Who are you?

I am a young environmentalist from Italy and Environmental Law Graduate.

I moved to North Europe 5 years ago and have not left since then – currently I am based in Sweden. I just can’t stay away from wilderness, the outdoor and the cold!

I love woking with and for fellow young people, advocating for the inclusion of youth perspective in environmental decisions. When I am not involved in rewilding, I also coordinate the Nordic chapter of the youth consituency of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

What excites you about rewilding?

I think rewilding has the potential to be a win-win for humans and the environment because it goes beyond nature protection, and emphasizes the fact that nature thrive and hear itself if given space. Rewilding moves away from historical anthropocentrism, addressing fundamental aspects of our relationship with nature – and exactly because of this I think can provide long-lasting and deep changes. I find myself aligned with this view on a personal level, and I see rewilding as a true and implementable solution to steer away from the business-as-usual.

Why did you join the EYR?

I believe that young people are really the future of the rewilding movement. We are getting knowledgable, we are enthusiasts and passionate, and this is truly an unleashed potential to make Europe wilder. We have the right to demand a flourishing nature.

If enabled and given the tools, young people can really do great things. I want to support and empower all these young people around Europe that want to initiate their rewilding activities but do not know where to start.

Who are you?

Hi my name is Aleksandrina, but you can call me Aleks! I am originally from Bulgaria but currently live in friendly Denmark, in the city of Aarhus.

I am a huge nature lover and a generalist when it comes to habitats and animals, I love them all!

I have been captured by the idea of rewilding ever since my Bachelor in Conservation Biology. After all the doom and gloom scenarios we were learning about, the idea of rewilding gave me hope that nature can indeed recover, if we only let it.

What do you do?

Alongside my work as a Supervisory board member for Rewilding Europe, I am currently studying a Master’s degree at Aarhus University and working as a research assistant studying marine mammal vocalisations. Therefore, if I am not in a board meeting or listening to growling seals and singing whales you will most likely find me running towards getting a degree.

Why did you join the EYR?

The idea of a Young Rewilders Community instantly became close to my heart. I wanted young people like me to feel like they are a part of a community, like they belong in the rewilding world where opportunities are often scarce.

I myself had faced the struggles of finding jobs and opportunities in this field and what it is like to want to help the environment but not to know how. Therefore I wanted us to give others the ‘how’. To provide them with a network of contacts and possibilities, and encourage them to find their way.

I believe that nature’s future will be more than bright if the enthusiasm and potential of young professionals is realised! We just need a playing field!

Who are you?

I am a wildlife conservationist from England and Germany, and have been interested in the concept of rewilding for many years now. I studied my BSc in Wildlife Conservation and will soon be finished with my MSc in Global Change Ecology. I have wanted to work with nature since I was a young girl and have also always had a soft spot for wolves especially, although I love all wildlife. I enjoy nature photography, hiking, sailing, snorkelling/diving, and just generally being outdoors!

What excites you about rewilding?

I really like the different approach of rewilding from other conservation techniques which often have an anthropogenic view involving strict management/control – there is something beautiful about letting nature go back to its wild state and reclaim the space back for itself! I love that the rewilding concept restores whole ecosystems and has wide-reaching effects that make nature much more resilient in the face of the challenges ahead, and I think the positive results we have seen so far from rewilding projects is just the beginning.

Why did you join the EYR?

I want to get more involved in rewilding initiatives and connect to other young people who are passionate about rewilding to learn about their experiences and ideas. I am also always happy to get to know more about the different rewilding projects around Europe, as this is something am highly interested in pursuing for my career.

Who are you?

I am Felix, from Hannover, Germany. I am a conservationist and excited about traveling, gardening and wild bees. I also love playing soccer, even if I am oddly bad for playing it for over 20 years. At the moment I am in South America and applying for PhD in the field of rewilding.

What excites you about rewilding?

I think that nature offers so powerful solutions helping us to fight climate change and loss of biodiversity. We are often surprised how fast life returns if we just let it be. Rewilding offers so many great opportunities to let life return and thrive again. And I also love that it creates positive stories about conservation.

Why did you join the EYR?

I really want to work in and contribute to conservation and I think rewilding is the best approach. EYR connects young people who share the same ideals ideals and gives ideas how to become active and how to make a change for us and for future generations, because we only have this one chance.

Who are you?

My name is Noa van Mulken, I am 23 years old from Sittard, the Netherlands. I have always been passionate about environmental conservation. Initially, I was convinced that politics would be the best way to tackle the biodiversity crisis, but during my bachelor in European Studies, I realized I wanted to shift my focus towards policy and research. This has led me to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy and Human Development related to climatic risks, where I wrote my research about factors influencing human-wildlife conflicts in six National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. Due to Covid, I wanted to gain hands-on experience in the field and decided to undertake a conservation internship in Costa Rica, where I for instance experienced the reintroduction of species. At the moment I am working at a local NGO as a policy officer space, nature and landscape.

What excites you about rewilding?

I am particularly excited about rewilding as it represents a new way of thinking about conservation, one that involves that ‘nature does not belong to us, so it does not require much human intervention’. Let nature do its thing and acknowledge that humans are just one small part of a complex, interwoven ecosystem. Rewilding to me is all about sharing space with wildlife and experience the beauty of nature all together.

Why did you join the EYR?

Who are you?

Hello, I’m Raghav, and I call the breathtaking Himalayan region of North Western India my home. Ever since I can remember, I’ve found solace and joy in exploring the great outdoors. Whether it’s hiking through rugged trails, pedaling along winding paths, or simply wandering amidst the majestic Himalayan peaks, nature has always been my sanctuary.

This profound connection with the natural world has sparked a deep sense of responsibility within me. I see myself as a guardian of the environment, committed to preserving its beauty for generations to come.

Recently, I’ve discovered a passion for photography and videography. Through these creative outlets, I strive to share the wonders of nature with others, hoping to evoke in them the same sense of wonder and reverence that I feel.

What excites you about rewilding?

During my studies, I was introduced to the concept of Rewilding, and it immediately captured my attention. This powerful idea led me to believe that it holds the key to rectifying our past mistakes and healing our planet. Rewilding represents an opportunity to restore the balance we have disrupted and has the potential to unite people across borders.

The inspiring success stories demonstrate that it is indeed possible to correct our course by allowing nature to reclaim its rightful place. For me, rewilding is not just a theoretical concept; it is a proactive strategy for safeguarding our planet’s biodiversity. It is a call to action, especially resonant with the younger generation, who understand the urgency of protecting our natural world.

Why did you join the EYR?

Who are you?

My name is Emily Simpson and I am a current first year PhD student in Stirling, Scotland, focusing on the impacts of beavers over the past 20 years within the local catchments. I have studied beavers and rewilding throughout my academic career, and have also been active in more practical rewilding projects, including working as project officer for a project in Perth. I have been lucky to work in the outdoors in Scotland across my career, which has given me the opportunity to see first-hand the amazing work of nature-led recovery through rewilding.

What excites you about rewilding?

I am excited by many aspects of rewilding, and have loved seeing its evolution throughout recent years. I am passionate about wetlands and peatlands as I believe they provide an interesting meeting place between a wide range of landscape characteristics and ecosystems, from terrestrial through to estuarine. Some of the rarer species found in Scotland are being boosted by work on rewilding wetlands, with the charismatic beaver leading on tangible progress within nature recovery. Additionally, the work of community involvement within rewilding has been an important part of the movement for me that is constantly new and exciting.

Why did you join the EYR?

I joined EYR as an opportunity to meet other young people who share my passion and who are leading on work in rewilding across a range of habitats and ecosystems. It is important to communicate across a broad network with other young people that can inform work that we do here, and ensure that we learn from the successes and failures to inform best practice in future. EYR serves as a key platform for engaging not only those who work within the sector but also communicating to people of all levels of interest to solidify rewilding projects in the mainstream.

Who are you?

I am half German and half South African. I have been an active wilderness guide since 2012 and a committed rewilder since 2015. I am passionate about combining impactful wilderness experiences and tracking with rewilding progress in Europe. I am cofounder and part of a strong team of a social enterprise called WeWilder in the Southern Carpathians, Romania. And im looking forward to that wilder future!

What excites you about rewilding?

I am excited about the opportunity to rebuild our relationship to wild nature in Europe. I am excited about the unknown, the experiences we can have and the natural processes and patterns that are longing to unfold on our continent!

Why did you join the EYR?

To join and support the united force of young professionals that are serious and passionate about rewilding in Europe! Love the positive energy and dedication of the group.

Who are you?

I’m a 25 year old Danish Nature Manager working with a 26-hectare family rewilding project on the Danish island of Bornholm. I’m the Danish National Contact for the European Young Rewilders, and assist in the running of the EYR Blog. I am also the founder of the science-communication website ‘The Extinctions‘ which is focused on the megafauna extinctions.

What excites you about rewilding?

Rewilding promises the opportunity to create truly remarkable landscapes across the European continent, which are rich in biodiversity and ecosystem services, all without requiring exhaustive amounts of manpower or maintenance. It is the closest thing to a silver bullet in nature conservation, and its principles can be implemented at any scale and may be instrumental in solving the biodiversity and climate crises.

Why did decide to become national contact?

The Danish rewilding movement is very localised and in many ways happening in isolation to the greater movement in Europe, I hope to act as a bridge between the two and facilitate an exchange of ideas amongst the young people inside and outside of Denmark.

Who are you?

I’m Antoine Scherer, from France. I’m based in Finland, where I’ve worked for almost six years on rewilding projects nationwide. I’ve spent countless hours on the field, restoring peatlands, boreal forests and water bodies. To complement this, I’m also exploring the work’s conceptual aspects
through a PhD about rewilding in the Finnish Boreal. As a photographer, I’m devoted to combining science, art, and storytelling to advocate for rewilding on our amazing continent.

What excites you about rewilding?

Rewilding is a fantastic opportunity to address the biggest challenges of our century, thrive, and
cope with the changes underway. All over Europe, rewilding initiatives offer positive stories of success we need to find the inspiration to take the right paths as societies. Rewilding is also exciting
because it constitutes a very pragmatic, science-bound approach, while providing the space for empirical local knowledges, creating the conditions to reconnect modern Europeans with the natural world around them. Rewilding is a school of humility.

Why did decide to become national contact?

In Finland, rewilding projects and initiatives have been on the increase over the past few years, but the approach is still relatively unknown from the general public. With my modest experience in this field, I hope I can contribute to democratizing rewilding among the people – especially youth – in
order to foster new ways for rural communities to restore, protect, and live decently from their lands.

Who are you?

My name is Guillaume Mayenga Mankezi, and I’m an ornithologist from France. I earned my Master’s degree in Biology, Ecology, and Evolution in 2023, and I volunteer with multiple reserves and NGOs that protect wildlife. I’ve always had a passion for working with nature. As a child, I used to say that I wanted to be a train driver or an entomologist. While I may not be driving trains, I’m still on the tracks I’ve always wanted to be on! I’ve always been in awe when gazing at nature, and I feel most alive when I’m face to face with wildlife or in front of a beautiful landscape. I’m also a photographer, and I do my best to capture the wonders of our world through my lens.

What excites you about rewilding?

I discovered the concept of rewilding with Rewilding France in early 2022, I joined the European Young Rewilders after that in early 2023. I felt that I could be part of a larger group and act as a catalyst for the change I want to see in the world. The European Young Rewilders is, to me, a way to connect with people who share my vision and passion, so that we can collectively work to improve the world and ourselves.

Why did decide to become national contact?

Rewilding strongly resonated with me because it allows space for nature to do its thing: adapt and thrive. Restoring key ecosystem functions through landscape-level conservation is one of the wisest ways for me to protect biodiversity. I would love for rewilding to become better known in France, as the concept has not gained strong attention in my country. That’s why I decided to become a national contact for the EYR network!

Who are you?

Hi! My name is Kasia, I was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. From an early age I was fascinated by nature, which later in my life resulted in a passion and commitment for environmental protection. My interest in rewilding was born during my studies. Since then, I have continually strived to deepen my knowledge in this area, and it has become my personal mission to work towards popularising rewilding. In my spare time, I volunteer for the Polish Green Party, explore vegan cooking and whenever I can, go into the wild to watch birds.

What excites you about rewilding?

The thing that excites me most about rewilding is the empowerment it restores to nature. Surrounded by commercial forests and meadows mowed by the hand of man, people tend to forget the magnitude of nature and start believing that nature cannot survive without human intervention. Rewilding enables nature to unfold its full potential, showcasing both the vastness of its beauty and greatness of its power.

Why did decide to become national contact?

For me, this is both a great opportunity to contribute to promoting the idea of rewilding in my country, thus protecting its beautiful nature, but also to meet wonderful young people from all over Europe who share the same values as me. It was an obvious decision!

Who are you?

I’m a young rewilding advocate and enthusiast from Portugal. Even though I didn’t pursue a career in biology as wanted, I’m grateful that I’m still getting involved as a wildlife photographer, being a content creator on social media platforms.  Part of my goal is to bring people more connected with nature and wildlife in general by sharing informative but also inspiring content.

What excites you about rewilding?

What inspired me more in rewilding is the vision and hope it can bring: with their feet in the present,  inspired by the past but with a future vision-oriented approach never forgetting actual problems like climate change, it offers a more pragmatic approach to the traditional vision of wildlife conservation. Focusing on topics like restoring ecological functions, promoting diversity and abundance of species, and most importantly, never leaving people out of the equation are some of the key points that make this approach appealing and have the potential to shape our relationship with the natural world in a positive way.

Why did decide to become national contact?

I decided to be the national contact for Portugal because as I got experience in the last few years I saw rewilding here could be a much bigger thing than is today, so I found out so many young people who want to get involved directly and indirectly with this movement. I totally believe that young people are the key to the future of rewilding around the world so by creating and working with a team of motivated volunteers, I hope to cooperate and help the rewilding interested parties (NGOs, landowners, etc.) from all around the country we can create and to make a greater difference!

Who are you?

I am an unapologetic plant hoarder with a great passion to everything biodiversity and the restoration of it! Soon having a MSc in Ecology and Sustainable Development I intend to dedicate my carrier to support every kind of nature restoration. When not advocating for Nature in different platforms or studies, I usually spend time with friends, my partner, reading a book or some gaming!

What excites you about rewilding?

The huge potential in what it can do! We are talking about saving entire species, but also making our societies and individual lives better! One really important aspect for me is the mindset to make people and society to come back to be in harmony within Nature. And not see our lives and nature as seperate inteties. I am really intrigued on the reintroduction of bigger herbivores and the importance of living forests and healthy populations of carnivores. I also think it is important to educate and make people understand our shifting baseline syndrome and how we can reverse that from continuing.

Why did decide to become national contact?

I see it as a great way to use my already established environmental movement network and experience in coordinating youth from previous engagement. Using this, as well as learning more about Rewilding and its differenc aspects, I want to be a helpful councelour to anyone youthful person who would want to engage more in this amazing ecological phenomena.

Who are you?

My name is Alice, I am 24 and currently doing my MSc in Ecology and Evolution. I am fascinated by interactions: between humans and land, between people, between organisms, between different disciplines of study. Also, I have a deep desire to learn about the world, to help to improve it and to throw myself into unfamiliar experiences. For this reason, I regularly try to get out of my comfy little bubble of like-minded people because that’s where some of the most surprising and beautiful encounters and experiences happen.

What excites you about rewilding?

What excites me most about rewilding is the surprise element: Leaving things to nature and just marvel at the outcome – even experienced ecologists and conservationists might be surprised and learn. Rewilding accepts that every site is unique, requires a unique approach, and creates a unique ecosystem, which includes humans as much as any other species. In my opinion, this is what makes rewilding incredibly interesting and promising.

Why did decide to become national contact?

I am excited about connecting people, ideas, and organisations in ways that benefit everyone as much as possible. As a national contact, I can support young people committed to create and sustain healthy ecosystems in Switzerland, and hopefully enable them to get active and make the change they are hoping for. I believe that together, we can create a wilder future for the generations to come.

Who are you?

I’m Alex, from the Peak District, UK. I’m a conservationist and freelance videographer with an overriding interest in rewilding and all things nature recovery. Having recently completed a BSc in Zoology, followed by an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management, I’m now seizing every opportunity to turn theory into practice and actually start ‘doing’ restoration and rewilding. Right now, this entails helping Oxygen Conservation kickstart these processes on their sites across the UK.

What excites you about rewilding?

Rewilding presents a new narrative that works to uplift and engage people in nature’s recovery on all scales. It is the potential of this narrative to incite radical positive change that inspires me most. I love the idea of supporting ecological recovery that works not just for nature but for people too.

Why did you join the EYR?

I know from personal experience how empowering and impactful it can be to engage youth in nature recovery. Acting as the UK national contact provides me with the perfect opportunity to do this, especially given the ever-growing interest in rewilding across the UK. I want to help upscale this engagement within the rewilding scene and love being able to do so alongside such an inspiring group of young people that’s helping to push the movement forwards on a continental scale.