Remember when summer nights brought swarms of moths to a single light bulb? When gardens shimmered with butterflies and mornings rang with birdsong? Today, what we see in nature is only a faint shadow of what once was. Rewilding offers a way back.
Earlier this summer, nearly 400 juvenile crayfish were released into the Verde River in the Central Apennines rewilding landscape in Italy. This is good news for this threatened species and will help to enhance the condition of the river and local ecosystem.
The appearance of small Eurasian beaver populations in parts of Italy has attracted the attention of the public and scientific community. After more than 500 years, the return of this keystone herbivore – and its positive impact on the landscape and its ecology – is highlighting the need for coexistence with a species relatively unknown in Italian society.
The ability of the Eurasian beaver to create new habitats for a host of wildlife species, and to deliver a range of benefits for people, is amazing. Once on the verge of extinction, the beaver’s expansion across Europe over the last 60 years is a cause for celebration. But what exactly are the animal’s positive impacts?
Europe’s first all-male bison translocation has seen seven bulls arrive in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area in Romania. Their release into the wild will boost the genetic diversity of the population already roaming free here and ensure its beneficial impact continues to grow.
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.
A new calf has just been born to the free-roaming bison herd in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in Bulgaria. This shows the animals are settling in well and advances the local rewilding process.
A herd of 13 European bison has just arrived in the Southern Carpathians rewilding area in Romania and will soon be released into the wild. This will boost the genetic diversity of the population already roaming free here and ensure its beneficial impact continues to grow.
The feeding habits of Europe’s largest terrestrial mammal impact a wide range of other wild animals and plants, as well as people. Bianca Stefanut of the Southern Carpathians rewilding team in Romania explains how these landscape architects enhance wild nature, and details some of the measures used to keep human-bison relations harmonious.
The skills and knowledge acquired by the team will be put to good use when cinereous vultures are released into the Rhodope Mountains rewilding area in 2021.