Rewilding: Bringing Nature Back to Nature
By: Toni Ulled, beeletter.org
In a world increasingly transformed by human activity, rewilding offers a promising strategy for restoring ecosystems. Rather than simply conserving what remains, rewilding seeks to restore what has been lost: returning animals, plants, and natural processes to degraded landscapes so they can once again function on their own.
What is rewilding?Rewilding is a form of ecological restoration built on the idea of giving nature back its capacity to self-regulate. This involves letting forests, rivers or meadowlands regenerate on their own and, in certain cases, reintroducing key species – such as large herbivores or predators – to reactivate natural dynamics that have been lost.
Why is this important now?
The planet has lost more than 60% of its wildlife over the past 50 years according to the WWF. Many ecosystems no longer function as they should. Rewilding helps increase biodiversity, halt erosion, improve the quality of air and water, and absorb CO2. It also provides benefits for rural communities.
1. Let nature do its job
Sometimes the best thing we can do is do less. We can help restore the ecological balance in several ways, such as letting abandoned crop fields regenerate themselves, allowing rivers to return to their natural beds or refraining from felling dead trees. For instance, in the county of Matarraña (Teruel), several abandoned crop fields are seeing the return of plant cover, which is once again attracting wildlife without any intervention whatsoever.
2. Reintroducing animals that disappeared
A fundamental aspect of rewilding involves reintroducing species that were driven out or went extinct on a local level. These species – bison, beavers, lynxes, bearded vultures, and others – help shape the landscape and restore food chains. The bearded vulture has been successfully reintroduced in the Catalan Pyrenees where it recycles carrion and helps bring ecological cycles full circle. In Scotland, the return of the beaver has improved the quality of wetlands and reduced flooding.
3. Regeneration through grazing: the role of herbivoresWithout the contribution of large herbivores, many ecosystems are invaded by excessive scrubland or suffer biodiversity loss. Reintroducing wild horses, deer or even cows allows for open landscapes and creating habitats for many other species. The nature reserve Campanarios de Azaba (Salamanca) has reintroduced old breeds of horses and cows to regenerate the ecosystem.
4. Better climate, better soils, more biodiversity
By restoring forests, wetlands, and meadowlands, rewilding increases carbon capture, reduces soil erosion, and improves water management. This makes it a powerful tool to combat the climate crisis and foster biodiversity. The project LIFE+ Urogallo cantábrico has shown how restoring mountain habitats benefits both the local fauna and carbon sequestration.
5. Nature and rural development are not foes
Rewilding can provide new economic opportunities through eco-tourism, regenerative livestock farming or sustainable forestry. When this is done in collaboration with local communities, it can revitalize depopulated areas. In Portugal, the project Rewilding Portugal works with livestock farmers, business owners, and conservationists to foster a nature-based economy
6. What if we stop “organizing” nature so much?
Pruning, controlling, clearing out… We are used to “managing” the landscape. Rewilding proposes the opposite: let’s trust nature’s capacity to reorganize itself. Sometimes, not intervening is the most sustainable approach. In the Picos de Europa mountain range, abandoned pastureland has been reclaimed by bears and wolves without the need for reintroduction strategies.
7. Inspiring initiatives currently underwa
- Rewilding Europe works in more than 10 areas of the continent to restore large-scale ecosystems.
- The Nature Conservancy supports rewilding projects in the US and Latin America.
- Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre develops rewilding initiatives in the Cordillera Cantábrica and the Miera Valley.
Rewriting the future starts with the landscapeRewilding isn’t about returning to the past but looking towards the future with humility. Committing ourselves to living ecosystems full of biodiversity that regulate themselves is not only good for the planet but improves our health, economy, and well-being. Sometimes regaining our balance simply means taking a step back.