Rewilding: letting nature do its own thing

In Italy, a plan to rewild 100,000 hectares of landscape in the Central Apennines 1.5 hours from Rome includes protecting 50 to 60 Marsican brown bears, an endangered bear species. Improved signage and measures to prevent traffic accidents are being introduced. A team of “bear ambassadors” has also been set up to communicate with local communities. Other Rewilding Europe projects include reintroducing the Eurasian lynx to countries including Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia, and growing Europe’s vulture populations. In Ukraine, True Nature Foundation is helping to bring back lost species, including the Carpathian water buffalo. This will help to restore the wetland ecosystem around the Danube Delta, the second largest river delta in Europe. Restoring ecosystems around rivers and streams and boosting biodiversity would help to reduce the risk of wildfires and lower emissions by locking away more carbon in the landscape, the plan’s authors say.