Rewilding Projects To Follow In 2024

Nature is calling, and what it wants are vast areas of land with functional ecosystems. Places where native biodiversity can thrive, and where even large mammals can roam free. Where nature can perform ecological services that benefit the entire biosphere, such as storing carbon, promoting watershed resilience, and protecting biodiversity.

This is exactly what organizations involved in “rewilding” are trying to achieve. They are working to achieve ecological restoration on massive scales by eliminating the human element and letting nature simply do its thing. Of course, human interventions may also be necessary in some cases, but the idea focuses on large-scale minimal-intervention solutions. 

As we are almost halfway through the “United Nations Decade Of Ecological Restoration” which includes rewilding as part of its initiative, let's take a look at some of the most exciting rewilding projects to keep on your radar.

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Rewilding In Chile And Argentina

You can’t say rewilding without thinking of Tompkins Conservation. Since the 1990s the Tompkins Conservation has protected millions of acres of land in Chile and Argentina, where they are actively conducting rewilding and other sustainable activities. Along with local governing bodies, they are responsible for the creation of more than a dozen National Parks in these countries. 

One of their primary goals is to promote conservation for large mammals like Jaguars, Pumas, Otters, and the Huemul Deer. Many of these species require vast areas of land and safe migration routes across distinct biomes. A core belief of the rewilding effort conducted by Tompkins Conservation is that protecting and returning large mammals into ecosystems is a crucial step towards creating a self-sustaining and healthy ecosystem. 

This past February, Tompkins Conservation celebrated the discovery of a Giant Ant Eater in southern Brazil near one of their parks in Argentina. It is presumed the animal crossed the border from the Iberá Park in northeastern Argentina where the Tompkins Conservation had released 110 individuals back into the wild. This was the first Giant Ant Eater sighted in Brazil after its presumed extinction 100 years ago. You can learn more about Tompkins Conservation at their main website here, or check out their work at Fundación Rewilding Chile and Fundación Rewilding Argentina. 

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Norway Protecting Arctic Wildlife

Last September, Norway completed its largest rewilding project in its history. Its project, which started in 2017, aimed to transform an old industrial city back into a habitat for endangered species. They cleared all evidence of human activity except for some historic monuments. Mines and other large-scale disturbances were also amended. Some notable successes so far include the return of polar bears, reindeer, and arctic foxes into the once-inhabited regions. While rewilding efforts in arctic regions rarely receive the media attention they deserve, they are of crucial importance as they sustain some of the species most at threat from climate change. 

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Rewilding Rhinos In Africa

The organization African Parks, has recently acquired 2,000 white rhinos which they aim to rewild over the next decade. They acquired these Rhinos after purchasing a private captive rhino breeding operation which went out of business. By purchasing this operation, they hope to protect them from poaching and other threats they may have faced from other investors. Over the next decade, they hope to relocate these Rhinos to protected areas across Africa, where many will supplement genetic diversity into existing populations. 

Southern White Rhinos once had critically low populations, but were rebounded thanks to conservation efforts. Unfortunately, they have recently been encountering new threats due to poaching and habitat loss. Rewilding these Rhinos will hold immense benefits for the ecosystem where they will live, including improvements in ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and even carbon storage. 

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Restoration Of The Klamath River

The Klamath River in Northern California is set to become part of one of the largest river restoration projects in the nation. This comes as permission for the removal of several dams along the river has been granted, and their removal is expected this year. While it's known removing these dams will have many benefits for species such as the endangered Coho Salmon, it will also release a century's worth of sediment build-up which could pose challenges to restoration efforts. The restoration of this river has many partners and stakeholders including government agencies, non-profit organizations, native tribes, and dozens of individual volunteers. You can learn more about this project at the NOAA website. 

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Rewilding A Better Tomorrow

As the so-called "Decade of Ecological Restoration" continues, positive collaborations between governments, NGOs, and local communities will be monumental to the success of conservation initiatives like rewilding. These efforts will not only protect our planet's biodiversity, but they will also improve global resilience in the face of climate change. By simply giving nature the space it needs, we can do so much towards protecting our planet and forging a better future for the next generations. 

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Hero Image by Ucumari Photography