Rewilding Day 2024

If you’ve ever yearned for the wilderness, to immerse yourself in wild nature, then you are hearing the call of the rewild.

Rewilding the land is very important to me and necessary for my sanity.  We have an organic vegetable garden and an orchard for fruit and vegetables, both unfenced and the rest of our property, around 16 acres is fields and woods. We have planted hundreds of native trees, mostly where we cut down pines planted by the previous owner and in other areas where brush has been cleared.  

Fire regulations here require clear-cutting of land close to any houses, regardless of the fact that it destroys the shrubs and pioneer species that are necessary for trees to grow, to prevent soil erosion and desertification.  We have been through it so many times with people who just follow the regulations set by bureaucrats who never set foot on the land. It has made me very angry in the past and even now, sometimes I feel despair – will I see the landscape recover in my lifetime?

When the situation gets me down, I get out in the garden, if I can.  We are in the relentless spring rains now and it’s impossible to do anything outside, but the rain is rejuvenating. The sound I soothing and, thank goodness, we no longer have a leaky roof!

I’ve used this quiet time to look into some of rewilding activities in Europe. Rewilding Europe founded by four Dutchmen in 2011, focuses on large-scale rewilding projects across Europe. Their ethos is to support Nature in recovering in her own way, bringing back wildlife and ensuring the future well-being of humans through connection with wild nature.  

Rewilding on a large scale is complex. Rural communities and farmers have become used to seeing nature as a resource to be exploited, or as a threat.  Reduction of habitat for key predators has made the threat real, as these animals – lynx and wolves in Spain and Portugal – have to prey on farm animals to survive.  Long-term solutions have to take into account the needs of the people in rural communities, as well as the wild animals and the land.  Partnering projects on this scale involve restoring habitat, introducing more prey species like rabbits and deer and even providing traditional guard dogs for sheep farmers in Portugal

Rewilding on a smaller scale, around a homestead or a garden is immensely satisfying and will be of huge benefit to the wildlife in your area. This is a great site for help with rewinding on a smaller scale, as in a garden or homestead: https://howtorewild.co.uk/blog/how-to-rewild-your-uk-garden/

In rewilding the landscape we also rewild ourselves, rediscovering our sense of child-like wonder as we recreate ourselves within Nature.

Start now!  World Rewilding Day March 20, 2024.