What is Rewilding?
Rewilding: A Progressive Path to Nature Restoration
Rewilding is a forward-thinking approach to conservation, letting nature take care of itself. It allows natural processes to shape landscapes, repair damaged ecosystems, and restore biodiversity. By following nature’s rhythms, rewilding creates wilder, healthier habitats for wildlife and people alike.
Rewilding is about:
Nature’s Wisdom
Nature knows best when it comes to survival and self-management. By creating the right conditions—freeing rivers by removing dykes and dams, reducing human intervention in wildlife management, allowing natural forest regeneration, and reintroducing species lost to human activity—we give nature the tools to thrive. After that, we step back and let nature take the lead.
Bringing Back Wildlife
European wildlife has significantly declined, with some species extinct despite their critical ecological roles. Rewilding focuses on restoring these lost species through population recovery and reintroduction, creating space for them to flourish and restoring the balance of ecosystems.
Enhancing Wellbeing
Healthy nature means healthier people. Our dependence on nature for clean water, food, and air is fundamental. Connecting with wilder landscapes not only boosts mental and physical well-being but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Rewilding reconnects modern society—rural and urban alike—with the richness of wild nature, inviting everyone to experience and thrive in these revitalized spaces.
Securing the Future
Rewilding isn’t about reaching a fixed endpoint but about supporting ongoing, nature-driven processes. Each step toward greater wildness represents progress. By protecting areas for rewilding, we create long-term benefits for both wildlife and humanity.
Rewilding offers a hopeful, dynamic vision where nature’s resurgence delivers thriving ecosystems and a healthier, wilder future for all.
“Rewilding is about changing the way we think about the value of wilder nature not just for today, but long into the future.” (Carolina Soto-Navarro | Head of Wilder Nature)
Why is rewilding vital in Europe?
Our Ecosystems Need Recovery
Protecting nature isn’t enough—we must restore it. Many ecosystems, the foundation of our natural wealth, are damaged. Rewilding provides a unique opportunity to heal these systems. Robust, connected ecosystems make us more resilient to climate change and its impacts.
Keystone Species Are Essential
Keystone species, like top predators and large herbivores, play a crucial role in driving ecological processes. While wildlife is making a comeback in Europe, populations remain low. Rewilding accelerates their recovery, restoring vital food chains and trophic cascades that keep ecosystems balanced.
Wilder Nature as an Ally
Naturally functioning ecosystems provide clean air and water, prevent flooding, store carbon, and help us adapt to climate change. Rewilding integrates ecology with modern economies, positioning wilder nature as a powerful ally in addressing today’s socio-economic challenges.
Communities Thrive
Rewilding revitalizes local economies, especially where opportunities are limited. By fostering nature-based tourism and enterprises, we create pathways for communities to flourish. This approach benefits both rural and urban areas, offering fair livelihoods tied to a thriving natural environment.
Wild Places Inspire
The thrill of wild nature reconnects people with the living planet, enhancing health and well-being. It fosters a shared sense of humanity and pride, resonating across countryside and city landscapes alike.
Nature’s Solutions Are Cost-Effective
Nature is fully capable of managing itself. By allowing natural processes to shape our landscapes, we reduce the need for expensive, ongoing human intervention. Self-regulating ecosystems are not only more sustainable but also more economical in the long run.