What is rewilding?
Put simply, rewilding is any activity that aims to restore natural processes. Natural processes are the interactions that shape our planet and support life. Natural processes can happen on a large scale, such as the movement of a flowing river or soil forming. They can also happen on a small scale, like a bee or a butterfly pollinating the flowers in your garden. The weather, geological processes, chemical processes and the interaction of different species can all drive natural processes. Predators like eagles or wildcats influence the numbers and behaviour of other species, while species like beavers or maerl (coral) change the land and sea around them.
A healthy ecosystem is one where natural processes are working properly. Across Scotland, natural processes have been interrupted, damaged or halted. If you can restore these natural processes, nature can begin to restore itself. By creating healthy ecosystems and living in balance with nature, you create benefits for humans too. We all rely on nature for water, food and air as well as our own health and wellbeing. Rewilding asks us to take bold, transformative steps to restore nature to the point where it can begin to take care of itself – and us – again.
Rewilding enables wildlife to recover.
Giving nature more space in a vast, inter-connected network of flourishing habitats, will allow lost wildlife to return creating a greater abundance and diversity of life.
Rewilding is thinking differently.
Rewilding reminds us we’re one species among many, connected in an intricate web of life that ignores borders. Our future is tied to the atmosphere, the weather, the tides and every other living creature on the planet.
Rewilding secures our future.
Giving nature more freedom to revive dynamic natural processes, such as the free movement of rivers, the regeneration of forests and peatlands, natural grazing and predation, is an investment in the living systems we all rely on.
Rewilding is good for business.
Nature-rich landscapes create jobs and vibrant communities through a diverse and innovative nature-based economy, enabling people to live in some of Scotland’s most sparsely populated areas.
Rewilding makes us healthier.
People’s health and wellbeing can be transformed by spending time in wild nature. A flourishing natural world helps us all feel better and especially supports children’s physical and personal development.
Rewilding offers Scotland a brighter future.
Scotland could be a world leader in transforming its environment so that it works in all its colourful complexity, cleaning air and water, storing carbon, reducing flooding and attracting people to live, work and visit.
WHY REWILD?
Scotland now ranks as one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth.
As climate breakdown accelerates and nature loss continues, we face an unprecedented threat to our way of life and our children’s future. Nature is our life-support system – and it’s in trouble.
The living systems on which we all depend are being eroded – undermining our access to food, fresh water and clean air; hindering our ability to lock away carbon and cope with climate breakdown’s floods, wildlife die-offs, droughts and crop failures; harming our health and wellbeing, and depriving communities of economic opportunities.
This can feel overwhelming: what can any one person do? There are already more than 150 rewilding projects across Scotland, from community woodlands to landscape-scale partnerships, but we need to do more. Much more! Together, we can unite behind a clear message: Restore. Revitalise. Rewild.
