Embedding rewilding in policy: Perspectives on overcoming barriers and unlocking opportunities
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Rewilding initiatives are increasing in number across Europe and the UK in response to a growing awareness of substantial nature depletion, despite a lack of policy, guidance and legislation. Ongoing transformations of UK environmental policies offer a ‘policy window’ in which rewilding could become established as a key strategy for nature recovery. Here, we present the results of discussion sessions held as part of a British Ecological Society Policy Training workshop. A total of 46 participants, academics, practitioners and young people interested in rewilding attended. Our discussion focused on three pre‐determined thematic discussion sessions: (1) barriers to rewilding and trade‐offs; (2) species reintroductions; (3) facilitating rewilding in policy. Using thematic analysis, four emerging cross‐cutting themes were identified from our workshop discussions: (a) environmental stewardship & public engagement, (b) cross‐policy approaches, (c) incentivising rewilding and (d) an evidence base for rewilding. Policy Implications . Given the UK's considerable biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystem processes and function on a large scale is increasingly urgent, and operationalising rewilding through supportive environmental policy structures should be a key priority for government. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Source: People and Nature
DOI: 10.1002/pan3.70205
Authors: Charlotte R. Hopkins, Esther E. Brooker, Kristy A. Adaway, Clare E. Collins, Clare Cowgill, Matthew C. Morgan, Charlotte E. Trotman, Dylan Thompson‐Jones, Jonathan D. Bolland, Neil M. Burns, Africa Gómez, F. Blake Morton, Robert Bailey, Amelia Bateman‐Young, Felicitas ten Brink, Richard K. Broughton, Jack H. Hatfield, Nico B. King, Charlotte Le Marquand, Louisa Mamalis, Chloe Mason, Marta Maziarz, Kieran P. McCloskey, Benjamin E. Miller, Niamh S. Morris, Tien T. T. Nguyen, Dean Page, Emma‐Lee L. Peterson, Benjamin Pile, Ben Stainton, Darryl Villaret, India Stephenson, Lori Lawson Handley
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,540
OpenAlex ID: W4416538294