What we do
By bringing together European experts from the environmental sciences, social sciences and economics, the wildE project is developing climate-smart rewilding, a holistic approach to rewilding that considers climatic, economic and societal challenges in order for ecological restoration to become a financially viable nature-based solution which benefits both public and private stakeholders.
Funded by Horizon Europe, the wildE project uses detailed surveys and models to evaluate the potential impact of European rewilding on carbon and biodiversity, today and in a warmer future.
Where we do it
We are carrying out in-depth research at eight case study sites across Europe, to gather first-hand information on rewilding across a mixture of urban, peri-urban and rural landscapes. This gives us an understanding of how rewilding can be climate-smart throughout Europe.
Project Overview
Human interference in natural ecosystems has caused wide-spread ecological destruction. To combat climate change and biodiversity loss, we need to restore significant areas of the ecosystems that we have destroyed.
To do so, we must step back and let nature take control.
Rewilding is a form of ecological restoration centred around processes that help ecosystems to regulate themselves, whilst reducing human control and pressures.
Climate-smart rewilding is a new concept designed to overcome barriers to rewilding by considering climatic, economic and societal challenges in order for ecological restoration to become a financially viable nature-based solution. By developing climate-smart rewilding, our vision is for a future where rewilded landscapes are valued and can support us in achieving our climate, land-use, economic and societal goals