As young people, we expect the European Commission, to be progressive and uphold its values by promoting non-lethal coexistence measures, which are actually effective but still not supported and mainstreamed enough, instead of taking steps to facilitate removal of wolves.

Youth is not only children or future generations, are current young professionals who want to see more ambition in nature restoration efforts. Young rewilders are at the forefront of this, but struggle to find job opportunities and land to rewild. The participation in the European Rewilding Coalition in Vienna and the European Young Rewilders are both spaces and opportunities to empower these young motivated people.

Due to conservation efforts, wildlife is returning to Europe, and this is clearly challenging our current way of living and thinking about nature and our place in it. We are not used to seeing a wolf in our backyard or walking across the street. We have forgotten that wolves are an essential part of European ecosystems due to nature amnesia.

Dense bracken groves suppress ground vegetation, hinder biodiversity, and release toxins, posing a challenge for nature managers. Traditional approaches to control bracken growth have involved manual cutting and the use of the herbicide “Asulam.” However, recent trends have shifted away from artificial interventions and toward the restoration of natural processes. This raises the question: is there a rewilding-based solution to address the issues associated with bracken?

As European Young Rewilders, we could not have chosen a more symbolic landscape for our first in-person meetup than the Oder Delta at the German and Polish border, seeking to strengthen an emerging movement with a bold vision: to make Europe a wilder, more biodiverse place. This is the story of our two-day gathering.

This article is written by Fedra Herman, the author of The Wandering Biologist Blog. Fedra is a Belgian MSc of Conservation Biology graduate from The University of Queensland, passionate about … Continued

This article is written by Fedra Herman, the author of The Wandering Biologist Blog. Fedra is a Belgian MSc of Conservation Biology graduate from The University of Queensland, passionate about … Continued

Giulia Testa is the coordinator of the European Young Rewilders. She has a background in Environmental Law and Policy and has been volunteering in youth political advocacy for biodiversity for … Continued

Those of you who have been following Rewilding Europe for some time may be aware that a Young Rewilders community was launched in the summer of 2021. Some of you … Continued