A growing window of opportunity is opening across Europe to give space back to nature. Turning this opportunity into reality demands more than vision – it requires swift, strategic action to access land at scale. The Rewilding Land Facility, powered by the Land Fund, enables timely, targeted land deals that creates space for nature to recover – scaling up rewilding where it matters most.
Neil Aldridge
Unlocking nature’s potential
From restoring rivers and forests to rewetting peatlands and supporting wildlife comeback, access to land is vital for every rewilding effort. However, land deals move quickly and competition for different land uses across Europe is fierce.
The Rewilding Land Facility gives us the speed and flexibility to act when land becomes available. With millions of hectares potentially transitioning out of use in the coming years, the opportunity is immense, but only if we have ready capital. The Rewilding Land Facility aims to bring more land under direct rewilding management across Europe.
Diego Lopez / Wild Wonders of Europe
High-impact opportunities
Our approach involves innovative agreements from land purchases, to long-term hunting concession leases, natural grazing rights, and partnerships with public and private landholders.
This “patchwork” approach stitches together diverse land parcels into thriving, functional ecosystems. By targeting high-impact opportunities and collaborating with local partners, we facilitate large-scale nature recovery. .
Securing land for rewilding
Rewilding Europe aims to have 500,000 hectares of land and water under rewilding management across 15 rewilding landscapes by 2030.
The Rewilding Land Facility supports our teams in securing land or land use rights through:
Purchases, concessions, leases, and different type of stewardship agreements
Rapid, context-specific responses to land access opportunities
Scalable growth towards managing larger areas under rewilding management
The Land Fund
Daniel Mirlea
Catalysing positive impact
Within the Rewilding Land Facility is a ring-fenced pool of capital called the Land Fund. This flexible financial instrument enables swift, strategic investment so that our landscape partners can take advantage of land access opportunities.
We invite visionary donors and impact investors to help us accelerate rewilding across Europe and invest in the Land Fund. The fund is already catalysing action on the ground, unlocking deals and paving the way for scaled rewilding.
The Land Fund:
- Disburses grants rapidly for land purchases, concessions, leases and other forms of land access
- Operates with transparent governance, including an advisory Land Committee
- Accepts both unrestricted and targeted donations
- Aims to reach 20 million euros by 2030
Join us as a partner
We’re seeking impact-driven donors and investors to grow the Rewilding Land Fund and unlock more space for nature across Europe. Your support will:
- Enable strategic land deals for rewilding
- Accelerate the scaling of rewilding efforts across Europe
- Deliver long-term benefits for nature, people, and climate
If you are interested or want to know more, please contact Carolina Soto-Navarro, Head of Wilder Nature and Chair of the Rewilding Land Facility.
20
€20 million capital for the Land Fund by 2030
500k
500,000 hectares under rewilding by 2030
>65k
More then 65,000 hectares under rewilding management to date
15
15 rewilding landscapes targeted by 2030
The Rewilding Land Facility at work
Danube Delta, Romania: transforming a fish farm into a thriving wetland
Thanks to a grant from the Land Fund, a 766-hectare former fish farm in the heart of the Danube Delta – one of Europe’s richest wetland ecosystems and home to pelicans, wildcats, golden jackals – is now transforming into a hub for wildlife and nature-based tourism.
Positive impact
- A rare and species rich wetland site secured
- Major wetland restoration potential unlocked
- Sustainable, nature-based tourism created
Iberian Highlands, Spain: securing a source and bringing back large herbivores
A 380,000-euro grant from the Land Fund secured 190 hectares at the source of the Júcar River – safeguarding one of Spain’s most vital waterways. Now, Rewilding Spain – with support from the Rewilding Land Facility – are shifting from the acquisition of short-term grazing rights to long-term land management – opening up thousands of hectares of public land for rewilding with large herbivores such as Przewalski’s horses and Tauros.
Positive impact
- A vital water source protected
- Long-term access to public land secured
- Nature recovery and new local economies supported by scaling up natural grazing
Velebit Mountains, Croatia: from hunting grounds to wildlife haven
With support from early Land Fund investment, we secured management rights to four hunting concessions covering over 31,000 hectares in Croatia’s largest protected area. Here, the focus shifted from hunting to wildlife watching – sparking a revival in species such as red deer, lynx, and vultures. Working closely with the local hunting community, the team is pioneering a new wildlife economy and building a wildlife corridor across 122,000 hectares.
Positive impact
- 31,000 hectares transitioned from hunting to rewilding
- Local communities engaged in wildlife-based tourism
- Foundation laid for a 175,000-ha wildlife corridor
“By unlocking unprecedented opportunities for land access, the Rewilding Land Facility will enable us to scale our rewilding efforts, transform our vision into reality, and deliver profound, lasting benefits for communities, nature, and climate.”
Carolina Soto-Navarro
Head of Wilder Nature