European Rewilding Network
Saksfjed Wilderness
Rewilding a Danish island's coastal area
Saksfjed's main objective is to realize one of Denmark's largest and most ambitious nature projects by rewilding using science and practice based methods.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
Saksfjed wants to communicate and engage the public about the biodiversity by establishing a local rewilding information centre on site in addition to an ambitious virtual platform using also social media.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
The 800 hectares of primary production land is behind a dyke and will be turned in to wild self-sustaining nature and at the same time act as a source and platform for research and studies, developing new knowledge and identifying best practice.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
Saksfjed will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
They continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
Hempel Foundation
Saksfjed Wilderness is located at the southern tip of the Danish island of Lolland. The 800-hectare site, a coastal area comprising meadows, wetlands and woodlands, was once largely used for agriculture, and is now managed by the Hempel Foundation – a Danish philanthropic organisation. Starting in January 2023, the foundation has been working to actively rewild nature here, based on the restoration of natural processes. Moving forwards, the area will be allowed to develop into a wilder area of open grassland with scattered vegetation, open forests, and wetlands, grazed by bovines and wild horses.
Saksfjed Wilderness neighbours one of the largest nature reserves of the Danish Bird Protection Foundation – the 217-hectare Saksfjed-Hyllekrog. Together, the two areas represent one of Denmark’s most important autumn migration sites for birds of prey, and a wetland of international importance for waterbirds. They have the potential to become a haven for birds, insects, and a wide range of other wildlife extending over more than 1000 hectares.
Project:
Saksfjed Wilderness
Region:
Saksfjed
Type of project:
Creating space for wilder nature, Supporting wildlife comeback
Aim and vision:
Saksfjed wantsd to facilitate learning, research, communication and develop best practice to inspire other stakeholders and landowners to restore and rewild for biodiversity and climate.
They will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
Lastly, they will continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
They will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
Lastly, they will continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
The vision of Saksfjed Wilderness is to create one of the most ambitious and largest nature projects in Denmark based on rewilding, where former agricultural areas is converted in to wild nature with natural dynamics.
Uniqueness of the project:
With Saksfjed Wilderness the Hempel Foundation initiates in Danish context an unique and agenda-setting rewilding project in terms of size, best practice, restoration of former agricultural land and using our activities as a platform for communication, information, education and research.
Other activities:
High-impact communications, Research
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on:
Saksfjed Wilderness is established as a top-of-the-mind rewilding area in Denmark that is a showcase for best-practice. We have improved biodiversity significantly and supported development of best practice, that has inspired other landowners to initiate rewilding projects. Our outreach and involvement both nationally and locally is of highest quality, also with a wellknown and popular Rewilding Information Centre. The centre exhibits, educates and inform, and is also a platform for workshops, research and knowledge-sharing.
Results so far:
Plan and budget for nature restoration, management and rewilding in place.
Staff in place with senior project manager, nature- and wildlife manager and naturalist.
Fencings in planned and in place.
Extensive all-year grazing iniated.
Monitoring program developed and initiated.
Education and information centre in planning.
Staff in place with senior project manager, nature- and wildlife manager and naturalist.
Fencings in planned and in place.
Extensive all-year grazing iniated.
Monitoring program developed and initiated.
Education and information centre in planning.
Inspirational value:
We want to gather and develop experience with large-scale rewilding and nature restoration in Denmark and put it on the agenda to inspire and up-scale rewilding initiatives following best-practice and science.
Experience you would like to share:
Experience with effect and scalability with rewilding in relation to using semi-wild grazers, economy and investments, legal framework and biodiversity indicators, as some of the elements important to develop best-practice.
Experience you would like to gain:
Develop network and co-operation across borders with other practitioners working with rewilding in Europe to share ideas, experience, knowledge and science.
Country
Denmark
Start year
2023
Size (ha)
800
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Freshwater lakes, Grasslands, Marine: coastal, Mixed forests with heath and sandy areas, Wetlands
Natural process
Bark beetle, Flooding, Natural grazing
Flagship species
Feral horses
Saksfjed's main objective is to realize one of Denmark's largest and most ambitious nature projects by rewilding using science and practice based methods.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
Saksfjed wants to communicate and engage the public about the biodiversity by establishing a local rewilding information centre on site in addition to an ambitious virtual platform using also social media.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
The 800 hectares of primary production land is behind a dyke and will be turned in to wild self-sustaining nature and at the same time act as a source and platform for research and studies, developing new knowledge and identifying best practice.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
Saksfjed will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
HENRIK EGEDE-LASSEN
They continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
Hempel Foundation
Saksfjed Wilderness is located at the southern tip of the Danish island of Lolland. The 800-hectare site, a coastal area comprising meadows, wetlands and woodlands, was once largely used for agriculture, and is now managed by the Hempel Foundation – a Danish philanthropic organisation. Starting in January 2023, the foundation has been working to actively rewild nature here, based on the restoration of natural processes. Moving forwards, the area will be allowed to develop into a wilder area of open grassland with scattered vegetation, open forests, and wetlands, grazed by bovines and wild horses.
Saksfjed Wilderness neighbours one of the largest nature reserves of the Danish Bird Protection Foundation – the 217-hectare Saksfjed-Hyllekrog. Together, the two areas represent one of Denmark’s most important autumn migration sites for birds of prey, and a wetland of international importance for waterbirds. They have the potential to become a haven for birds, insects, and a wide range of other wildlife extending over more than 1000 hectares.
Country
Denmark
Start year
2023
Size (ha)
800
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Freshwater lakes, Grasslands, Marine: coastal, Mixed forests with heath and sandy areas, Wetlands
Natural process
Bark beetle, Flooding, Natural grazing
Flagship species
Feral horses
Specification
Project:
Saksfjed Wilderness
Region:
Saksfjed
Description
Type of project:
Creating space for wilder nature, Supporting wildlife comeback
Aim and vision:
Saksfjed wantsd to facilitate learning, research, communication and develop best practice to inspire other stakeholders and landowners to restore and rewild for biodiversity and climate.
They will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
Lastly, they will continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
They will put rewilding and nature restoration on the agenda together with strategic national and international partners within science, NGOs, authorities, private sector and we will support research and field studies.
Lastly, they will continuously look for ways and methods to increase Saksfjed Wilderness in cooperation with local community and landowners.
The vision of Saksfjed Wilderness is to create one of the most ambitious and largest nature projects in Denmark based on rewilding, where former agricultural areas is converted in to wild nature with natural dynamics.
Uniqueness of the project:
With Saksfjed Wilderness the Hempel Foundation initiates in Danish context an unique and agenda-setting rewilding project in terms of size, best practice, restoration of former agricultural land and using our activities as a platform for communication, information, education and research.
Other activities:
High-impact communications, Research
Achievements
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on:
Saksfjed Wilderness is established as a top-of-the-mind rewilding area in Denmark that is a showcase for best-practice. We have improved biodiversity significantly and supported development of best practice, that has inspired other landowners to initiate rewilding projects. Our outreach and involvement both nationally and locally is of highest quality, also with a wellknown and popular Rewilding Information Centre. The centre exhibits, educates and inform, and is also a platform for workshops, research and knowledge-sharing.
Results so far:
Plan and budget for nature restoration, management and rewilding in place.
Staff in place with senior project manager, nature- and wildlife manager and naturalist.
Fencings in planned and in place.
Extensive all-year grazing iniated.
Monitoring program developed and initiated.
Education and information centre in planning.
Staff in place with senior project manager, nature- and wildlife manager and naturalist.
Fencings in planned and in place.
Extensive all-year grazing iniated.
Monitoring program developed and initiated.
Education and information centre in planning.
Exchange
Inspirational value:
We want to gather and develop experience with large-scale rewilding and nature restoration in Denmark and put it on the agenda to inspire and up-scale rewilding initiatives following best-practice and science.
Experience you would like to share:
Experience with effect and scalability with rewilding in relation to using semi-wild grazers, economy and investments, legal framework and biodiversity indicators, as some of the elements important to develop best-practice.
Experience you would like to gain:
Develop network and co-operation across borders with other practitioners working with rewilding in Europe to share ideas, experience, knowledge and science.