Rewilding is a term coined in the 1990s by those working in conservation and environmental activism. It refers to large-scale wilderness recovery that allows natural processes and native wildlife to flourish in its proper place. Today, rewilding has entered the mainstream discourse and work within conservation biology.
Nowadays, rewilding often involves purchasing land, removing livestock and ranch fencing, and re-introducing native species that have gone extinct in the local region due to human activity. Some countries and municipalities have voted to allow the reinforcement of apex predators such as mountain lions and large herbivores such as bison in designated regions where wilder nature develops and manages itself. The ultimate goal of all rewilding efforts is to limit human control of extensive areas of wilderness.
Rewilding is a global concern—gaining initiative in countries from Argentina and Chile to Spain and Belarus. Rewilding requires different actions according to the local region. Peat bogs in Scotland, floodplains in Eastern Indiana, and the native ostrich nesting zone in Patagonia are all examples of local, site-specific rewilding efforts.
Rewilding is often undertaken by conservationists to prevent habitat collapse brought on by human farming and development. It often takes decades to develop and adopt the plans to breed and propagate native animals and plants in local regions to achieve healthy biodiversity. Many conservationists say that rewilding is essential not only to preserving the landscape and wildlife, but also our own clean water and forests.
Also, rewilding efforts often encourage sustainable agriculture around the wilderness as a buffer zone. Ranching is important for local livelihoods around protected wildernesses, and it helps maintain local communities where conservation efforts are carried out.
