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.
Today, many European wildlife species are making a comeback. Let’s view this as an opportunity to create conditions where people and nature can flourish together.
Rewilding Europe has signed a new partnership agreement with Spanish NGO GREFA. The partners will continue to work together to scale up the reintroduction of vultures and other keystone bird species across Europe, delivering wide-ranging benefits for nature and people.
Across Europe, rewilding is already delivering tangible results for people, nature, and climate. Over the next 12 months, bigger and bolder actions can amplify rewilding’s positive impact.
Wildlife comeback can sometimes lead to coexistence challenges. A recent example from the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta rewilding landscape shows how simple solutions can often overcome these challenges, ensuring the recovery of wild nature benefits all.
Over the past six years, Rewilding Portugal has undertaken a wide range of actions to enable the natural recovery of Iberian wolves south of the Douro River. In collaboration with local partners and supported by the European Commission, the “LIFE WolFlux” initiative has provided a strong foundation for ongoing work aimed at securing a brighter future for this iconic keystone species.
Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund has supported the release of 13 pine martens in northwest England, helping to advance the recovery of this ecologically important animal in the UK. The fund has disbursed around 540,000 euros in support of 12 wildlife releases so far this year, with more grants in the pipeline.
Four cinereous vultures have just been released in the Iberian Highlands in Spain, as part of an ongoing reintroduction programme. The restoration of this iconic and ecologically important bird as a breeding species will enhance the health of the rewilding landscape and support nature-based economic development.
Five eagle owls have just been released in the Danube Delta rewilding landscape in Ukraine, as part of an ongoing reintroduction programme. The releases represent a significant step forward in the programme, which aims to re-establish a viable population of the birds in the landscape and enhance the overall health of the delta ecosystem.
The Rewilding Ukraine team are engaged in long-term efforts to create a wilder and healthier Tarutino Steppe. The ongoing reintroduction of European hamsters will help to restore local food webs, enhance biodiversity, and boost nature-based tourism.