A quick post to give some promotion for this wonderful free Open University course by Rewilding Europe, which I managed to successfully complete this week.
While nothing is 100% perfect, I am a huge fan of the optimistic and progressive attitudes that drive the ideas around rewilding, and I’ve written about it at length before. Taking things one step further I really enjoyed the chance the course gave me to learn more about the strategies and ideas behind this environmental movement, which seems to be gaining increasing traction, especially in Europe.
Letting nature take the lead and working at nature’s scale, thinking creatively, working together and developing nature-based economies are just some of the incredibly beneficial but also impactful principles, that underpin this approach to protecting and restoring our biodiversity and wild spaces.
Aerials over the Letea Forest, Danube Delta rewilding area: Credit: Staffan Widstrand
It was great to get more of an understanding of the multiple factors at play and the challenges and opportunities faced when it comes to trying to instigate rewilding projects. These challenges include negotiating legal obstacles, such as how wild grazing animals are categorised and therefore treated to restrictions around leaving a carcasses, a vital source of food for scavengers like wolves and vultures in many countries.
The course also covered important topics like helping ensure whole communities are involved and benefit from these projects, deciding what first steps to take, exploring the difference between active and passive rewilding as well as looking at the value these projects could have in the fight to mitigate climate change.
However, I have to admit that the best part was really getting to read (and watch) more about multiple inspiring success stories taking place across Europe. These projects ranged from the reintroduction of endangered Przewalski's horse into the Iberian Highlands of Central Spain and the release of Cinereous vultures in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains (see more in the two videos below), to the replanting of oyster reefs in Scotland to a scheme to develop greater co-habitation between bears and local villagers in Italy’s Central Apennines.
Each stage of the course was backed up by so many wonderful examples where this process has had an incredibly positive impact, not just on nature but on the local communities that live alongside them. Indeed, it is the impact on humans that really gives me hope that rewilding offers a genuine, sustainable solution for achieving long term success.
It was a really inspiring process and definitely want I want to pursue further. Next step for me is to explore more about some of the rewilding projects taking place in Asia: from the reintroduction of tigers in Kazakhstan to the regeneration of palm oil plantations in Malaysia, there’s already lots of exciting schemes in play.
Sounds of wild success
One other bonus from doing the course was the link to the Rewild Podcast.
Created in partnership with Rewilding Europe this 18 part series saw photographer and filmmaker James Shooter travel across the continent to bring us the sounds and stories of some remarkable places that have been given a new lease if life by innovative rewilding projects. It makes for a really interesting listen and one that transports you to some wonderful places.