REWILDING UPDATES

Rhodope Mountains

In 2021 the Rewilding Rhodopes team saw the end of a large five-year EU LIFE grant supporting the recovery of griffon and cinereous vultures in the area. These keystone species are an essential element of healthy ecosystems and food chains, benefiting myriad other species and playing an essential role as recyclers of natural carcasses.

Vulture-related rewilding efforts carried out between 2016 and 2021 generated some impressive results. To enhance the prey base for the birds, the team released nearly 400 fallow deer and 50 red deer, with populations of both species now naturally increasing. To reduce vulture mortality from poisoning, electrocution and collisions, the team founded the first anti-poisoning dog unit in Bulgaria, and insulated a total of 197 electricity pylons and installing 152 diverters on 2.5 kilometres of power lines. The team also equipped 27 cinereous vultures and 34 griffon vultures with GPS-satellite and GPS-GSM transmitters, which provided critical information about the movement of the birds. In addition, 571 complementary feedings were organised, 15 artificial nests for black vultures built, and three photo hides built or refurbished. Finally, communications and community involvement efforts saw 11 photo exhibitions held, 13 information boards installed, 18 videos created, two journalist visits organised, and 68 press releases sent to local and national media.

The combined result of all these efforts saw the griffon vulture population in Bulgaria increase from 81 pairs in 2016 to 111 pairs in 2021, with a total of 308 juveniles fledged. Natural grazing has also been scaled up through the restocking of fallow and red deer, and the reintroduction of Konik and Karakachan horses, of which there are now over 200 free-roaming individuals. The bison population in the Rhodope Mountains increased to 12, with a new calf born in June. Preparations are also underway for the reintroduction of cinereous vultures in 2022. Spanish cinereous vulture experts have been consulted and an aviary is currently being constructed.

Greater Côa Valley

The rewilding of the Greater Côa Valley took significant steps forward in 2021. Following the purchase of the 569-ha Encostas da Juvénia site near the village of Pinhel (on the east bank of the River Côa), an agreement was also signed with a landowner for Rewilding Portugal to rewild a 300-ha property known locally as Quinta de Santa Margarida. This new area is close to Vale Carapito and will significantly enhance landscape restoration efforts in one of the core areas of the larger rewilding landscape. In total, nearly 960 ha of land has now been purchased and secured by Rewilding Portugal. Vale Carapito has also been declared a refuge area by the local hunting association to ensure that no hunting takes place there.

Ten Sorraia horses were purchased and released in Vale Carapito in May 2021. This initial herd is composed of five adult animals, two juveniles, and three newly born foals. The team aims to increase the number of Sorraia horses to reduce inbreeding. The discovery of a small colony of cinereous vultures in the Malcata Reserve (at least three nests) was also spectacular. This is excellent news as Portugal is only home to 40 breeding pairs. Work to promote co-existence between Iberian wolves and livestock owners is going well, with 20 sheepdog puppies now deployed and trained with different herds.

Nature-based businesses can operate more effectively when they work together, multiplying the benefits for themselves, their clients and wild nature. This is the essential philosophy of the Wild Côa Network, which waslaunched in February. It currently comprises 12 local businesses, although this number will grow as the network matures.

The opening of a new rewilding centre in November in Vale de Madeira will take community engagement to the next level, giving both residents of the area and visitors an insight into local rewilding efforts and their increasingly positive impact.

Southern Carpathians

The local rewilding team saw the end of a large EU LIFE grant. As in the Rhodope Mountains, this has also generated some impressive results over the last five years. In total, 14 bison transports to the Southern Carpathians were carried out between 2016 and 2021. Around 38 bison calves were born in the wild, while there are now more than 100 European bison roaming free in the Țarcu Mountains. The four bison rangers who are currently employed play a critical role promoting and supporting co-existence with local communities, as well as carrying out essential monitoring and research. More than 28 bison were monitored via GPS collars and virtual fences, while more than 9 kilometres of electric fencing was installed to avoid potential conflict.

Research carried out by the rewilding team found that 89% of the people in the Armeniș and Densuș communities consider the bison beautiful and important for the environment. Over 200 tourists visited the Bison Hillock rewilding site between 2016 and 2021, while over 180,000 euros was generated from bison-related tourism experiences. Six business plans were developed, helping local entrepreneurs to develop sustainable economic opportunities based on the reintroduced animals. Five primary schools and over 100 students were involved in school clubs, helping to connect young people with nature through nature-related workshops and trips to the field. Over 200 meetings and consultations were held with national and local authorities and stakeholders, while nine photo exhibitions and one virtual gallery were organised, reaching more than 24,000 people.

These efforts mean the bison reintroduction in the Southern Carpathians has become very well known, with prominent exposure in national, international and online media, documentaries, and national and international programmes. In 2022, the team will continue its work and support further bison population growth, preparing for a larger rewilding landscape initiative.

Central Apennines

The Central Apennines team had a productive year involving a diversifying range of actions. In addition to their work on bear corridors and Bear Smart Communities, efforts began on other species, including griffon vultures, wild cats (a total of 37 observations were made on camera traps in the Monte Genzana Alto Gizio nature reserve alone), Apennine chamois, and white-clawed crayfish (preparations are underway to reintroduce the latter two species).

A new and unique partnership between Rewilding Europe and UK-based adventure travel company Exodus Travels was signed in 2021. This saw the launch of a “Nature and Carbon Corridors” initiative, through which a minimum of 100m2 of land in the Central Apennines will be rewilded for every passenger that books a trip with the company. The initiative will support the ongoing development of five wildlife corridors in the area, helping to promote biodiversity, lock up atmospheric carbon, and indirectly support the growth of a local nature-based economy. The aim is to work towards the rewilding of 5,000 ha of corridor land over the next five years.

In June, the Rewilding Apennines team organised several events to boost community engagement, educating local people about rewilding efforts and reconnecting them with wildlife comeback and wild nature on their doorstep. The first of these coincided with World Environment Day on June 5 (also the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration), while June 11 saw a Rewilding Social Club event held in the village of Pettorano sul Gizio – one of the area’s Bear Smart Communities.

Last but not least, December saw the European Commission finally approve a large LIFE Nature grant called “LIFE Bear Smart Corridors” (full name: “Enhancing the viability of Brown Bears in Central Italy and Greece through the development of coexistence Corridors”), totalling 5.9 million euros (4.3 million euros from the EU) for 2021-2026. This new grant will see 11 partners in Italy and Greece work together on bear conservation and benefit from each other’s expertise.

Over the last 12 months an increasing number of Marsican brown bears have been seen outside the Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park, which is a good indication the population is expanding – if confirmed, this would be extremely exciting news.

Swedish Lapland

During the year significant work was carried out in preparation for new rewilding interventions in both Norbotten and Västerbotten – both Swedish counties are part of this vast rewilding landscape.

In Norbotten preparations are underway, supported by consultants, for peatland restoration in Spikälven and river restoration along the Abramsån. Both initiatives, which have received funding for their preparatory stages, show that these areas are ready and suitable for restoration. Rewilding Sweden is preparing for the next stages of both initiatives and will secure the necessary funding and permits in 2022. Norbotten is currently one of three areas in a wider peatland restoration initiative supported by the Grantham Foundation and carried out in collaboration with Wetlands International. Cooperation with the Norbotten County Board has been very productive in preparing a large funding proposal for this work.

A new area that Rewilding Sweden has been focusing on is the Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve in Västerbotten, where the team is exploring a large initiative for forest restoration with key stakeholders and partners, including local Sami communities.

In addition to important fundraising efforts for these initiatives, Rewilding Sweden and Rewilding Europe have been working together with experts from across Sweden to review and renew the strategy for Rewilding Sweden. This has resulted in clear directions for development, which are now being followed. This is expected to lead to concrete steps in 2022, with the assignment of a team leader, team members, and new members for the supervisory board.

Velebit Mountains

A major effort was made in 2021 to ensure effective governance for the newly established Rewilding Velebit Foundation, which is now the sole owner of three limited liability companies. Two of these companies own hunting concessions with a total area of 23,000 ha, with the foundation holding formal responsibility for wildlife management. The long-term aim here is to create healthy wildlife populations, so that the Velebit Mountain chain can act as a large wildlife corridor in this part of the western Balkans. The concessions are managed as a business entity where new and innovative sources of income will ultimately finance the operational costs of managing the area. Partnerships with the Italian-based SKUA Nature and Netherlands-based Cabin ANNA will provide new sources of income through wildlife watching and photography, and unique overnight stays in nature.

In May a fourth lynx was released in Croatia as part of the LIFE Lynx project. This is the third animal that has been released in Velebit, with another animal likely to follow in 2022. This will boost the local lynx population and help to support wildlife comeback in the area.

A new monitoring scheme was started in cooperation with Zoological Society of London to measure wildlife population densities. A total of 48 camera traps have been deployed in the 81 square-kilometre Jablanac area, with a one kilometre spacing between each camera. The traps were left in place for two months, collecting a wealth of images which are now being analysed. Other parts of the Velebit Mountains will be monitored in the future.

On the Lika Plains a new handling facility was built for the Tauros, while local herd managers were trained by the Taurus Foundation to manage the animals. Fences were renewed and repaired, and plans made for expanding the area and intensifying local communications and community engagement. In November an exchange took place with the bear ambassadors of the Central Apennines rewilding area, who shared their experience of preventing human-bear conflict.

Danube Delta

Significant progress was made restoring wetlands, reintroducing natural grazing, and supporting businesses and communications. The last 12 months saw the relocation and reintroduction of 40 Konik horses, 15 fallow deer, five red deer and nine water buffalo, introducing natural grazing to 5,000 ha, and diversifying natural grazing on a further 2,300 ha, with a focus on the Outer Delta and Ermakov Island. On the Tarutino Steppe, an additional 20 kulan (Asiatic wild ass) were translocated in December and placed in quarantine, with their release into the wild scheduled for spring 2022. The first steppe marmots (8 individuals) were also released here as a keystone species.The restoration of 500 hectares of Tarutino Steppe was also completed.

Rewilding Ukraine created a limited liability company for the management and rewilding of the Tarutino Steppe. This was set up in partnership with local tourism businesses and a local community, with the goal of developing a thriving natural-ethnographic park that links nature and the area’s unique local culture. The Tarutino Steppe Festival, which took place at the end of September, showed how local nature, culture and rewilding efforts could be interlinked, helping local communities by enhancing the area’s tourism value and allowing them to regain identity and pride.

Having been delayed due to technical reasons, wetland restoration began at three large sites totalling 5,300 ha around Kartal and Lung Lakes and on Ermakov Island. This saw dykes removed and connections restored between the lakes and River Danube. Feasibility studies for the restoration of forest at the Zhebriyansky Ridge (2,300 ha) and the so-called Stentsovsko-Zhebriansky Plavni (SZP) wetlands (8,000 ha) were also commissioned.

Oder Delta

The year began in a spectacular way with Rewilding Oder Delta team receiving a 1 million euro grant from the German Postcode Lottery. This helped to kickstart rewilding in the 1000 square-kilometre Ueckermünder Heath, a low-lying area of forest and wetland that straddles the German-Polish border, with a focus on the restoration and reconnection of rivers.

Another important action in 2021 was support for Eurasian elk recolonisation. The recent expansion of transportation networks in the Oder Delta area, which could block the animals’ movement westward, could poses a significant threat to this recolonisation. The Rewilding Oder Delta team is now gaining a better understanding of elk migration, which will enable them to reach out to and educate local communities, who are typically unaware they are living (or could soon be living) alongside these magnificent animals.

Ongoing rewilding actions in the Oder Delta have seen wildlife begin to thrive in more natural densities, with unmanaged natural processes reshaping the landscape. With nature-based tourism also on the rise, growing numbers of people are visiting the delta to reconnect with nature and enjoy a chance to spot the area’s so-called “Big Seven” – the Baltic sturgeon, grey seal, beaver, white-tailed eagle, elk, wolf, and European bison.

In September, the second part of the German-Polish exchange between stakeholders from nature conservation, agriculture, forestry and science took place. The meeting was organised within the framework of the Interreg project “Wildes (er)leben am Haff” (English: Wild life at the Lagoon) to showcase the long-standing experience of actors in the cross-border region, and to discuss wishes, concerns and ideas for the future of the area.