MEETING THE PEOPLE REWILDING EUROPE

Over the last 200 years, humans have become the undisputed dominant species on earth.

- Joey Tyson

As a result, the natural world has suffered tremendously. Today, almost half of the planet’s land is used for agriculture and food production, forcing our wild spaces into dramatic retreat. The global rate of extinction is higher than it’s ever been, while the climate crisis, aided by our vanishing wilderness, continues to accelerate.

With the world on the brink of two major ecological disasters, many conservationists are turning to rewilding, in a bid to save our disappearing biodiversity. One recent study, published last year in Nature, suggests that if just 15 per cent of certain areas were rewilded, 60 per cent of expected extinctions could be stopped, with significant CO2 capture a much-needed side effect.

So, what exactly is rewilding? In theory, the concept is simple: restore swathes of land, and let nature take back control. Currently, there are hundreds of rewilding projects taking place across Europe, stretching from the UK all the way down to the eastern fringes of the Balkans.

In practice, it’s a little more complicated, and setting it in motion requires a massive effort, as well as substantial people power. For these projects to succeed, they need a special sort of person – highly skilled, and fiercely passionate individuals, or groups, willing to dedicate their lives to the restoration of the wild. Because, as much as we are responsible for the dire state of the natural world, only significant human effort will reverse the damage done.

From Italy, Britain and Bulgaria, we met with the people behind some of Europe’s most exciting rewilding projects.

ALASTAIR DRIVER, DIRECTOR OF REWILDING BRITAIN, UK