We are delighted to announce that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Netherlands will continue supporting Rewilding Europe for another three-year period. This generic support will help us to deliver on our objectives, both at a central level, and in individual rewilding areas.
As one of the initiating partners of Rewilding Europe, WWF Netherlands has played a key role in the ongoing development of the initiative. Groundwork laid by the Dutch branch of WWF, together with other initiating partners, from early 2008 onwards led to the official launch of Rewilding Europe as a separate foundation in 2011. In its latest conservation strategy, WWF Netherlands places more emphasis on conservation challenges and opportunities in Europe, in close cooperation with the European WWF regional and national offices.
“Having lost so much of our biodiversity in Europe already, the future of conservation on the continent involves both protection and restoration,” says Marieke Harteveld, WWF Netherlands’ Chief Conservation Officer. “Working together with Rewilding Europe, we will continue to link strategies and exchange knowledge. We look forward to the continued sharing of best practices and to gaining experience from collaboration on various projects, such as the Danube Delta restoration and European bison reintroduction plan. Releasing animals is a sign of hope, and shows that we can take positive action that mitigates and hopefully reverses the decline of European wildlife.”
“We place great value on WWF Netherlands’ continued support of our work,” says Frans Schepers, Managing Director of Rewilding Europe. “We now look forward to strengthening our partnership with WWF Netherlands further, and to growing our network of rewilding initiatives across Europe.”
WWF Netherlands’ contribution to Rewilding Europe is supported by a group of enthusiastic individuals that have developed a “WWF Rewilding Europe Family Circle” for this specific purpose. Members of this circle have a special interest in Rewilding Europe, and a personal connection to the areas where Rewilding Europe is currently operational.
About WWF
As it works to protect global biodiversity, the WWF wants to build a future where humans live in harmony with nature. This is in the best interests of both nature and man.
WWF Netherlands does this by:
Protecting and restoring habitats across the world, with a special focus on tropical and other forests, wetlands and oceans.- Countering the main threats to these areas, such as deforestation, water depletion, overfishing, climate change and illegal trade in animals and plants.
- Persuading Dutch society that it can actively contribute to the protection of nature, through both financial and non-financial means (such as participatory activities, volunteering, buying FSC-certified timber and using green energy).