Rewilding Europa:
Europa está cambiando
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.
_____
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 21st
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:
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.
