Bringing together the Rewilding movement

August 17, 2013

Since the concept of rewilding was defined and expanded by conservation biologists Michael Soulé and Reed Noss in a paper published in 1998, projects and initiatives aiming to restore large wilderness areas, natural processes, corridors or keystone species have flourished all around the world.

Marmots feeding on flowers.
Marmots feeding on flowers.

In Rewilding Europe we are continuously aware of all the efforts with these goals, each with its strategy and methods, its cultural and environmental context, its successes and failures.

In a world where the sharing of information has become increasingly easier and more necessary, we thought it appropriate to create a tool to bring together the rewilding projects carried out in Europe.

This tool is the European Rewilding Network. It is being prepared to be launched in October during the Wild10 congress in Salamanca (Spain).

The aim is to create a living network of rewilding initiatives throughout Europe. A short but clear outline of the projects joining will be included into a database, which will be accessible via Internet. Although, every project is unique and has its own opportunities linked directly to the specific area and people involved, there is always knowledge to gain and pass through. Joining the network will make it easier to share experiences from one project to another.

In a first search we found more than fifty rewilding initiatives of different characteristics, from the reintroduction of large wildlife or key species (e.g. beaver) to experiences of specific wildlife watching and photographing in the wilderness; or restoration of natural grazing with Konik horses, cattle or bison. We have found interesting projects in almost all European countries, from Norway to Italy, from Ukraine to Portugal.

At this moment, we are in the process of inviting rewilding initiatives to join the Network. In the coming weeks, we will show the initiatives willing to be part of the network in a specific webpage, and we will include an announcement to submit more rewilding initiatives to the European Rewilding Network yourself.

We hope many rewilding initiatives will join the Network to inspire this growing movement. Would you like your rewilding initiative to be part of the Network? Within the coming weeks, an announcement will be posted on this website to inform you further. YOU are welcome!

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