In the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta, rewilding efforts have reconnected the life-giving waters of the River Danube with Lake Kartal. The lake’s rapid comeback — and the growing benefits this is delivering to nature and local communities — shows how powerful wetland restoration can be.
Despite the ongoing impact of the Russian invasion, rewilding in the Danube Delta continues to have a positive impact on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems – a testament to the resilience of nature and local rewilding teams.
From climate change mitigation to biodiversity enhancement, peatland rewilding offers a wide range of benefits. We caught up with Peter Torkler, Rewilding Oder Delta team leader (Poland), to discuss peatland restoration on the Polish side of the Oder Delta.
The Rewilding Ukraine team have been working together with local partners to restore the connectivity of floodplains in the Danube Delta since 2019. By connecting Katlabuh Lake with the Danube River, their latest efforts are a step towards revitalising an entire chain of water bodies, with wide-ranging benefits for nature, local communities and society.
During a recent visit to the Danube Delta, Frans Schepers – CEO of Rewilding Europe – witnessed the resilience of nature and people. Reflecting on his visit, he urgently calls upon our governments and representatives in Brussels to prioritise the enactment of the EU Nature Restoration Law. Immediate action is needed to harness the transformative power of rewilding and secure a better future.
The dunes, moors and marshes of the French southwest coast were once widely grazed by feral bovines. The newest member of the European Rewilding Network is restoring the influence of large herbivores here, enhancing biodiversity and helping to maintain the site’s characteristic patchwork of habitats.
The Danube Delta is one of Europe’s largest and most important wetlands. Efforts by the Rewilding Ukraine team to restore natural water flow here are great news for Dalmatian pelicans and great news for local communities.
An environmental catastrophe is playing out on the Oder River. As part of a cross-border NGO alliance, the Rewilding Oder Delta team is calling for rigorous investigation, a clear focus on the river’s full-scale restoration, and the abandonment of all harmful hydro-engineering plans.
The Tour du Valat Estate in the Camargue region in southern France is demonstrating how wetlands can be rewilded for the benefit of nature and people. Membership of the European Rewilding Network will enhance the estate’s rewilding efforts.
The war in Ukraine is taking a terrible toll on people and nature. Yet despite facing many challenges, the resilient Rewilding Ukraine team continue to see their efforts bear fruit.