The removal of the Sindi Dam and other barriers along Estonia’s Pärnu River will mean more than 3000 kilometres of waterway can flow unrestricted once again. By allowing salmon and other fish species to migrate naturally, this will breathe new life into the river basin and local economies. Estonia’s pioneering efforts will be showcased during a Dam Removal Europe seminar on May 22 and 23, 2019.
When it comes to changing people’s ways of thinking, building public support, creating positive attitudes and engaging with stakeholders, powerful communications is essential. During the latest webinar of the European Rewilding Network (ERN) two members gave insightful presentations on communications best practice.
Representing the first ever translocation of Konik horses into the Danube Delta, the shipment of 23 animals travelled by road from Latvia to the Ukrainian village of Orlovka. By helping to create and maintain mosaic landscapes, their grazing will help to boost biodiversity in the Danube Delta rewilding area.
The number of griffon vulture pairs in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in Bulgaria has now reached 95, paying testament to the efforts of the local rewilding team and partners. With the number of griffons in the Bulgarian and Greek sections of the Rhodope Mountains now totalling over 100 pairs, this magnificent yet locally endangered species continues its gradual reestablishment in the Balkans.
As an exciting and innovative approach to conservation, rewilding increasingly inspires and resonates with younger generations, with a growing number of millennials now looking to engage with the rewilding movement. Rewilding Europe is now offering a unique opportunity for a dynamic and visionary rewilding enthusiast in the early stages of their professional career (under the age of 30) to join its Supervisory Board.
The campaign, conducted as part of the Dam Removal Europe (DRE) initiative, saw nearly 20,000 euros contributed by Dutch donors. This will fund the removal of 10 obsolete dams from the Kogilnik River in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. The dismantling programme, which is set to begin this summer, will bring significant and wide-ranging benefits to local people and wild nature.
As part of the LIFE Vultures project, experts from across Europe gathered in Dadia National Park recently to discuss the poisoning of vultures by veterinary drugs such as diclofenac. Their discussions will hopefully enable better decision-making in vulture conservation efforts going forwards, and boost efforts to increase black and griffon vulture populations in the Balkans.
Held in the Gelderse Poort area of the Netherlands – an early showcase of European rewilding involving natural grazing – the three-day meeting sees GrazeLIFE project partners come together for the first time. Coordinated by Rewilding Europe, the three-year project will hopefully lead to increased EU legislative support for more natural grazing systems.
Rewilding Europe is delighted to welcome the BioRestore project to the European Rewilding Network (ERN). The addition of this innovative French project, which focuses on the restoration of marine fish populations, takes the number of pan-European network members to 68 (including Rewilding Europe’s eight operational areas).
At the annual “Goed Geld Gala” of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, held at Amsterdam’s Carré Theatre on March 4, Rewilding Europe received a contribution of 900,000 euros. This will allow Rewilding Europe’s efforts to be significantly scaled up.