownership and societal expectations
• 00:08:33 - Molly Biddell explains the concept of rewilding
• 00:10:37 - The story behind Knepp Estate's transition to rewilding
• 00:15:46 - Impact of rewilding on biodiversity at Knepp Estate
• 00:18:01 - Katie Talbot on advising estates considering natural capital initiatives
• 00:21:54 - Molly's first destination recommendation: Duart Castle on Mull
• 00:23:53 - Challenges and opportunities in natural capital for estates
• 00:40:07 - Katie's destination recommendation: Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire
• 00:45:19 - Discussion on biodiversity net gain (BNG) and its implications for estates
• 00:48:46 - Molly on creating habitat banks and emerging nature markets
• 00:54:21 - The role of Knepp Estate in evolving models of natural capital
• 00:56:41 - Katie on legal frameworks supporting nature-based solutions
• 01:05:23 - Molly and Katie's joint destination recommendation: The Purbeck Coast in Dorset

Guest Info

Molly Biddell

is the head of Natural Capital for Knepp Estate in West Sussex. She works on developing the business case for nature restoration and exploring emerging nature markets. Molly also works for her family's regenerative farming business in Surrey.

Katie Talbot

is a tax trusts and succession lawyer for Charles Russell Speechlys, an international law firm. She focuses on private capital at the intersection of personal, family, and business matters.

About

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Links and Resources

• Knepp Estate
• Charles Russell Speechlys
• Duart Castle, Mull
• Sudeley Castle
• The Purbeck Coast

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