“Noordoostpolder, a place for pioneers!” says this billboard with a big photo of a wolf, along the highway in Noordoostpolder, municipality in the Flevoland Province (Central Netherlands). Several days ago a wolf has been found on a roadside in Luttelgeest, Noordoostpolder. Unfortunately, dead. But even then, this is a great news. This is a wolf the first time in 150 years the Netherlands!

Since many years I am dedicated to the conservation of nature and for almost a year I work with passion as Rewilding Manager at Rewilding Europe. Last months, an experience in nature and  a notice in the newspaper made me think through a rewilding perspective.

January issue of the Spanish Quercus magazine shares interesting facts on the economic benefits of having wolves around.

A few days ago I saw a wolf! This may not be big news, but let me explain.

With the economic value of wildlife as its special focus, a seminar called ”LARGE 2012” was held at the Museum of Modern Arts in Stockholm, Sweden on January 31, organised by the Swedish Ecotourism Association together with the ”Big Five” national large carnivore information center.

From 9 to 14 October, Rewilding Europe organized a Training Seminar on Wildlife Watching and Conservation Enterprise Development in Finland. Representatives of the five rewilding projects from various European countries travelled all the way up to Finland to learn from first-hand experience in the Kuhmo region, which is famous for its bear-watching facilities.

In late August and in the beginning of September people in The Netherlands and  Belgium welcomed the first wolves in their countries since more than 100 years! Two countries with rapidly increasing numbers of wild herbivores in their natural areas. During the same period wild horses from The Netherlands were released in Latvia and Bulgaria, countries rich in wolves. Is this a coincidence?