Rewilding simply means returning animals or plants where they used to live. Obviously you need expert help, but whwen done well, it points the way to a more hopeful future. Read about wolves that were returend to Yellowstone National Park (and dramatically improved the ecosystem), giant tortoises who survived extinction by returning to their island homes. And closer to home, beavers who have been reintroduced to old territories, where they are building dams, to help prevent floods.
Wilder is the story of the the global journey by passionate conservationists, who are using a passive approach to restore ecological areas, yet also actively rewilding other areas, where species are at risk and need to be reintroduced to natural environments, then left alone.
Wildlife journalist Millie Kerr details the return of jaguars to an Argentinian national park, the first pangolin reintroduction project in South Africa, and ways in which giant tortoises are aiding the recovery of ecosystems throughout the Galápagos Islands. Millie gave up her law career to focus on writing and photographing wildlife conservation.
what is rewilding (and does it help?)
Rewilding is more than ‘leaving nature alone’, it’s about actively creating ecosystems to let wildlife then thrive, without human interference. One great example of successful rewilding has been reintroducing beavers (who once were almost hunted to extinction) to rivers, where their love for building dams is helping to prevent floods. Most land in England is owned by an elite few . Some campaigners are asking Prince Willliam to give over a larger percentage of Dartmoor (which he owns a lot of) for rewilding.
The Critic has a article on the ‘false argument on rewilding vs affordable housing’. The answer is that you can have both. Nearly everyone in England wants local biodiversity to be protected, but experts say government could loosen planning laws, to build sustainable homes in high-demand urban areas, while still protecting green belt land from building.
the most inspiring stories of rewilding
Wild Fell is a book by ecologist Lee Schofield, who is leading efforts to breathe life back into two hill farms and 30 square kilometres of sprawling upland habitat in the remote eastern fells of the Lake District. It was a tragic day for the nation’s wildlife when England’s last lonely golden eagle died in an unmarked spot here. But the right has already begun to restore the landscape. Lee and his team are restoring damaged wetlands, meadows and woods and each year, the landscape is becoming richer, wilder and better able to withstand the shocks of a changing climate.
But in this contested landscape, change is not always welcome. So success relies on finding a balance between rewilding and respecting cherished farming traditions. This is not just a story of an ecosystem in recovery, but also a personal story of connection to place, and the highs and lows of working for nature, amid fierce opposition.
an inspiring personal journey of rewilding
An Irish Atlantic Rainforest is an award-winning book that charts the remarkable journey of a wild forest that bursts into life before our eyes, inviting us to consider the burning issues of our time: climate breakdown, ecological collapse and why we need to radically transform our relationship with nature.
On the Beara peninsula of West Cork in Ireland, a temperate rainforest flourishes, due to the life work of a man who had a vision to move from Dublin with family to rewild a 73-acre farm that he bought. This is a story more of doing nothing than taking action – allowing natural ecosystems to return and thrive without interference, an in doing so, heal an ailing planet. An enduring picture of the regenerative force of nature, and how one Irishman let it happen.
Eoghan Daltun is a conservationist, farmer and rewilder. He spent 7 years studying sculpture in Tuscany, Italy. He rebuilt a 1750s cottage using the original stone and used the proceeds to buy a long-abandoned farm overlooking the Atlantic, the land ecologically wrecked by severe over-grazing and invasion by a host of alien plant species.
how rewilding is saving endangered wild wolves
We don’t have wild wolves anymore in England, though they used to roam our land, living on deer and wild boar. Today it’s likely not a good idea to ‘rewild them’ as they could attack domestic pets or livestock. But abroad there are several rewilding projects that have been restoring ecosystems, and bringing back wild wolves back from the the brink of extinction.
Fourteen Wolves is the true story of how wolves (who disappeared from Yellowstone Park in the 1930s) were reintroduced, as the ecosystem began to collapse. Enormous herds of elk swarmed the plains, bears starved, rabbit families shrank and birds flew to new homes. Plants vanished, trees withered and rivers meandered. But in 1995, they were returned to the park and everything changed for the better.
Yet Canada still spends millions of dollars on shooting wolves from helicopters, even though Valhalla Wilderness Society (in British Columbia) says that culling is simply a political cover-up for not preserving old-growth forests that help protect herds of moose, deer and elk. Trump’s administration stopped wolves from being protected (to satisfy cattle farmers), even though experts say good husbandry (keeping cattle healthy and removing dead carcasses that attract wolves for an ‘easy lunch’ (and using sheds for birthing calves) is more efficient.
Only recently did the government listen to the charity IFAW’s campaign and agree to stop using the cruel poison (strychnine – also used to kill bears and coyotes), due to concerns it would move through the food chain, when carcasses were eaten by other creatures. But wolves are only protected by law, in national parks (unlike say Poland, where wolf hunts have been banned since the 90s, leading to successful recovery numbers).
Wolves will nearly always go for the weak diseased prey, so ranchers who keep herds free from disease (through healthy organic farming methods) and take time to immediately remove dead livestock, suffer less.
The main ‘star of the show’ is WildEyes, a Swiss AI invention that can detect approaching predators and prevent attacks before they occur. This tiny camera is attached to a tree and immediately sends a message to the farmer or park ranger, who can immediately scare off predators (the same technology is being used to stop poachers of critically endangered rhinos and elephants – the latter often shot once they begin raiding plantations).
The Wolf Watch Sanctuary (nestled along the Shropshire/Welsh border) is a 100-acre woodland offering homes for wolves rescued from captivity (began after rescuing a pair of wolves from a Warwickshire zoo). It does not allow ‘watching wolves’ for money, instead it takes in displaced wolves to live akin to the wild, as they can’t be released in the wild.
a book of rewilding stories for bedtime
Rewild the World at Bedtime is a beautiful keepsake collection of calming wildlife stories to read at bedtime, for children to learn about projects that are rewilding the world with animals, and saving our planet. From Colombia to Indonesia, 40,000 unique species are threatened with extinction, and it’s never been a better time to teach children of the power of conservation.
This enchanting read soothes little ones with 20 stories about nature healing itself, when animals are returned to their natural habitats, without human interference. The animals re-wilded include:
- Eurasian beavers (reintroduced to Devon rivers)
- Endangered tigers (saved with animal dung stoves in Nepal)
- Peaceful water buffalos (part of a Ukrainian restoration project)
- Adorable lynx (released from captivity in the Iberian Peninsula)
- Majestic humpback whales (banned from being hunted)
Emily Hawkins was once a children’s book editor and now writes books herself. She holds a first-class degree from Nottingham University, and lives in Winchester.