1 What Is Rewilding Once a city known for smog London England has cleaned up its act and opened green spaces where wild deer now graze 6 REWILDING 6 REWILDING People make choices we can pollute the air and crowd our roadways or we can keep our human spaces healthy and safer for animals and people too INTRODUCTION
W e can land a probe on a speeding comet or slip a spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter but protecting the natural world here on Earth That’s a challenge Species are going extinct and habitats are being destroyed by pollution the clearing of forests and climate change Biologists and concerned citizens work hard to halt and reverse these trends In a crisis like this we need bold super-sized thinking Rewilding is a big new idea Rewilders are stepping back and completely rethinking the relationship between people and our living Earth Rewilders want to restore habitats to their natural state easing the damage done by humans They want to recreate wild environments that will support native species and make room for animals to move freely across vast spaces In this way they believe we can help our endangered species survive and thrive And in return we will keep reaping the benefits nature has to offer clean air fresh water fertile soil and valuable natural resources When important species disappear from a habitat rewilders look for ways to bring them back But that’s not simple Biologists debate what lived in a landscape when it was last truly wild How far back do we turn the clock To before the bulldozer Before the ax and shovel To ice age times Can playing with nature trigger unintended surprises Do we really want to bring dangerous creatures back to places where large numbers of people now live Some wildlife species such as badgers can survive near people even in large cities Left alone nature will eventually bring everything into a new balance you could call that nature rewilding itself But even with help from us these changes won’t happen overnight Today rewilders apply new ideas to conservation projects big and small Read on to learn about attempts to release tigers wolves and bears into the wild efforts to create a safe friendly route for butterfly migration and projects to bring wildlife back into city spaces Finally we look at where rewilding is heading in the future WHAT IS REWILDING 7
Back to the Wild You sprint along a trail winding through tall bushes What a day Wild grasses and shrubs reach your ears and above the sky is clear and blue Ahead you hear a sudden muffled cry and a thump You slow down and just miss stepping on a smear of wet blood A dog-like animal with a scruffy tail bounds along the path ahead of you a small rabbit dangling helplessly from its mouth The creature pauses locks eyes with you and then dives into the undergrowth That was no dog it was a coyote Wild coyotes hunt their prey in many North American cities 8 REWILDING
Hunger Blood Death This is wild A few years ago officials decided to let this large city park return to nature They hand-pulled plants that had spread from nearby gardens and seeded native ones No grass mowing no pesticide use They called it rewilding and they said it probably wouldn’t be long before wild animals moved back in Well they were right You hear a rustle in the tall grass You glance uneasily over your shoulder What could it be What other animals lived here before people came along and built the city pushing them out Wolves Bears Your heart beats so hard it pulses in your throat But the park feels exciting now more real and beautiful Maybe people can share this space with wildness after all Small carnivores like this red fox hidden in tall grasses can hunt and feed their growing families in urban areas WHAT IS REWILDING 9
