A three-year study in Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley has shown that grazing by free-roaming, semi-wild horses can help to reduce the risk of wildfire outbreaks and enhance biodiversity in Mediterranean landscapes. It has also highlighted the fact that when groups of different herbivores graze the same landscapes, this may be even more effective at reducing fire risk.

A well-attended rewilding symposium was held at Wageningen University in the Netherlands on September 29. The event’s diverse programme was capped by the formal inauguration of Europe’s first professor of rewilding ecology.

A new and updated Wildlife Comeback Report, involving 50 European wildlife species, will be published today, September 27. Commissioned by Rewilding Europe, it highlights species that have made a comeback in Europe over the last 40 to 50 years, explores the reasons behind their recovery, and provides an outlook for future recovery of European wildlife.

How can rewilding enhance nature and the benefits it provides, as well as generate stakeholder support? By answering these questions, a new study in the Oder Delta could lead to the scaling up of rewilding in Germany.

A new way of evaluating rewilding progress has been developed by Rewilding Europe and partners. Its groundbreaking application across seven of Rewilding Europe’s operational areas – which has just been detailed in a new scientific paper – has revealed both positive impact and challenges to upscaling.

With over 2000 participants, the enormous interest in last week’s Rewilding Symposium shows that rewilding is being increasingly embraced as a progressive approach to conservation. As the connection between rewilding science and practice develops, the impact of rewilding will continue to scale up and inspire others to become involved.

Chaired by Liesbeth Bakker, Europe’s first professor of rewilding, the online event is open to all. It aims to improve rewilding outcomes by developing rewilding science, as well as inspire participants to become involved with rewilding.

Rewilding Europe is delighted to announce that Professor Jens-Christian Svenning has joined Rewilding Europe’s Supervisory Board.

As she begins her professorship at Wageningen University, Dr. Liesbeth Bakker will work to progress rewilding’s scientific agenda and enhance rewilding outcomes.