Healing Earth through rewilding

As our planet faces the escalating challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and urban sprawl, an old idea is gaining new traction: rewilding. More than just a conservation buzzword, rewilding is a bold, proactive approach to restoring ecosystems, reintroducing lost species, and letting natural processes take the reins again. From the plains of Europe to the deserts of Australia, rewilding is reshaping the way we think about ecological recovery—and offering hope for a wilder, healthier planet.

What is rewilding?

At its core, rewilding is about restoring nature’s balance by putting key species and natural processes back where they once thrived. Unlike traditional conservation, which often aims to preserve current conditions, rewilding asks a more ambitious question: What if we brought back what was lost?

This includes:

• Reintroducing keystone species like wolves, beavers, or Tasmanian devils.
• Restoring natural dynamics such as grazing, predation, and seasonal flooding.
• Reducing human interference to allow ecosystems to self-regulate.

The concept has gone from ecological theory to real-world success stories. One of the most iconic is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s. The return of this apex predator triggered a trophic cascade: elk populations dropped, allowing overgrazed plants to recover, which stabilized riverbanks, improved biodiversity, and even changed the course of rivers. It’s a vivid example of how one species can influence an entire ecosystem.

Please also read: Rewilding experience in central Europe 

Science moves from theory to action

Ecologist Liesbeth Bakker (NIOO-KNAW) is one of the researchers working to turn the romantic image of rewilding into a rigorous science. Together with Danish colleague Jens-Christian Svenning, she edited a special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, focused entirely on rewilding and its ecological impacts.

“We’re seeing increasing evidence that the loss of wildlife is not just about losing charismatic species, but also the critical ecological roles they play,” Bakker explains. These roles can range from keeping invasive species in check to reducing wildfire risk by consuming excess vegetation.

Their research highlights that trophic rewilding—the reintroduction of species that shape food webs—is a powerful tool to combat the effects of global environmental change. Whether it’s reindeer reducing Arctic warming impacts or beavers restoring wetland biodiversity, the evidence is mounting: rewilding works.

Rewilding around the world

Across continents, rewilding is being tailored to meet unique ecological challenges:

Europe: elk and bison return

In the Netherlands and Romania, large grazers like elk and European bison are being reintroduced to bring back ancient grazing dynamics. These animals help manage vegetation naturally, reduce fire risk, and create habitats for countless other species.

Australia: devils and desert revival

Australia’s fragile ecosystems are seeing the return of long-absent native species. Tasmanian devils, reintroduced to the mainland in 2020, help suppress invasive predators like foxes and cats. In the Arid Recovery Project, species such as bilbies and bettongs are reclaiming their desert homes thanks to predator-free zones.

United Kingdom: the knepp experiment

The Knepp Estate in England turned degraded farmland into a haven for wildlife. By removing fences and reintroducing free-roaming herbivores, the estate witnessed the return of rare birds, butterflies, and even white storks nesting in the UK for the first time in centuries.

Mexico: a marine comeback

Rewilding isn’t limited to land. In Cabo Pulmo, a community-driven marine reserve, fish populations rebounded by over 400% after fishing was banned. The reef’s revival brought back predators like sharks and created sustainable tourism jobs.

Can we rewild our cities?

Absolutely. Rewilding isn’t just for vast national parks. It can begin in your own backyard. Small-scale efforts like planting native plants, ditching pesticides, and adding water features can create urban wildlife havens. These micro-habitats support pollinators, birds, and small mammals, and collectively help stitch together fragmented landscapes.

Even in densely populated countries like the Netherlands, rewilding is proving feasible. With creative land use—such as giving rivers more space to flow naturally—and coordinated conservation policies, even heavily modified environments can support thriving ecosystems.

The challenges of rewilding

While rewilding is promising, it’s not without complications:

• Human-wildlife conflict can arise, especially with predators near farmlands.
• Funding and long-term commitment are essential for success.
• Invasive species management remains a constant hurdle.

Moreover, rewilding alone can’t solve climate change or biodiversity loss. As Bakker notes, rewilding must be part of a larger strategy that includes sustainable land use, ecological connectivity, and interdisciplinary collaboration between ecologists, economists, and policymakers.

Everyone can be a rewilder

You don’t need a PhD to help nature recover. A rewilder can be anyone who contributes to restoring ecosystems. Whether you’re planting native species in your yard, supporting rewilding nonprofits, advocating for protected areas, or choosing eco-conscious tourism, your actions matter.

Conclusion

Rewilding represents more than a method—it’s a mindset shift. It invites us to step back and trust nature’s ability to heal, if only we give it space. The return of wolves, beavers, and lynxes shows how ecosystems can bounce back when their natural rhythms are restored.

In a time when environmental despair often dominates the headlines, rewilding offers a rare and powerful alternative: not just to protect what’s left, but to rebuild what was lost.