Wild at home

Calidas made such a dramatic life change because she wanted a fresh start and to live a more sustainable existence. However, her advice for anyone thinking about following a similar path is to think very carefully about whether it’s the best choice for them. ‘We arrived full of the optimism and naivete of youth, plus we thought we had some skills – although no direct experience of running a smallholding. I had travelled extensively and worked in some remote and difficult landscapes in Asia and beyond, and nature had always been an important part of my life.’

For those of us who can’t move to an island, she explains