Hosted by Rewilding Europe and the Rewilding Apennines team, the Network’s face to face gathering welcomed 36 rewilding practitioners from 12 countries to the rewilding area. The five-day event proved to be an inspiring platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas to accelerate the upscaling of rewilding principles and best practices across Europe.
The European rewilding movement has evolved hugely since Rewilding Europe was founded in 2011. The third in our 10-part series of impact stories explores its growth, why rewilding is becoming more and more popular, and how it offers compelling reasons to get involved.
Rewilding Europe is working to accelerate the restoration of nature at landscape scale. Europe’s protected areas could play a pivotal role in the process.
Part of the Bamff Estate in Scotland, the Bamff Wildland initiative is working to create a wilder, more biodiverse landscape governed by natural processes. European Rewilding Network membership will help the family-oriented rewilding team realise their vision.
The UK-based A Hop of Hope initiative is working to reintroduce the large marsh grasshopper in restored wetlands, helping this colourful insect reassume its valuable role in nature. Membership of the European Rewilding Network will enhance rewilding efforts.
The Wilder Blean initiative is working to create a wilder woodland landscape by boosting natural grazing, including the introduction of the UK’s first European bison herd. European Rewilding Network membership will help the initiative realise its rewilding vision.
Rewilding Europe’s tenth anniversary celebrations have seen five Dutch rewilding sites simultaneously receive official European Rewilding Network certification. Paying testament to their efforts and expertise, this milestone occasion highlights the huge progress made in Dutch rewilding.
A mosaic of forest, scrub, grassland and heath is being restored in the Netherlands to boost biodiversity. The reserve’s firm focus on natural grazing and natural processes is a valuable addition to the ongoing knowledge exchange between members of the European Rewilding Network.
This April a herd of seven European bison from the Netherlands arrived at the Lille Vildmose protected area in Denmark, which is a member of the European Rewilding Network. Their presence will help to boost biodiversity and support the health and further growth of the entire European bison population.
In the face of an increasingly volatile climate and rising sea levels, allowing the Scheldt to overflow in a controlled way and reconnect with the land has created a chain of wetlands that bring benefits to the local communities and an array of flora and fauna.