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
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
The print edition of my new book on rewilding arrived last week and, looking for a place for it in my bookcase, I realised that I placed my last book next to three classic volumes edited by Andrew Warren and Frank Goldsmith. These volumes, printed in 1974, 1983 and 1993 contain collections of essays from scientists and policy
I am pleased to announce publication of my new book on rewilding science co-authored with Cain Blythe It is the first multi-disciplinary account of the science the underpins rewilding as a conservation agenda and practice. My journey in rewilding science started back in 2005 when I took a group of students to visit rewilding areas
First published on the Ecosulis blog on 9 March 2020 At this year's PlantLife debate, a panel comprising Professor Dieter Helm (University of Oxford), Clare Pillman (Chief Executive Natural Resources Wales), Dr. Trevor Dines (PlantLife Botanical Specialist) and Ecosulis Nature Recovery Lead Dr. Paul Jepson discussed the question of whether rewilding works for plants. The following
This article, written by Daniel Allen, is reposted from the Ecosulis Blog A new scientific paper reveals the huge value-generating potential of Brazilian protected areas. As the first high-profile application of the Natural Asset Framework, the analysis has worldwide implications. Framework first A new scientific paper, co-authored by Ecosulis Nature Recovery Lead Paul Jepson and
It is a thoughtful moment looking into the eye of a bird that nearly went extinct. As I crouched and observed an Alagoas curassow my first thought was a sense of deep gratitude to Pedro Mario Nardelli who in the late 1970s acted to rescue the last wild specimens and establish a captive population in
This article was first published in British Birds on 15 August 2017 One Sunday last July I strolled down to the hide at RSPB Otmoor, one of my local birding patches in Oxfordshire. Five years ago I might have entered an empty hide. Not anymore. The place was packed with bird photographers, happily chatting as
In December 1978 the famous Brazilian ornithologist Helmut Sick made one of the ornithological discoveries of the 20th century. He located a breeding population of the fabulous Lear’s macaw – a species that had been known in collections for 150 years but whose whereabouts in the wild was a mystery. Lear’s macaw is one
