Rewilding Europe Making Europe a Wilder Place • Turning problems into opportunities • Rewilding a million hectares • Building Rewilding enterprises • Massive public outreach S S taffan taffan taffan M AN Wi Wi u dstrand dstrand dstrand EL P rest i / / / w w w i i i ld wonders of e wonders ld of e wonders ld of e wonders ld u u u rope rope rope Bringing back the variety of life for us all to enjoy. Exploring new ways for people to earn a fair living from the wild. Colofon Rewilding Europe originates from an initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Netherlands, ARK Nature, Wild Wonders of Europe and Conservation Capital © 2012 Text: Magnus Sylvén, Staffan Widstrand, Rewilding Europe Frans Schepers, Neil Birnie, Twan Teunissen/ Toernooiveld 1 Rewilding Europe 6525 ED Nijmegen © 2012 Photographs: Wild Wonders of Europe The Netherlands Cover photo: Staffan Widstrand. Back cover photo: Diego López/Wild Wonders of Europe [email protected] Graphics: Roel Venderbosch www.rewildingeurope.com Design: Nies & Partners www.facebook.com/rewildingeurope Logo and style: Plural design Print: Van Eck & Oosterink Rewilding Europe is an ambitious, new initiative which Danube Delta (Romania), the Eastern Carpathians aims to turn a problematic situation into an opportunity. (Poland, Slovakia), the Southern Carpathians (Romania), The urbanisation and the depopulation of rural areas is Velebit (Croatia) and Western Iberia (Portugal, Spain). In What are presently resulting in large-scale land abandonment of 2011, the Rewilding Europe Foundation, a not-for-profit the countryside in many parts of Europe. Instead of only foundation, was formally registered. In 2013, an additional being perceived as a problem, this could also be turned set of five rewilding areas will be presented at WILD 10, into an opportunity. New possibilities for employment the World Wilderness Congress. we waiting and business, as well as new space for the return of wilder nature in one of the most crowded continents of the Outlined within this document, we have set ourselves world. This could provide the basis for innovative ways an ambitious vision, clear goals and concrete milestones of using the land in Europe, for the people who want to to be reached by the year 2020. Our focus is to create at remain, live and work in these areas and also for those least 1 million hectares of new wild lands across Europe for? who like to enjoy natural landscapes, with abundant by 2020. However, the ambition is to also stimulate wildlife, exciting activities and attractive sceneries – similar initiatives in many other parts of the continent, some of which probably have never been experienced thereby influencing a shift in the land use of some 10 before by any modern person. million hectares towards a wilder state, with much more wildlife and more of the natural processes back at work. To grasp these opportunities, a change in mind-set and By doing so, we hope to inspire a new sense of ‘pride in perspective is required. We need to realise that some of the wild’ amongst the wider European audience. the ways we have made use of nature across the continent are simply not economically viable any more, especially You are invited to join us. To explore new avenues for not on the low-productive soils. We also need to realise the future that will benefit both nature and the citizens that wild nature is something genuinely European and of Europe. Welcome to a wilder, 21st century Europe! intimately linked to our cultural history and our heritage. It is about core identity and not at all something alien or strange. The Rewilding Europe initiative was launched in 2010 to try to explore some of these new opportunities. We selected a group of five areas out of more than 20 different Frans Schepers, nominations from all across Europe, to create a first set Managing Director of model areas for this new rewilding approach: the Staffan Widstrand / wild wonders of europe Europe is changing A short history of European nature social conflict, the loss of biodiversity and for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Many believe that Europe’s open landscapes natural disasters increasingly associated particularly in Spain, Portugal, parts of first appeared with the introduction of agri- with climate change. Finland, Sweden and Greece, highland culture, but in fact most of these habitats have areas of France, Italy, central Europe, far more ancient origins. In the past we have One change that is less noticed is the urban- Romania, Bulgaria and the UK. Estimates often thought of the vast forests as being the ization of the world. In Europe this is indicate a total decline of agriculture, grass- only “real” European wilderness, which is not particularly prominent. Over the last 50 lands and semi-natural habitats of more surprising considering that many of our most years, Europe’s cities have expanded on than 30 million hectares and a subsequent important and common wild herbivores average by 78%, whereas the population has increase of forest or bush areas across the EU. became extinct a long time ago. With them, grown by only 33%. By 2020, it is estimated we lost our extensive natural steppes and that 4 out of 5 European citizens will live in The threat other (semi-) open landscapes. In the absence urban areas. With the depopulation of the Low-intensity grazing and small, semi- of the heavy grazing and browsing, the land- countryside, an ageing rural society and subsistence farms often occur on marginal scape quickly changed. Later, domestic cattle competition through globalisation, more and land, unsuited to alternative production and and horses gradually replaced these wild more land is being taken out of agricultural are particularly vulnerable to changes in the animals and in part maintained some of their production. Between 1960 and 2000, the socio-economic climate. In some EU states ecological functions, but now these livestock European countryside experienced a dramatic (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and too are disappearing from the countryside change in land use. Marginal areas of less the UK), the biofuel market is expected to and many of the remaining primeval forests importance for agricultural production have grow, putting pressure on grasslands in the are being cut down. been particularly affected by this land aban- more fertile areas. But the biggest ‘threat’ to donment: the Alps, Pyrenees, Portugal, central natural values may come from afforestation of Urbanisation and land abandonment Spain, Sardinia, former East Germany, the farmland and spontaneous forest expansion Every period in time brings with it oppor- Baltic States, the Carpathians, Poland, north of abandoned marginal farmland or even tunities and challenges. The 21st century Sweden, north Finland and the Balkans. worse: deliberately through huge plantations Europe is no different. We are exposed to Further land abandonment is forecasted to funded with public money. economic downturn, health deterioration, continue until 2030, according to the Institute 5 S taffan taffan The young are leaving the countryside for the cities. Wi dstrand dstrand By 2030 it is expected that 30 million hectares of farming and grazing land in Europe will have been / w i ld wonders of e wonders ld abandoned. Much of that land can be re-wilded. u rope Since 1958 the EU Common Agriculture and bush dominating the less productive Policy (CAP) has played an important role regions. The result will be an almost irrevers- in shaping the agricultural landscape in ible decline of a significant number of our S taffan taffan Europe. The winners have been farmers plants and animals. That would lead to a new, on the most fertile soils – but not their poor and vulnerable face of Europe, never Wi colleagues trying to survive in the more experienced before in human history. dstrand dstrand marginal areas. A new reform of CAP is scheduled for 2013 and is likely to continue The opportunity / w i ld wonders of e wonders ld the current trend of shifting production But could the present depopulation of the away from the less productive areas to the European countryside also provide some more fertile. solutions for the people who decide to stay on there? And at the same time provide a u rope Many of these marginal farmlands have served solution for biodiversity? Could some of as strongholds for the large part of Europe’s those areas that are now taken out of farming biological wealth that have often been be returned to naturally functioning areas? associated with the traditionally farmed With ideally all the important species and landscapes. However, with the custodians processes once again shaping the vegetation of some of these treasures - the small-scale, and the landscapes? Could the ‘rewilding’ of traditional farmers and herdsmen – now nature help lay the foundation for a socially S taffan taffan leaving, Europe’s natural heritage is facing and economically more sustainable rural Wi a tremendous challenge. Once abandoned, society in certain regions? Could it mean more dstrand dstrand the semi-open landscape quickly changes, jobs and income for these regions? And could with shrubs and young trees invading the this maybe even help combat some of the / w open patches, while the multitude of species impacts of climate change? i ld wonders of e wonders ld that were adapted specifically to the open landscapes become isolated and trapped. The demand for wildlife experiences Currently, the international demand for all If nothing is done, we risk creating a “digital” kinds of nature experiences is booming. It is u rope Europe – with intensive farming on the becoming a very serious industry across the fertile soils and industrial forest plantations world. In the USA, already back in 2006 6 Areas with high levels of expected farmland abandonment in the Eu by 2030 “wildlife watching” had become the biggest of all outdoor recreational activities, with a turnover that year of 35 billion Euro.