Rewilding efforts are enhancing the remarkable biodiversity of Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains. Helping nature-positive businesses in the landscape turn ecological wins into unforgettable visitor experiences can deliver a more hopeful future for local communities and amplify wildlife comeback.

The Rewilding Ukraine team have just released a herd of seven fallow deer into the wild on the Tarutino Steppe. This exciting and long-awaited step towards a wilder landscape will deliver a range of benefits to nature and local communities.

Spanish photographer Jon A. Juárez has scooped this year’s Rewilding Europe Award, which celebrates some of the most striking rewilding-related imagery from across the continent. His winning photo, depicting the groundbreaking release of an Atlantic sturgeon in Sweden, illustrates the power of rewilding to breathe new life into landscapes and seascapes.

For six days in July, the KinoAppennino event saw Italy’s Central Apennine mountains transformed into an open-air film workshop. Guided by creative filmmakers, local residents stepped in front of the camera to help craft a range of moving short films — captivating audiences and sparking fresh enthusiasm for rewilding.

With support from Rewilding Europe Capital, a new boutique guesthouse has opened in Romania’s Southern Carpathians, strengthening nature-based tourism in the region. The beautiful new accommodation offers guests the chance to reconnect with nature and witness the positive impact of rewilding first-hand.

Steps taken to help people share space with bears in the Central Apennines of Italy mean the future of the Marsican brown bear now looks brighter. In 2026, an event in the Central Apennines rewilding landscape will shine a light on these actions, share ideas, and find better ways for people and wildlife to thrive together.

The South Cumbria Pine Marten Recovery Project is bringing back one of Britain’s most elusive mammals to northwest England. Joining the European Rewilding Network will enable the team to tap into a community of over 100 rewilding initiatives, with the exchange of experience and expertise helping to advance the comeback of this important species.

This July, an educational camp on the Romanian side of the Danube Delta rewilding landscape saw 30 high school students reconnect with nature. A range of engaging activities and exciting field trips gave the children an appreciation for rewilding and inspiration for the future.

Over the last three years, grants from Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund have supported the release of over 35 wildcats in the Highlands of Scotland. With animals from this restored population already breeding, the future of the iconic Scottish wildcat looks more optimistic.

Community-level action and leadership are essential to help people and wildlife share space across Europe. A new partnership with the Mayors of Europe will help to scale up co-existence best practice across the continent, amplifying the benefits of wildlife comeback.