Today rewilding organisations from 15 different European countries are calling for a wilder Europe and the inclusion of rewilding in the European Green Deal and EU Biodiversity Strategy post-2020. This has the potential to significantly mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity decline.
The three-year, pan-European project will evaluate the benefits of various land management models involving domesticated and wild/semi-wild herbivores. It will hopefully lead to more supportive EU policy and legislation.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands saw first hand a prime example of river rewilding during his visit today to Nijmegen, EU Green Capital 2018. The King was given a guided walk of the River Waal floodplain by Frans Schepers, Managing Director of Rewilding Europe, and Professor Hans de Kroon of the Institute for Water and Wetland Research at Nijmegen’s Radboud University, learning how river restoration has brought a wide range of benefits to the Gelderse Poort area.
The restoration of the River Waal in Nijmegen in the Netherlands is a showcase for contemporary rewilding. In June Rewilding Europe and the Municipality of Nijmegen led an excursion presenting the restoration to representatives of various European green cities.
Today we are delighted to announce that the European Investment Bank has provided Rewilding Europe Capital with a 6 million euro loan finance contract. This represents the first project of the “Bank on Nature Initiative”, set up by the European Commission. The signing ceremony took place in the Berlaymont Building, headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels.
A major gathering of nature conservation organisations took place this week in Haskovo, Bulgaria. Members from Rewilding Europe, Rewilding Rhodopes, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/Birdlife Bulgaria, WWF Romania, WWF Greece, Vulture Conservation Foundation and Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece gathered for the kick-off meetings and training sessions of two LIFE funded projects that officially started on 1 January 2016.
The European Commission has approved the LIFE proposal “Conservation of Black and Griffon vultures in the cross-border Rhodope Mountains”, developed by Rewilding Europe in partnership with Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/Birdlife Bulgaria, WWF Greece, Vulture Conservation Foundation and Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece.