Category: Reintroductions

Birds, Coexistence, Connectivity, Keystone species, Reintroductions

Reviving Portugal’s vultures [Southern Europe]

Milene Matos writes: “The mighty cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) is a true giant of the skies. It is the largest Old World vulture and one of the heaviest birds of prey in the world, with a wingspan of almost three metres. Unfortunately, the species has suffered a dramatic decline across Europe—but there is hope. Thanks to the recovery of the Spanish population, this impressive vulture is making a…” Continue reading Reviving Portugal’s vultures [Southern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Conservation breeding, Grasslands, Reintroductions, Reptiles

Helping Catalonia’s only tortoise [Southern Europe]

Joe Gray writes: “Northern Spain is home to a number of species of animal whose presence might, to the uninformed, come as something of a surprise. Here, across the upper band of the Iberian Peninsula, grey wolves still roam in numbers, while brown bears are beginning to rebound. And, in the far north-east, within the autonomous community of Catalonia, a European tortoise is being bolstered…” Continue reading Helping Catalonia’s only tortoise [Southern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Birds, Forests, Keystone species, Mammals, Plants, Reintroductions, Reptiles

Rewilding Rio: The story of Tijuca NP [South America]

Lara Norberto Renzeti writes: “At the heart of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most iconic cities in the world, lies a 3958-hectare expanse of imposing, green-covered hills. The Tijuca Forest has witnessed a history of devastation followed by a slow, though unsteady, process of restoration. By the 19th century, what was once a fragment of the Atlantic Forest had become a patchwork of areas dedicated to timber…” Continue reading Rewilding Rio: The story of Tijuca NP [South America]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Conservation breeding, Grasslands, Invertebrates, Reintroductions, Wetlands

Reintroducing a lost grasshopper [Northern Europe]

Joe Nash writes: “The Hop of Hope project from Citizen Zoo ties into wider efforts to restore ecosystems, habitats, and biodiversity in the East of England. As well as bringing about a successful reintroduction of the large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum), a Hop of Hope is a demonstration of citizen science in action. Fostering a diverse community of grasshopper-rearing…” Continue reading Reintroducing a lost grasshopper [Northern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Forests, Mammals, Reintroductions

Boosting red squirrels’ chances [Northern Europe]

Richard Bunting writes: “On the remote Drimnin Estate, overlooking the Sound of Mull on Scotland’s west coast, a new population of red squirrels is settling into their new home. Earlier this year, six squirrels were released there by rewilding charity Trees for Life, with the enthusiastic backing of the landowners. The release is the latest step in a pioneering project which is offering hope for the long-term…” Continue reading Boosting red squirrels’ chances [Northern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Grasslands, Invertebrates, Mammals, Reintroductions, Wetlands

Dung beetles on a coastal reserve [Western Europe]

Cyril Forchelet writes: “Created in 1976 on the edge of the town of Lacanau, in Gironde, France, the Étang de Cousseau nature reserve covers 900 hectares. The reserve, which is managed by the environmental body SEPANSO Aquitaine, is located 50 km west of Bordeaux and 3 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. It leans against the eastern side of the coastal dune belt. The reserve is made up of…” Continue reading Dung beetles on a coastal reserve [Western Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Coexistence, Conservation breeding, Mammals, Reintroductions

Saving wildcats in the Cairngorms [Northern Europe]

Claudia Bell writes: “Within the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, 19 European wildcats have recently been released through a conservation project known as Saving Wildcats. This is part of efforts to bring the species back from the brink of extinction in Scotland. In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature concluded that the wildcat population in Scotland was ‘non-viable’…” Continue reading Saving wildcats in the Cairngorms [Northern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Connectivity, Grasslands, Mammals, Reintroductions

The hyena returns [Southern Africa]

Peace Parks Foundation staff write: “Something remarkable is happening in Mozambique, a country on the east coast of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, the National Administration for Conservation Areas, which directs the management of national parks and reserves, signed a fifteen-year agreement with Peace Parks Foundation to restore, develop, and manage Maputo National Park, in the…” Continue reading The hyena returns [Southern Africa]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Mammals, Reintroductions, Rivers, Wetlands

Life’s revival in a natural harbor [Northeast USA]

Judith S Weis writes: “During much of the previous century, the New York–New Jersey (NY–NJ) Harbor Estuary was severely degraded due to the effects of heavy industry, including the unregulated discharge of raw sewage and all kinds of industrial pollutants into the water, as well as the filling-in of marshes for development (e.g., three major area airports were built in this way). Major…” Continue reading Life’s revival in a natural harbor [Northeast USA]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Birds, Coexistence, Reintroductions

An eagle’s return to Scottish skies [Northern Europe]

Joe Gray writes: “There are patterns in life that recur at different scales. Take the shape of a stretch of rocky coastline, like that found in western Scotland. The kayaker bobbing along a short section of this sees rugged corners and sweeping curves that are repeated—on a larger scale—for a viewer up in the sky. For our aerial spectator in this comparison, let us choose an eagle—that bird of famed acuity. Actually, let us…” Continue reading An eagle’s return to Scottish skies [Northern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Forests, Reintroductions

Rewilding in an unlikely landscape [Northeast USA]

Jon Leibowitz writes: “What if someone told you a rewilding story that took place on a grand scale—the size of entire countries? As the story goes, a primeval forest disappears practically overnight (geologically speaking) leaving a landscape reminiscent of modern-day Scotland. Entire forests are brought down, first for lumber and charcoal and then pasture and farms. Carnivores like wolves…” Continue reading Rewilding in an unlikely landscape [Northeast USA]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes1 Comment
Birds, Conservation breeding, Reintroductions

Return of a European native [Western Europe]

Johannes Fritz writes: “Northern Bald Ibises are whimsical birds, with their tuft of iridescent lancet feathers, their bare head with individual black patterns, and their long-curved bill. They are one of the best known and most popular birds in Europe. The species is kept in many zoos throughout Europe, where it is loved by zoo visitors due to the exotic appearance and extraordinary behaviour. But with some luck…” Continue reading Return of a European native [Western Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Grasslands, Keystone species, Mammals, Reintroductions

Rewilding the southern Great Plains [Western USA]

Jay Tutchton and Nicole Rosmarino write: “Nearly 25 years ago, the Southern Plains Land Trust (SPLT) sprouted, based on a simple idea: let’s buy as much land as we can, just for the wild ones. SPLT’s vision is to bring back the diversity and abundance of wildlife of the American Serengeti by rewilding the shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains. What does “rewilding” mean to us? Let’s start with…”
Continue reading Rewilding the southern Great Plains [Western USA]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Keystone species, Reintroductions, Wetlands

Returning life in the Oder delta [Northern Europe]

Pernilla Hansson writes: “In the northernmost region of Germany and Poland, the Oder river forms part of the border between the countries, culminating in the large Oder delta. The delta consists of a mosaic of environments such as heaths, wetlands, forests, grasslands, and lagoons, most notably the large Stettin lagoon. Both Germany and Poland have recognised that protecting the delta is a…” Continue reading Returning life in the Oder delta [Northern Europe]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes
Grasslands, Invertebrates, Reintroductions

Mission Blues [Western USA]

Bruce Byers writes: “A breeze was just starting up as we parked along Quarry Road in Brisbane, California, on the eastern slope of San Bruno Mountain. I tagged along with a local butterfly conservation scientist and a two-person team from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Mission of the day: to capture and translocate some endangered Mission Blue butterflies from this area to Sweeney Ridge…” Continue reading Mission Blues [Western USA]

Unknown's avatarRewilding Successes