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.

Rewilding Europe is delighted to welcome four new members – one from Denmark, one from Lithuania, and two from the United Kingdom – to the European Rewilding Network (ERN). Displaying impressive growth since its launch at WILD10 in Salamanca in October 2013, the network now comprises 61 members from 26 European countries (including Rewilding Europe’s eight operational areas).

A keen advocate of rewilding, Tim Kasoar is a fourth year PhD student at Cambridge University in the UK. A particular interest in restoring wetland and floodplain habitats and natural flood dynamics took him to the Oder Delta rewilding area, where he witnessed firsthand the beneficial impact of river restoration on local biodiversity.

The latest European Rewilding Network webinar, held in October, saw members from nine European countries come together online to discuss and learn about best practice in the restoration of natural river dynamics.

New forum to foster greater exchange between members of the burgeoning network.

The rise of rewilding has led to much dialogue and debate. With rewilding initiatives now bearing fruit in over 25 European countries, Rewilding Europe’s new and progressive language can engender essential support and passion for wild nature across the continent.

Rewilding Europe is delighted to announce that rewilding activities in the spectacular Danube Delta, Europe’s second largest wetland, will now extend into Ukraine. This follows the signing of a partnership agreement with Rewilding Ukraine, a newly established local NGO.

On Threatened Species Day (7^th September) 2016 Rewilding Europe’s Managing Director, Frans Schepers, gave a keynote address at an event that we hope will turn out to have been an important moment in the history of conservation in Australia. The National Rewilding Forum, held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, aimed to bring together academics, practitioners, government and non-government to discuss the relevance of rewilding to Australia. It was the first such gathering of its kind but potentially the first of many!

Last week, a five day long “Natural Grazing” course took place in the Netherlands. Rewilding Europe and ARK Nature organized the course to support Rewilding Europe’s local teams and European Rewilding Network (ERN) members involved in natural grazing. Participants from six European countries attended various workshops, expert discussions sessions and study tours together gaining better knowledge and insight about the topic of natural grazing.

On our cycle tour of rewilding areas in Europe, our third stop was Parc Naziunal Svizzer – the Swiss National Park. Established in 1914, it was the first national park in the Alps and by now one of the oldest national parks in Europe. It is one of the first members of the European Rewilding Network (ERN).