Loving Your Landscape Festival Comes to Lincoln

Loving Your Landscape Festival is coming to Doddington Hall. The festival is a celebration of wild landscapes with the ongoing research into rewilding under the ambitious Wilder Doddington Project which sees the transition from an agricultural managed landscape to a self-managed, wilder ecosystem.

Throughout February, the University of Lincoln, UK, will be taking part in a series of public engagement events showcasing academic and student creativity and research around the rewilding efforts across the grounds of Doddington Hall.

Abigail Woods, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Arts at the University of Lincoln said: “The University of Lincoln and Doddington Hall and Estate are thrilled to present the ‘Loving your Landscape’ celebration of Doddington’s transition from an agricultural, managed landscape to a self-managed, wilder ecosystem.

“This is just one of several ways in which we are working together to advance the ‘Wilder Doddington’ project.”

A much-loved family home, Doddington Hall has embarked on a 100-year project with a vison to bring more nature back to the estate – a ‘Wilder Doddington’. The initiative looks to end arable farming on the site, letting nature take over, to allow ecosystem recovery.

Claire Birch, owner of Doddington Hall and Estate said, “We are so pleased to be hosting the Loving Your Landscape exhibition and events at Doddington.

“We work closely with the University and are passionate to promote the connection between people and the countryside.”

An illustrative showcase produced by students on the Illustration BC (hons) course at the University will start the celebration.

In a thought-provoking exhibit led by University of Lincoln Researcher and Senior Lecturer in Illustration, Wayne Lockwood; students will be exhibiting their work inspired by rewilding concepts and ecology depicting Doddington Hall, its landscape, and key species expected to return during the rewilding project – a challenge of visual communication of the ethos behind Wilder Doddington.

On 17 and 18 February, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Lincoln, Martin Scheuregger, will be standing still in nature – a contribution to the new living archive of the sounds of Doddington. The workshop will also form part of how researchers from the University measure and react to changes in the area.

Senior lecturer in Psychology, Laetitia Marechal and Bonaventura Majolo, Professor of Social Evolution at the University, will be taking a walking tour through the wilds exploring how being in nature can impact wellbeing – with conversations regarding the latest psychology research on mental wellbeing.

Dr Alice Bell and Dr Steve Fossey, Researchers and Lecturers in Fine Art will be hosting ‘rewilding around the table’. Soup from foraged greens, home-grown vegetables and locally sourced ingredients will be used to reveal how creating processes of coming together to share food and thought, can protect a body of material for eco-thinking.

Matt Young, PEARL Public Engagement Manager at the University of Lincoln said: “We’re really excited for people to learn about the fascinating variety of research that our staff and students are undertaking at Doddington through these events.

“There are so many unique projects taking place as part of this collaboration between the University and Doddington Hall, and the Loving Your Landscape events are just some of the many different ways in which we want to involve members of the public in the work we’re doing.”

The Loving your Landscape Festival series is part of a thriving collaboration between the University of Lincoln and Doddington Hall and Gardens, funded in part by the Natural Environment Research Council. To find out more and to book onto the events, visit: PEARL Events | Eventbrite

ENDS