Episode 27: Rewilding Europe with Frans Schepers

The Think Wildlife Podcast

With a growing consensus on the importance of nature-based solutions in tackling the climate crisis, one particular ecological concept has become highly prevalent. That is rewilding. Across the world, landscapes and species are making a return. This includes the Southern White Rhinos of South Africa, the Bengal Tiger and Asiatic Lion of India, and the wolves of Yellowstone National Park. Europe also has become the forebearer of the rewilding movement, with various megafauna making a comeback from the brink, including brown bears, wolves, beavers, and bison. However, rewilding is not limited to only the revival of endangered species.

So, what exactly is rewilding? It is a form of ecological restoration that aims, to not only bolster biodiversity but also restore natural processes. It differs from conventional ecological restoration due to the minimalistic human interventions involved in this process. Rewilding aims to produce dynamic, yet self-regulating and self-sustaining ecosystems with near pre-human levels of species diversity. The movement focuses on the conservation of the “3-C’s” - cores, corridors, and carnivores. Rewilding finds its roots in a continental-scale effort in North America and over the last three decades has expanded across all continents. To learn more about the history and concept of rewilding, do check out the pioneering book “Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery” by Cain Blythe and Paul Jepson.

On this episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I speak to Frans Schepers, the co-founder and Executive Director of Rewilding Europe, one of the leading rewilding organizations globally. We talk about the principles of rewilding, the challenges associated, the role of megaherbivores and the various projects the organization is involved with. We also briefly talk about rewilding in the United Kingdom.

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