"Rewilding breathes new life into our landscapes. It reconnects us with the wonders of Europe’s wild nature and offers our greatest hope for a future where people and nature don’t just coexist but thrive together."

With this vision, Rewilding Europe works to restore and strengthen nature across Europe, promoting biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

Founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, the nonprofit organization was actively working in ten major regions across Europe by the end of 2022, collaborating with people from over 18 European countries. Through species reintroduction, natural process restoration, and community engagement, Rewilding Europe is creating landscapes that provide habitat for endangered species.

Their mission is not only to restore natural environments but also to raise awareness about the importance of wilderness and drive long-term, sustainable change for future generations.

Nature conservation encompasses all efforts to protect and restore ecosystems, biodiversity, and landscapes. . The focus is on preserving rare species and their habitats while also restoring degraded natural areas.

This is especially urgent because 80% of the EU’s habitats are in poor condition, according to the European Environment Agency.

Human exploitation of nature has made conservation efforts increasingly important over the course of the 20th century. In 1913, the first international nature conservation conference was held in Switzerland, and to this day, nearly 30 international governmental agreements  have been established to actively protect natural resources.

A study by NABU found that 21.73% of Germany’s land area is particularly well-suited for rewilding efforts that could significantly contribute to climate protection and biodiversity . These areas include forests, grasslands, wetlands, and floodplains.