Rewilding Europa: Europa está cambiando. Making Europe a Wilder Place.

Rewilding Europa: Europa está cambiando

                                                                                                www.rewildingeurope.com

Naturaleza en Europa se encuentra en un estado de cambio dramático. Por un lado, la biodiversidad sigue disminuyendo, pero por otro lado hay una impresionante recuperación de la fauna.

Debido a razones socioeconómicas se está produciendo un amplia y creciente abandono de las tierras rurales dejando grandes extensiones que suponen un reto y a la vez una gran oportunidad para la recuperación de las especies y de los ecosistemas europeos. 

 Glotón (Gulo gulo)

 

La política europea se está desplazando hacia una actitud más positiva a la conservación y recuperación de la fauna.

Por otro lado, Europa está expuesta a una recesión económica, conflictos sociales, la pérdida continua de la diversidad biológica y los desastres naturales cada vez más asociados con el cambio climático.

 Bisonte europeo (Bison bonasus)

 

Rewilding Europa como una nueva iniciativa podría convertirse en nuevas oportunidades:
La urbanización y el abandono de las tierras que conduce a la despoblación de las zonas rurales de Europa. Ello nos conduce a una oportunidad histórica para la conservación de la biodiversidad en Europa.
Un regreso importante de una serie de especies emblemáticas e icónicas de vida silvestre.
Conectado a un aumento de la tolerancia de la gente hacia las especies salvajes. Esta es una de las principales razones por las que se está produciendo el regreso de fauna, que a su vez también proporciona productos turísticos relacionados con la fauna y la biodiversidad en general.

Conservación en Europa durante mucho tiempo ha sido un poco diferente a la del resto del mundo. Debido a que la mayor parte de especies y biomas se han perdido hace mucho tiempo; la conservación de la naturaleza se ha centrado en sistemas como las tierras cultivadas, los sistemas agrícolas ancestrales, hábitats seminaturales, a menudo dependiendo de las subvenciones públicas y la participación privada.

 Lince europeo (Lynx lynx)

Europa presenta una variedad de paisajes, los hábitats, las culturas y el desarrollo. Europa sigue  perdiendo rápidamente biodiversidad ( las especies y los ecosistemas naturales) por actuaciones antrópicas como el desarrollo urbanístico, el desarrollo de infraestructuras, la industrialización, la intensificación de la agricultura, la silvicultura y la pesca. También están surgiendo nuevas oportunidades de conservación. Además, hay una creciente comprensión de la necesidad real de conservar los valores del patrimonio natural y el potencial del "rewilding".

Rewilding Europa quiere hacer de Europa un lugar más salvaje, con mucho más espacio para la fauna, vida silvestre y los procesos naturales. Recuperar la variedad de la vida extinta o amenazada explorando nuevas formas para que la gente para ganarse la vida desde el medio silvestre.

 

  Oso pardo (Ursus arctos)

Rewilding Europa aporta una nueva visión de conservación para Europa, con la naturaleza salvaje ("grandes paisajes que se rigen por procesos naturales esenciales, que crean el espacio necesario para todos nuestros animales y plantas, incluido el hombre'' originales) y los procesos naturales como la elementos clave, donde rewilding es aplicable a cualquier tipo de paisaje.

En el proceso de "Rewilding" la gestión NMR (Natural Management Resources) tratamiento de la naturaleza se contempla desde la capacidad de la naturaleza de cuidarse de sí misma.
Rewilding Europa está trabajando desde el mantenimiento y desarrollo de los procesos naturales que desempeñan un papel vital en la formación de nuestros paisajes y ecosistemas.

 Rosal silvestre o escaramujo, importante fruto silvestre para la fauna

 
Rewilding Europa reconoce el pastoreo natural "Rewilding"  trabaja para que los herbívoros nativos puedan volver de nuevo como uno de los factores ecológicos claves para que paisajes naturales abiertos y semiabiertos puedan mantenerse y generarse, ya que una gran parte de la biodiversidad de Europa es dependiente de ellos.
El oso pardo, el lobo, el lince, el lince ibérico, el glotón y muchos otros carnívoros son necesarios para el funcionamiento natural de los ecosistemas.
Rewilding Europa pretende REWILD al menos un millón de hectáreas de tierra en 2022.

 

Making Europe a Wilder Place.

 

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Europe is changing

Nature in Europe is in a state of dramatic change. On the one hand, biodiversity is still declining, but on the other hand there is an impressive wildlife comeback going on. Because of huge socio-economic and lifestyle changes there is a wide and increasing land abandonment. At the same time there is a strong growth within nature-based tourism.

On top of that, European policy is shifting towards a more positive attitude to wilderness, wildlife and rewilding. We believe these facts offer opportunities for wild nature in Europe that are bigger than for centuries.

Every period in time brings with it opportunities and challenges. The 21^st century Europe is no different. We are exposed to economic downturn, social conflict, a continued loss of biodiversity and natural disasters increasingly associated with climate change.

A few trends are particularly relevant for nature and these were the main reasons for starting Rewilding Europe as a new initiative:

• Urbanisation and land abandonment leading to depopulation of rural areas in Europe. Something that is taking place both in agricultural and in forested areas. These sociocultural and economic problems could be turned into new opportunities.
• A substantial comeback of a number of iconic and keystone wildlife species. This offers great opportunities for Europeans to enjoy and benefit from this wildlife comeback.
• A substantial comeback of a number of iconic and keystone wildlife species. Connected to an increasing tolerance from people towards wild beings. This is one of the main reasons for the wildlife comeback, which in its turn also provides the possible base for a number of wildlife-related tourism products.
• An increasingly favorable European policy towards wildlife, wilderness and rewilding. Especially related to the recently approved wilderness resolution by the European Parliament, the EU Commission’s new biodiversity strategy for Europe and the Natura 2000 Network.

Can we bring the biodiversity decline in Europe to a halt, produce an additional kind of nature conservation that costs less and delivers more new economic value, lets wild species and habitats come back, and better safeguards our shared natural heritage for the future?

We believe there is a way, and we intend to explore and find that way, together with as many like-minded partners as possible. If there is a will, there is a way to reconnect people with nature, and a way to combine that with economic development in countryside Europe.

We call this way rewilding. Rewilding of areas, habitats, species and minds.

Making Europe a Wilder Place.

A historic opportunity

Conservation in Europe has since long been a bit different to that in the rest of the world. Because most of the wilderness was lost a long time ago, nature conservation focused on cultivated lands, ancient farming systems and semi-natural, managed habitats, often depending on public subsidies and private engagement. We mean that there is need for a certain shift of focus here.

The wild was almost forgotten

This so-called“compensatory habitat approach” definitely has its value and it has certainly rescued many species from extinction. However, an important part for conservation and biodiversity protection was almost left out: the preservation of wild nature, wilderness and natural processes. Europe is highly diverse in its landscapes, habitats, cultures and development. While we are still rapidly losing species and natural ecosystems through urbanisation, infrastructure development, industrialisation of agriculture, forestry and fishery – new conservation opportunities are also emerging. Additionally, there is a growing understanding of the real need for wilderness and the potential within rewilding.

Wilderness protection and rewilding at the core of sustainability

We have, as a society, begun to recognise the need for wild land to provide us with ecosystem services like: clean water and air, base-line scientific reference areas, areas for recreation and economic development… and indeed, to help refresh our human spirit and well being. People have begun to understand that wilderness protection and rewilding are actually at the core of sustainability – handing over a healthy environment to coming generationsand not limiting their choices. The comeback of species like the wolf, beaver, vultures and white stork gives hope. Initial approaches in rewilding have shown that European ecosystems have a high potential for regeneration, while existing wilderness benefits from strict protection. Europe now has the chance to catch up with the more global approach, where nature conservation is inseparably linked to wilderness protection and wild nature.

Towards a more development oriented approach

By changing our perspective from traditional nature conservation towards a more development oriented approach, the reference point for European nature changes too. A reference point that is no longer based in the past but in the future, towards landscapes that are governed by essential natural processes, which create the necessary space for all of our original animals and plants, including man. With species that survived for thousands of years in the more agricultural landscapes, instead reclaiming their place in a natural setting.

Our vision

”Wild nature is recognised as an important and fundamental part of Europe’s natural and cultural heritage and is an essential element of a modern, prosperous, and healthy European society”

Our mission

”Rewilding Europe wants to make Europe a wilder place, with much more space for wildlife, wilderness and natural processes. Bringing back the variety of life for us all to enjoy and exploring new ways for people to earn a fair living from the wild”

How do we want to achieve this?

Rewilding Europe brings a new conservation vision for Europe, with wild nature (’large landscapes that are governed by essential natural processes, which create the necessary space for all of our original animals and plants, including man’’) and natural processes as its key elements, where rewilding is applicable to any type of landscape or level of protection. Treating nature as something that is fully capable of taking care of itself, if given the opportunity to do so. This concept could become the main management principle for many natural areas in the future. Just let nature take care of itself.

Rewilding Europe is working to allow natural processes to play a vital role in shaping our landscapes and ecosystems. Among such natural processes are flooding (like erosion and sedimentation), weather conditions (like storms, avalanches and wind-shaped sand dunes), natural calamities (like natural fires and disease), natural grazing (the role of herbivores of all kinds in creating vegetation dynamics), predation (the impact of carnivores on their prey species and thereby the vegetation), the role of scavenging, and many others.

Rewilding Europe particularly focuses on turning the problems caused by the on-going, large-scale land abandonment into opportunities for man and nature. Providing a viable business case for wild nature in Europe. Several areas have the potential to become world-class nature tourism attractions, alongside the many other ways of reaping economic benefits from the wild.

Rewilding Europe aims to rewild at least one million hectares of land by 2022 ( most rewilding areas have started in 2012 or start even in 2014 and 2015 -new areas- so the ten-year vision date differs from area to area), creating ten magnificent wildlife and wilderness areas of international quality, that become the base for a new competitive, sustainable rural economy in these areas. Serving as inspirational examples for what can also be achieved elsewhere.

Rewilding Europe recognizes natural grazing as one of the key ecological factors for naturally open and half-open landscapes, upon which a large part of Europe’s biodiversity is dependent. We are working to allow our native herbivores to return again in significant, more natural numbers to the lands where they once belonged and where they can again play their ecological role.

Rewilding Europe recognizes the crucially important ecological role of the large carnivores, as well as that of the smaller predators, the raptors and the scavengers. The brown bear, the wolf, the Eurasian lynx, the Iberian lynx, the wolverine and many other carnivores are necessary for the natural functioning of the ecosystems they live in.

Rewilding Europe emphasizes the joy and the value of wildness, and takes active part in a strong communication on everything from local to an international level. This in order to stimulate a greater sense of pride in the wild and to spread a vision of a wilder continent. By using a broad range of communication tools and partnerships to promote our natural heritage and showcase the opportunities for rewilding to many millions of Europeans.

We invite all strands of society to be part of this exciting and ground-breaking initiative.

Making Europe a Wilder Place.