During 2018 I consolidated my scholarship on rewilding science, policy and practice in a popular science book with support from Cain Blythe. My aim was to offer an affordable and cost-effective ‘primer’ for conservation professionals, students and other nature-minded people. Published by Icon books it was an unexpected success selling over 10,000 copies. In April
I spent an enjoyable weekend at the Into the-Wild Festival at the Chiddinglye estate in W.Sussex organised by Huw Wyn. By UK festival standards it is relatively small (max 5000): it is very family orientated and full of workshops, discussion, music and informal gatherings: its a place to do a bit of ‘rewilding the self’. I was
I have been trekking in the Western Caucuses. Along the way I thought about rewilding and the processes that give rise to the landscape and vegetation. Here is an account which I hope some my find interesting. I welcome any comments, elaborations or corrections. Driving up the foothills from Zugdidi in northwest Georgia, I was struck by the
In episode nine of the BBC’s Chelsea flower show coverage, Monty Don questioned whether Rewilding Britain’s show winning garden was actually a garden. He argued that rewilding is unhelpful when it comes to gardening and that, in his view, rewilding means not interfering and having the ‘hand of man’ involved. I’m with Monty and Joe that a garden is
I like nothing better than visiting areas with the rewilding thinkers and discussing the theory and practice of ecosystem recovery. I recently teamed up with four of Europe’s finest Deli Saavedra, Ignacio Jiménez Jordi Palau and Pedro Prata on a road trip to Eastern Portugal, Central Spain and the Pyrenees. I went with three questions in mind: 1) is there an
Turning off Iceland’s snow-covered route 34 into the packed car park of Thingvellir National Park it was clear we had arrived at a major international tourist destination. Squinting into the sun we followed the stream of tourists past the visitor centre with its cool orthogonal design to a viewpoint with a panoramic view of mountains, the
On a June evening I took a walk in Urquhart Bay Wood on the shores of Loch Ness. The main trail took me down to the confluence of two burns. Relaxing a while, I watched a chaffinch fluttering up from a shingle bank and snaping up aquatic flies that were congregation under overhanging foliage. As
During the lockdown summer of 2020 an immature bearded vulture took up residence in a rugged Valley of England's Peak District National Park. On a September Sunday, my birding buddy Steve and I set out at the crack of dawn and programmed WAZE to navigate us North. Three hours later we descended a windy road
As a geographer I thought I should take the opportunity of the first World Rewilding Day to offer up this brief tour of different versions of rewilding that are emerging around the world. All express the paradigm shift in conservation from managing things – species, habitats and sites - to a focus on restoring the
On 20th March 2020 over half-a-million 16-year olds were sent home, informed that the exams they had been working towards were cancelled, and expected to occupy themselves unsupported through a lockdown until the autumn. My daughter was one of the luckier ones. As lockdown eased and a glorious spring moved into summer she was able
