The Rewilding Europe Award celebrates some of the best rewilding-related imagery from across Europe. This year’s award-winning photo, shot by Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand, emphasises the importance of restoring natural processes and predator-prey dynamics.
The winning entry
Rewilding Europe is delighted to announce that the winner of the Rewilding Europe Award in this year’s prestigious European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has been selected. The stunning winning image – entitled “Iberian lynx” – was shot by Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand. It depicts the resurgence of one of Europe’s most iconic predators in its natural habitat, emphasising the importance of restoring natural processes and predator-prey dynamics in rewilding.
Celebrating powerful imagery that showcases the recovery of Europe’s wild nature through rewilding, the Rewilding Europe Award was launched in 2022. The award is a great way of connecting people with nature and promoting the achievements and wide-ranging benefits of the burgeoning European rewilding movement.
The perfect rewilding snapshot
The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is organised by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT). Staffan Widstrand’s award-winning image was chosen from a collection of entries by a jury panel that included Laurien Holtjer, Rewilding Europe’s Director Engagement and Public Relations, and renowned wildlife photographer Neil Aldridge. The panel also included all members of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury: National Geographic’s Senior Photo Editor Alexa Keefe, wildlife photographer and podcaster Matt Maran, marine photographer Rachael Talibart, GDT President Stephan Fürnrohr, and conservation photojournalist Marcus Westberg.
“Staffan’s photograph encapsulates the magic of rewilding perfectly,” says Laurien Holtjer. “His image is not just about the beauty of the lynx. It’s about restoring the health and functionality of nature, and the wide-ranging benefits of bringing back a species that can help to shape the environment around it.”
Healing waters
This year’s Rewilding Europe award also highlighted the importance of healthy river systems and marine restoration. Second prize went to Austrian photographer Bernhard Schubert for his image “Huchen habitat”, which vividly illustrates how rewilding efforts can breathe new life into river ecosystems. Healthy, free-flowing rivers are vibrant corridors of life, demonstrating the vital role natural processes can and should play in shaping our landscapes.
The highly commended image “Seeds of hope” by British photographer Lewis Jefferies captures underwater efforts to regenerate seagrass meadows. His photograph showcases the role of seagrass beds as a critical habitat that supports marine biodiversity, captures and stores carbon, and enhances water quality. While rewilding emphasises natural regeneration, Lewis’s image shows how initial interventions can sometimes be necessary to kick-start the recovery of vital ecosystems, providing a foundation for nature to flourish independently.
The highly commended image “Hope for the future of our rivers”, shot by Dutch photographer Arthur de Bruin, depicts the release of juvenile European sturgeon in the River Rhine. Several species of sturgeon once thrived in European rivers, helping to maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems. The reintroduction of sturgeon in European waterways epitomises the broader revival of rivers across the continent.
Boosting natural grazing
The restoration of natural processes also provides the backdrop for the highly commended photograph “King of the East”, which was shot by German photographer Florian Smit. Florian’s image, which features a majestic European bison in Poland’s Białowieża National Park, celebrates the remarkable comeback of this iconic keystone species in Europe, which is supported by ongoing rewilding efforts in many countries, including in several of Rewilding Europe’s rewilding landscapes. Reintroducing these large grazers boosts the restoration of essential ecological processes and can support the development of nature-based economies.
Connecting people with a wilder Europe
The annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition showcases the finest nature photography from Europe and around the world. Now an established part of the competition, the Rewilding Europe Award promotes photographs that go beyond aesthetics, championing the rewilding movement’s vision of a Europe where people and nature thrive alongside each other. It celebrates photographers who not only capture stunning wildlife, but the contextual rewilding stories behind them. As people and organisations across Europe work together to make Europe a wilder place, promoting these stories of recovery, resilience, and reconnection can help to inspire further efforts.
“The Rewilding Europe Award is more than just a photography prize,” explains Laurien Holtjer. “It’s a way to connect people with the rewilding movement and support the scaling up of practical rewilding. These images show us what’s possible when we take action to restore nature and then let nature take the lead in managing itself. They are a testament to the resilience of our wild spaces, and a call to action for a wilder, healthier future.”
Promoting rewilding to a wider audience
The leading entries in this year’s Rewilding Europe Award will be honoured at the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 awards ceremony. This will take place during the GDT International Nature Photography Festival, which takes place in the German town of Lünen between October 25 and 27. The first and second prize winners will receive 1,000 euros and 500 euros respectively, while their work will feature in an exhibition that tours Germany and Europe over the next three years.