Programme

• 09:00-10:00 Arrival with coffee and tea
• 10:00-10:05 Welcome and opening - Liesbeth Bakker
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  10:05-10:30 A fascination for nature - Ruben Smit
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  10:30-11:00 Restoration, rewilding and the search for common ground - Eric Higgs
• 11:00-11:30 Coffee break
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  11:30-12:00 Megafauna restoration as obligation: rewilding law and policy to rehabilitate Europe's large mammals - Arie Trouwborst
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  12:00-12:30 Rewilding opportunities under the EU Nature Restoration Law - Sofie Ruysschaert
• 12:30-13:30 Lunch break
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  13:30-13:50 Rewilding landscapes in Europe – a people’s perspective - Frans Schepers
• 13:50-14:05 Short movie Zimbrul: Re-introduction of European bison in the Southern Carpathians
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  14:05-14:30 On the European bison's rewilding hooves: how to visualize it? - Lisa Sánchez Aguilar
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  14:30-15:00 The nature and necessity of human rewilding - Koen Arts
• 15:00-16:00 Coffee & Tea break
• 16:00-17:00 Inaugural lecture Rewilding Ecology Liesbeth Bakker: The ecology of rewilding landscapes
• 17:00-18:00 Reception

Start of the online livestream.

We live in an urgent era; more than ever scientists are story tellers that can change the world. As an ecologist, award winning filmmaker Ruben focusses on ecosystems to translate scientific research into holistic, public stories. The way he is fascinated by nature and how it drives his work and how scientists can learn from this approach is the fundament of this lecture.

At the dawn of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a variety of overlapping practices have developed: ecological and ecosystem restoration, rewilding, forest landscape restoration, and more. Eric addresses what we can learn from common features and differences that strengthen the larger project of regenerating wild places and the human relationships that support and depend on them.

Restoring populations of large mammals (megafauna) is a key element of rewilding. Arie addresses the role of law regarding the restoration of Europe's megafauna.

We need large-scale nature restoration in Europe to reverse biodiversity decline and improve our resilience against climate change impacts. The European Commission`s proposal for the Nature Restoration Law can be a real game-changer to make this happen, if implemented in a timely and well-considered manner. Sofie will present the ambition and improvements needed for the Nature Restoration Law, and how rewilding can fit into the larger implementation framework.

Vegetarian lunch is provided. Possibility to view exhibition at the venue by Lisa Sánchez Aguilar on the visual communication of the rewilding of the European bison and its ecology.

Rewilding is 90% about people, 10% about nature. From that perspective, Frans will share Rewilding Europe’s experiences, findings and views so far on how rewilding narratives can be built and put in practice in a diverse European context. He will provide examples and lessons from engaging and working with key audiences and stakeholders in and around the current 10 rewilding landscapes that are part of Rewilding Europe’s portfolio.

Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania have been reintroducing bison in the Southern Carpathians of Romania since 2014. Shot by French filmmaker Emmanuel Rondeau, “Zimbrul” (Romanian for “bison”) is an intimate snapshot of people’s feelings about the return of this iconic species.

In an increasingly image oriented world, the inclusion of visuals for the successful communication of scientific subjects is on high demand. Lisa presents and evaluates the development of effective infographics, animations and virtual reality worlds based on the rewilding of the European bison and its ecology. An exhibition of Lisa's artwork will be on display at the venue during the symposium.

Rewilding is often understood as a form of ecological management in which humans are merely bystanders. Koen argues that the concept of rewilding has much more to offer and that it should include humans too. Indeed, to address a root cause of global environmental crises, human rewilding is a necessity.

The UN Decade on ecosystem restoration calls for large-scale restoration, but how to do it? By giving more room to natural processes, rewilding provides a means for large-scale ecosystem restoration. Liesbeth addresses the ecology of rewilding landscapes in aquatic and terrestrial habitats, the science of rewilding and the opportunities of solving multiple crises at once, including biodiversity and climate change, using a rewilding approach.