Within Europe’s last truly remaining wilderness still lives one of the planet’s most captivating creatures - Romanian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos). A series of attacks in recent years has provoked a movement against this emblematic species to safeguard human settlements in the Carpathian Mountains. Supporters of this movement claim increasing bear populations are the cause, however, scientific research disputes this and leads us to consider human encroachment of the brown bear’s habitat as the root cause of the conflict. 

Read on to find out why a healthy population of Romanian Brown Bears is important for the ecosystem (including humans) and what is being done to resolve this problem.

Few animals capture the imagination quite like European brown bears. They can stand on two legs, walk on the soles of their feet, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. This, coupled with their ability to communicate with one another through scratch marks left on trees, smells and sounds, establishes a similarity to our own way of life.

European brown bears can reach towering sizes of just over 7ft (2.20m) weighing between 100-350kg, although they are smaller than North American ‘big browns’ on the Alaskan coast, who can grow up to 8ft tall and 540kg! Despite being Europe’s largest carnivore, they are incredibly fast and can run at speeds of 30mph (48.2kph) in addition to being great tree climbers. Being the most widely distributed bear in the world, proves this unique species is opportunistic and adapts to its environment.

Romania is home to 60% of Europe's brown bears. There are believed to be over 200,000 brown bears in the world, of which 6,000 of them roam Romania’s forests in the Carpathian Mountains - the largest population of bears in Europe. However, some research has questioned the validity of this estimation and believe the actual number could be around 4,350. Romania's brown bears are mostly found in mountain woodlands, as they require areas with thick, dense cover in which to shelter by day. These woodlands provide a safe haven for brown bears to set up dens away from human activity. Other landscapes brown bears are attracted to in Romania include wood pastures (such as grazed grasslands) to feed on fruit trees and shrubs, and larvae from anthills. Human impact in the forms of intensified agriculture and land abandonment are threatening this habitat for bears and many other species that depend on it. 

Their diet varies depending on the season and includes grass, roots, berries, apples and nuts, plums, as well as insects, carrion, and mammals and, of course, honey. Brown bears usually forage in the morning and evening, and rest under dense vegetation during the day.

When do brown bears in Romania hibernate and mate? 

Bears hibernate from autumn to late spring in a burrow, either on a sheltered slope under a large stone or among the roots of a large tree. Brown bears mate from May to July, with the birth of cubs usually while the female is still in hibernation from January to March. The cubs stay with her until two or three years old. 

In short, yes bears can be dangerous, but it must be stated they instinctively avoid humans and only attack if they feel threaten. Brown bears do not prey on humans, they are naturally wary of us, so encounters are rare. If you ever visit an area populated by bears it is vitally important you learn and respect their behaviours. For instance, a bear standing tall on its hind legs indicates curiosity of its surroundings and not a threat of attack. Therefore, avoid surprising and distressing bears by making your presence felt calmly, bear in mind (no pun intended), they have poor eyesight so speaking softly and remaining calm is advised. 

Co-founder Duarte's close call with a Brown Bear in Romania

Brown bear encounter | Wild Stories #1

Healthy bear numbers are a sign of a healthy, productive forest environment, rich in herbs, mushrooms, forest fruits and wild animals. Given their dependence on these large natural areas, brown bears are important management indicators for a number of other wildlife species. Brown bears also play important roles as predators who keep other animal populations in check, culling the weak and cleaning up dead animal carcasses, which would otherwise spread disease in the forest. Additionally, they act as seed dispersers, roaming large territories and thus scattering undigested plant seeds all over.

Romania's brown bears have fallen prey to poaching, loss of habitat due to illegal logging and other conflicts with rural communities who view them as a pest. Illegal logging is not only guilty of destroying the bears habitat but sends bears away from the forests because of the noise. In addition to deforestation, the growth of human settlements, agricultural land and transportation infrastructure in the Carpathian Mountains have all contributed to the changing behaviours and movements of Romania’s brown bear population.  

In search of food bears often end up in areas closer to villages or other populated areas where a whole array of attractants exists – orchards, livestock, garbage, and agricultural products. Though bears are a protected species by international and Romanian laws, bears can be hunted, by way of a warrant. If a bear has been seen to cause serious damage or pose as a threat to human populations, a warrant may be issued. While this may seem like a reasonable situation, a bear straying from the mountains is quickly labelled as dangerous by the trophy hunting sector usually, as big money can come out of killing it. It is reported that around 1,400 bears have been killed by trophy hunters since hunting was banned in Romania in 2016.

Threats - Negative Press and Political Exacerbation 

The 3 fatal attacks that occurred between October and November 2019 hit the headlines hard and have since whipped up a frenzy of negative media attention for brown bears in the region. Instead of providing objective accounts of attacks or actively engaging in preventative actions such as educating the public on safety measures, media reports stoke the fire of fear for local people. This, along with inaction from the government, prompted some villagers to take matters into their own hands by preparing homemade poisons. A study released in the journal Nature on large carnivore attacks discovered brown bears receive the most media coverage worldwide, even if they’re not the most common attacks. Most of these incidents came from encounters with female bears and her cubs. It is, therefore, clear to see how the mainstream media has portrayed the situation unfavourably for bears, one which is compounded by some local politicians who have declared war on ‘problem bears’. Some of Romania’s county leaders, who are spearheading the movement to reinstate the culling of bears, say populations are growing exponentially, a claim disputed widely by Romanian scientists. 

The brown bear is a symbol of what is right with the world

By protecting and regenerating the Romanian brown bear’s natural habitat – forests, we can minimise the need for bears to forage closer to populated areas as their natural food sources become abundant. Reforestation efforts help create new habitats and corridors for other important species too, who are vital for a balanced food chain.

2. Education and Effective Management Strategies

As previously mentioned, informing the public on how to prevent and, if needed, act during confrontations with brown bears is paramount to improving coexistence. This includes better management of attractants for bears: making waste inaccessible; protecting livestock using dogs; and placing agricultural products within electric fences, to name a few potential solutions. Several NGOs are urgently working to provide support to local people as the government frustrates those concerned. One effective initiative set up by Carpathian European Wilderness Reserve replaces livestock that farmers lose to bears which addresses the painfully slow bureaucratic state process. 

Scientific research should also be at the forefront of policy making and management strategies. One such example where research findings have contradicted existing methods is the case of relocating bears by means of luring them to food sources then trapping and relocating. Empirical evidence strongly recommends stopping the feeding of bears as once they are ‘food-conditioned’, they are more likely to return.

Further research that brings to light people’s perceptions of coexistence found that factors such as perceived risk of conflict and perceived bear population growth had the greatest influence. The same study also concludes long-term coexistence will be better achieved in people with positive attitudes and values towards nature. Thus, this stresses the power the media possesses and the importance of education in creating successful coexistence and conservation outcomes.   

With wildlife tourism slowly developing into an important source of income for communities living in the Southern Carpathians, it has significant potential for enhancing public acceptance of the species. For example, a bear watching hide installed by the Romanian State Forestry can receive more than 1,000 visitors, generating between € 20,000 and € 30,000 of income annually, that is double what the hide could earn from hunting. Travel companies such as Responsible Travel arrange bear watching holidays in Romania where you get the chance to spot this charismatic creature up close and safely with an expert guide or volunteering at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary.

Rewilding focuses on re-establishing lost elements of the wilderness and in doing so, brings back opportunities for wildlife to exist sustainably. Some of the missing functionality of nature that is returned by rewilding include predation, grazing, regeneration and decomposition. Not only would Brown bears benefit from rewilding through improved habitat and food stability but they would also serve the whole ecosystem in their role as a keystone species.

To help protect Romania’s brown bear population as well as many other vital species that live in the Carpathian Mountains, here at Mossy Earth, we set up a reforestation and a rewilding impact project. 

1.     Restoring the Southern Carpathians 

These projects aim to restore swathes of lifeless land previously cleared by illegal logging and support rangers who protect the remaining old growth forests. Through our members at Mossy Earth and our partners on the ground, Fundatia Conservation Carpathia (FCC), we have planted over 100,000 native trees and helped rangers prevent illegal logging and poaching. FCC are also working hard to educate those that have to live alongside bears, as well as facilitating eco-tourism in these rural communities. 

Mossy Earth Co-Founders Matt and Duarte were both 'fortunate' enough to come face to face with brown bears in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. Matt was shepherded down a snowy mountain trail by a female with young, while Duarte spent a rather restless night as a brown bear hounded his tent. Despite shaking in their boots, they were both left spell-bound by their separate experiences making it all the more meaningful to protect this incredible creature.

If you want to be a part of our efforts and many more other impactful reforestation and rewilding projects, our Membership gives you the chance to contribute directly and join our community in restoring nature.

To learn more about other rewilding topics in Romania see the articles The Return of the European Bison and Tracking Eurasian Lynx. 

How to Contribute to Reforestation and Rewilding of the Carpathian Mountains

Hibernation: Hibernation is a type of dormancy found in some animal species which can see them go inactive. There are many different reasons for hibernation such as short food supply, environmental changes or a need to conserve energy. Some animals heart rate can be reduced up to 95% as well as a much slower metabolic rate, slower breathing as well as a lower body temperature. Other types of dormancy include diapause, aestivation and brumation.

Keystone Species: Coming in many forms, they are organisms whose relationship with their environment can shape the entire ecosystem. If they were removed, it could lead to an ecosystem becoming severely altered or collapsing. Examples of keystone species are birds of prey, wolves, beavers and bees.

Reforestation: This is the planting of trees in an area, where trees once were although they have either been removed or reduced. It usually focuses on the planting of local and native trees that are most compatible with the local soils and species. Reforestation projects can bring many benefits including restoring biodiversity, soil quality as well as carbon sequestration.

Wildlife Tourism: An increasingly growing and popular area, wildlife tourism, or nature-based tourism, is giving people a chance to see wildlife, in their natural habitat. This could be going on guided walks through nature reserves or safaris. It is also a powerful tool for conservation efforts.

Romania's European brown bears are said to total 6000, making them the largest population of bears in Europe. They roam the wild forests of the Carpathian Mountains.

Romania's Brown Bears

Protecting Europe's Largest Population of an Iconic Species - The Threats and Solutions

The past decades have witnessed an unprecedented acceleration of species and habitat loss. This phenomenon has been called by scientists the sixth mass extinction, and it is mainly caused by human activity. Concretely, it means that 3 out of 4 species that we are familiar with could be gone within a few decades. In the past 40 years, we have annihilated about half of the wildlife living on the planet. 

You might have heard in passing or in the media, that the Earth is currently undergoing its sixth mass extinction event. You might have also heard that it is humanity as a species that is causing this high rate of species loss across the globe. However, it is important to understand both what exactly that means and the gravity and consequences of this heightened level of extinction. This should register as a clear cause to alarm, but this motivation is needed for the urgent action that is required. And in the face of this extinction event, it is important not to feel hopeless and dejected as any individual can take steps to help revert the sixth mass extinction event.

Extinctions are common. It is estimated that of the four billion species that have evolved on Earth over the last 3.5 billion years, up to 99% are now gone. There is a background level of extinction that is always present. These extinctions are balanced over time by the process of speciation, which is the term used to describe the appearance of new species. To describe a rate of extinction as a mass extinction event, that rate needs to be compared to the background rate and proved to be substantially higher. In general, mass extinctions are characterised by the Earth losing around three quarters of its species in a geologically short time interval. 

Five mass extinction events have occurred in the past 540 million years. These five extinction events were near the end of the Ordovician, Devonian, Permian, Triassic and Cretaceous Periods. 

The most well-known mass extinction event happened at the end of the Cretaceous period which wiped out the dinosaurs and set the course for mammalian and bird species to dominate the Earth. While there has been debate over the years, the leading theory is that an asteroid impacting the Earth caused this mass extinction. This asteroid is hypothesized to have caused an “impact winter”, which is when an asteroid’s impact with earth or sea causes a great amount of dust and ash to be ejected into the atmosphere. This dust and ash blocks out the sun’s radiation leading to a drastic drop in global temperature. This would lead to a prolonged period of cold weather that would potentially lead to a global extinction event.

The current extinction rate has been evaluated as being over 1000 times greater than the background extinction rate. For vertebrates, studies estimate species are being lost between 24-85 times faster in the last 500 years than they were during the Cretaceous mass extinction event. It is based on these figures that many scientists have argued that we are entering the sixth mass extinction event and have termed it the Holocene Mass Extinction Event.  

Since the fifth mass extinction event took place 66 million years ago, it has been difficult for scientists to determine the causes and understand how events unfolded. That is where each mass extinction gone before is different to the one happening today – the primary cause of this one is clear and it comes down to the impact of a single species: us. Scientists have broken down the drivers of our heightened rate of extinction as being habitat loss, increased pollution, over-exploitation of resources and species, the proliferation of invasive species and the rapid rate of climate change. All of these drivers are ultimately caused by the increasing size of the human population, the increasing size of human economies and the ever-increasing rate of human overconsumption of resources.

Anthropogenic climate change is creating unpredictable and irreversible damage to species’ habitats and increasing the occurrences of extreme climate events. Land-use change is also a driver of species extinction. More and more wilderness areas are converted to agricultural land, especially biodiversity hotspots like the rainforest. Poaching and illegal trade of endangered species is decimating some extremely vulnerable species like the pangolin or the white rhinoceros.

The consequences of a sixth mass extinction

There are a range of consequences of the sixth mass extinction event, both for the Earth and species that inhabit it, including humans.

One of the more human-centric consequences of this mass extinction event is the loss of crucial ecosystem services, which are the range of benefits that humanity derives from nature. Fresh water, clean air and fertile soil are being lost due to the degradation of natural habitats and ecosystems. These ecosystem services range from the basic ones mentioned here to less obvious ones such as species that carry cultural significance to people or the actions of pollinators and seed dispersers. Additionally, scientists are still finding new chemicals, new plants and new species of bacteria and fungi that may prove beneficial for human medicine. For example, the slow-growing Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) was already becoming scarce when the chemotherapy drug Paclitaxel was derived from its bark. This drug is used now to treat multiple forms of cancer and is on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines. As the sixth mass extinction advances, we lose the species and habitats that provide us with benefits, of both a known and unknown capacity.

Decimation of species and their genetic lineages

One of the gravest consequences of this mass extinction event is the loss of species and degradation of ecosystems. All these lost and or threatened species are unique and represent a failure on humanity’s part as the dominant species and stewards of Earth. Due to human impacts, the Earth is losing genetic lineages that have been in the making for millions of years. The Cretaceous extinction event wiped out every tetrapod species larger than 25kg with the exception of sea turtles and crocodilians. However, now nearly all sea turtle species are endangered with nearly half being critically endangered. While this species survived the extinction event that ended the 165 million reign of the dinosaurs, they may be unable to survive the impact that humanity has had on Earth in the last few hundred years.

Rewilding is the process of returning an area back to its wild state after it has been impacted by human intervention. Reforestation, nature restoration and reintroductions are different processes that themselves can fit under the wider umbrella of rewilding an area in terms of bringing back trees or animals or restoring the natural processes that had been occurring there before human intervention. 

Rewilding minimises the impact that humans have had on the environment by directly reversing those impacts and aiming to return ecosystems to their natural state. Rewilding aims to reverse the drivers of the sixth mass extinction by tackling all five of them under one unified concept of bringing a place back to the ‘wild’ – to a place of pre-human intervention, where the lost habitat is replaced, pollution is removed, over-exploitation is ceased, invasive species are controlled, and the consequences of climate change are mitigated.

When it comes to individual action against the sixth mass extinction, it is easy to feel small and helpless in the face of such large-scale, global change. However, it is small actions culminated together that make up the difference. If rewilding and reforesting areas is what can directly impact the extinction drivers, supporting individual projects and working towards rewilding the Earth is something any individual can do to decelerate this mass extinction event. 

There are numerous groups and projects working towards rewilding and reforesting the globe, along with conservation groups and research groups that dedicate themselves to working against the sixth mass extinction. But it is the individuals supporting these groups that allow such work to continue. This support can come in many forms, from donating time and physical ability as volunteers, or donating technical expertise or financial donations or through word-of-mouth and spreading awareness. Here at Mossy Earth, it is because of our individual members that we are able to reforest and rewild in the face of the sixth mass extinction event.

Extinction rates are measured as extinctions occurring per million species per year, also known as E/MSY. Therefore, a rate of two species lost out of every million species every year is depicted as 2 E/MSY. 2 E/MSY is also the same as two extinctions per 10,000 species every 100 years. It has been commonly accepted that the background extinction rate is around 1 E/MSY, but more recent estimates have put the background rate as low as 0.1 E/MSY with the current rate being 1,000 times higher at 100 E/MSY.

The Ordovician–Silurian (O–S): 450-440 million years ago. 60%-70% of species lost

The Late Devonian Extinction: 375-360 million years ago.  70% of species lost

The Permian-Triassic: 252 million years ago. 90%-96% of species lost

End of trilobites and mammal-like reptiles (early synapsids)

The Triassic-Jurassic: 201 million years ago. 70%-75% of species lost

End of the non-dinosaur archosaurs (excepting some crocodilians)

Cretaceous-Paleogene: 66 million years ago. 75% of species lost

End of the non-avian dinosaurs (excepting some crocodilians)

E/MSY: Rate of extinction, number of extinctions per million species per year.

Tetrapods: Four-limbed species including birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

Synapsids: Mammals and early mammals after they diverged from birds and reptiles (these two are diapsids)

Archosaurs: Biological group involving birds, crocodilians and the extinct dinosaurs.

The past decades have witnessed an unprecedented acceleration of species and habitat loss. This phenomenon has been called by scientists the 6th mass extinction.

What Is The Sixth Mass Extinction And What Can I Do About It?

Trophic cascades take place when the loss, reintroduction or recovery of a species in one part of the food web alters the numbers not just of the species it feeds upon but also of species with which it has no direct interaction. The impacts cascade through the food web, in some cases radically transforming the ecosystem and surrounding landscape

One of the strangest trophic cascade effects is the correlation between the decimation of India’s vultures and an epidemic outbreak of rabies. In a relatively short period, vulture populations dwindled due to the use of an anti-inflammatory drug administered to cattle called diclofenac. The drug was fatal to vultures when they consumed carcasses containing traces of it. As the vulture populations collapsed, the carrion they ate, was instead consumed by feral dogs, which correspondingly boosted their numbers. Dog bites are said to be the cause of 95% of the deaths from rabies in India, and the rising number of feral dogs has meant more people are likely to be infected by the disease.

In northern Europe, salmon that live in beaver dams are generally much bigger than salmon in other parts of the rivers. The dams built by beavers provide salmon with shelter they cannot find elsewhere, and so the juvenile salmon grow faster and become healthier and stronger. The total weight of all the creatures living in the water may be between two and five times greater in beaver ponds than in undammed waterways.

In addition to improving salmon stocks, the beaver plays an unwittingly yet vital role in flood prevention. So much so that environmental agencies are now mimicking beaver behaviour by putting woody debris back into streams and rivers to slow the water flow. Such an approach to flood management is simple and effective but very expensive – while beavers could be doing it for nothing!

Though the majestic lynx has not yet been reintroduced into Scotland, there are a growing number of advocates for its return. An introduction of lynx would help curb numbers of roe and other small deer species, which currently overrun much of the Scottish Highlands.

Yet an even more surprising trophic cascade effect is lynx suppressing deer numbers would be a corresponding decline in cases of Lyme’s disease. Spread to humans by deer ticks, Lyme’s disease is a debilitating and sometimes incurable illness, which according to an article on Lyme’s disease in Health Spectator has increased in England, Wales and Scotland over the last ten years. There could be no better time to bring back the lynx!

Every springtime bluebells transform the UK’s woodlands, and it’s these uninterrupted carpets of intense blues and purples that have made British woods so famous. However during a recent visit to Knepp Wildland in Sussex, I learnt an inconvenient truth that a monoculture of any species (including bluebells) is an indication, not of the wealth of the ecosystem, but its poverty!

If you go to Knepp Wildland in spring, which is as close to being an undisturbed ecosystem in the UK, you won’t find woodland floors carpeted in bluebells. Instead, you’ll find a whole host of wildflowers jostling one another in an explosion of colour. Such vibrancy and variety demonstrate just how much the rest of Britain’s woodlands are missing, and the extent to which wild boar or in the case of Knepp, Tamworth pigs transform their environment.

Trophic Cascades are not just synonymous with large carnivores. - The free-roaming Tamworth pigs at Knepp and the wild boars of northern Europe can live alongside bluebells, but not only bluebells. By rooting and grubbing on the woodland floor, they create small wetlands in their wallows, and habitats for a fascinating and vibrant host of flora and fauna, and ultimately a much richer ecosystem, albeit with fewer bluebells.

Knepp Estate

This farm in England is run by its animals | Pioneers for Our Planet

Trophic cascades can in certain circumstances help to combat and mitigate the impacts of climate change by restoring healthy ecosystem services. For example, where herbivores exist at extremely high densities, excessive browsing is limiting the ability of woodlands to regenerate, thereby inhibiting their ability to sequester carbon. Returning predators to an area can therefore help woodlands regenerate and lead to more carbon being captured in the trees and soils. Similarly, an absence of marine predators, specifically whales could lead to increased greenhouse gases. Whales play a crucial role in ocean carbon sequestration by circulating essential nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface, where they are fed on by phytoplankton and other carbon sequestering flora. By conserving these species, we can protect their vital place in the ocean’s food web and secure their role in capturing carbon and fighting global climate change. 

The infamous trophic cascade effect of wolves of Yellowstone, kept elk populations in check as well as influencing their grazing patterns, which inadvertently rewilded riverbanks. The resulting regrowth attracted greater numbers of songbirds, larger birds of prey, and enabled populations of salmon, beaver and bison to increase.

And if that wasn’t enough, the wolves unwittingly re-engineered the soil composition. As the numbers of salmon rose, which are caught by bears, otters, eagles and ospreys, as did the number of salmon carcasses dragged onto land and eaten. The carcasses, rich in nutrients, were spread along the riverbanks in the animals’ dung. It’s said that up to 16% of the nitrogen in the leaves of trees within 500m of a salmon stream came from the sea.

Carbon Sequestration: Is the trapping and storing of carbon dioxide to prevent it from entering the atmosphere. The ocean is the main proponent of carbon sequestration, storing huge quantities of CO2. Forests are also invaluable at capturing and storing CO2.

Ecosystem: A community of biological organisms such as animals, plants, fungi and how they interact with one other and the environment they live in. An ecosystem has biological, physical and chemical components and come in endless forms. 

Greenhouse Gases: Gasses that accumulate in the planet’s atmosphere creating the greenhouse effect. GHG’s will permit heat to travel through them however will not let it return, thus creating the Greenhouse effect, the warming of the area within the atmosphere. Such gasses include Methane, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide. 

Monoculture: They are farms and plantations that only grow a single species of plant for human use. They do not exist in nature and are often created at the expense of natural occurring ecosystems and habitats.

Phytoplankton: Microscopic organisms, mostly algae, that live in the ocean. With over 5,000 known species, they provide the foundation for much of the life in the oceans, being food for many marine species. They also play an invaluable role in carbon capture, using CO2   to survive via photosynthesis.

Wetlands: They are naturally occurring flooded lands that provide unique habitats to organisms. Wetlands are also highly valuable for the mitigation of climate change and provide natural flood protection.

Trophic cascades take place when apex predators alter the numbers not just of their own prey but also of the species with which they have no direct connection.

Trophic Cascades - The Unexpected Effects

Join conservationists and nature-lovers in celebrating the first World Rewilding Day and the marvels rewilding has produced from lands once deemed devoid of life and prosperity. Let this day also offer a stark reminder that we are not out of the woods yet, far from it. The occasion should also be seized to inform others of the challenges that lie ahead and inspire action. Marked on the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox, World Rewilding Day sends a beam of hope and reason to be optimistic.

We are on the verge of a climate breakdown and a spiralling loss of wildlife during a period of extreme human influence over the earth’s geology and ecosystems. The UN states that we lose 13 million hectares of forests annually, and this while over 50% of global GPD relies on nature. Whilst governments failed to meet biodiversity targets over the last two decades, an evolutionary branch of conservation called ‘Rewilding’ has delivered transformative successes deserving of a day of celebration. Having a dedicated day to celebrate, educate and raise awareness of rewilding presents an opportunity to demonstrate its pivotal role in tackling the most complex challenges of our time - preventing cataclysmic effects of climate change and a devastating 6th mass extinction.

World Rewilding Day and other environmental-based celebrations

Similar to the UN designated World Environment Day and World Wildlife Day, the basis of World Rewilding Day is to stress the importance of protecting and restoring our planet’s fragile ecosystems and biodiversity. 

World Environment Day takes place every year on 5th June to promote current and critical environmental issues; it spans 5 decades of involvement from the UN, governments, businesses, celebrities, and citizens. World Wildlife Day began in 2013 to mark the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; it raises awareness of the threats to animal and plant populations with a themed focus each year. Both days hold a host of key events that allow space for crucial discussions and have sparked a momentum of conservational action as a result. 

The newly announced World Rewilding Day provides the chance to communicate and showcase the positive impacts of rewilding interventions in the fight against climate change and the protection of wildlife. Its inception stems from the Global Rewilding Charter and 11th World Wilderness Congress in efforts to exemplify European successes and broaden rewilding’s impact on a global perspective. Although without a theme, the day shares the common thread of all these environmental-based days: Humans are vitally dependent on sustaining the interconnectivity and interdependence of living species on this planet.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global food supplies and livelihoods, we have a key opportunity to ensure sustainable management of natural resources, and protect biodiversity, in our efforts to build back better.

Rewilding principles are rooted in the assumption that nature can look after itself with little help from us. One of its main objectives is to bring back what has been lost in terms of flora and fauna and wilderness, then to allow nature the space and time to evolve in its own way. This means conservation and restoration efforts should focus on facilitating the return of essential missing components in ecological processes whilst protecting existing biodiversity, and then step back. One such example is to reintroduce keystone species to the landscape who bring about a cascading effect on their whole ecosystem from the top-down or bottom-up, a process known as Trophic Cascades. Other important rewilding interventions include creating the conditions to allow natural regeneration to occur in places like woodlands and wetlands; protecting and restoring species habitats; and supporting biodiversity so it can recover and flourish through actions such as building wildlife corridors for migrating animals.

Rewilding also signifies a change in our mindsets. This element of rewilding forces us to reassess our relationship with nature and how we perceive our role within it. In an age when wilderness is seen as a separate entity to our modern urbanized landscapes, rewilding presents a new existence. One where humans are less involved in managing desired outcomes from nature, instead help it when it needs, then coexist with wild areas and animals in a more biodiverse world.

Rewilding benefits - Promotes Trophic Cascades

The popularity of rewilding has grown in prominence in the last few decades thanks to the numerous benefits it brings to the environment, wildlife, plants, and people, in addition to the hope it inspires for the future. Here are some reasons why rewilding is so important.

Rewilding helps to reestablish trophic cascades by using top predators - often keystone species, those who directly and indirectly have a significant impact on their ecosystem. When these species are reintroduced to environments they once belonged to, they deliver extraordinary changes on different levels in the ecosystem and help to restore balance. Like a ripple effect, a keystone species at the top of the food chain can reduce overpopulation of herbivores, which in turn reduces grazing and allows the regrowth of vegetation. This regeneration attracts other wildlife to inhabit land and continue building the ecological web. The extent of influence reintroducing keystone species can have goes as far as adapting the landscape and composition of the soil and atmosphere.

Rewilding benefits - Enriches Local Communities

The scope for rewilding to contribute to the economy, society, and people’s well-being is extremely promising. Examples already exist where wilder environments are drawing in a host of enterprises that are highly beneficial to local populations through nature-based tourism and products. In places such as Norway, rewilding has accelerated the regeneration of forests and transformed depleted lands to thriving habitats. A new generation of tourists want to experience the wonders of wildlife, making nature-based tourism a prosperous investment opportunity and a source of sustainable job creation. In the process this improves economic stability for rural communities and helps to revitalise areas and people. All of this is particularly advantageous in locations where traditional farming industries have been scrutinized for being unsustainably subsidized and unprofitable. 

Between 2000-2030, farmland the size of Poland is predicted to be vacated within Europe. Freeing up access to lands on this scale presents a great opportunity for many more people and of course, wildlife, to benefit.

Rewilding benefits - Mitigates against Climate Change 

Some of the disastrous effects of climate change are already being felt across the globe: raging wildfires; severe droughts; regular flooding; rising sea levels along coastal areas and acidification of our oceans. With the increased frequency of such events, this complex issue requires immediate action from us to move off a carbon-based economy. However, solutions need to come from an array of areas, one of which is based on building nature’s resilience. This is where rewilding plays a key role through reforesting and restoring natural carbon-sinks such as forests (terrestrial and marine), wetlands, peatlands, and oceans. By creating healthier landscapes, we increase the earth’s capabilities of storing carbon in plants and soil, and therefore mitigate against more catastrophic natural disasters. As well drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, rewilding also helps prevent flooding and stops the spread of wildfires. Forests absorb and channel rainfall preventing it from inundating watercourses, streams, or rivers. The planting of more resilient native tree species in rewilding projects boosts a forest’s ability to slow or break the spread of wildfires. 

For more wonder, rewild the world | George Monbiot

Rewilding benefits - Reverses the 6th Mass Extinction

At the forefront of the reasons to rewild is the urgent need to address the dire state of biodiversity and the very real possibility of a 6th mass extinction. A body of research alarmingly warns of this pending disaster with the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) labelling it a ‘biological annihilation’. Since the turn of the twentieth century species populations have been declining - almost half of the mammals sampled by the PNAS have lost 80% of their populations. Without action the consequences will amount to inexorable impacts on vital life support systems. 

One advocate of rewilding the world to stop a 6th mass extinction is Sir David Attenborough. The world-renowned naturalist believes restoring biodiversity is fundamental to sustaining life on earth and this can be achieved through rewilding. Adopting this approach gives nature the chance to revive its broken ecosystems; rebuild its dwindling wildlife populations; and rewrite its future.

One of the successes to shout about on World Rewilding Day is the incredible impacts caused by the reintroduction of wolves to the Yellowstone National Park in the USA in 1995. This story captured the imagination of worldwide audiences as this keystone species sparked a resurgence of nature and life in the park simply by hunting overpopulated dears. Without predators the dear roamed freely and overgrazed the land preventing growth of vegetation. Once wolves returned, not only did they control the numbers of dears, but they also affected the dears’ behaviour forcing them to avoid exposed areas. The effects of this trophic cascade were forests expanded; wildlife returned; and even the rivers courses were altered as riverbanks became more resilient.

The Knepp Castle Estate in the UK champions the impacts of rewilding for sustainable farming practices, habitat creation and engaging people. For decades, the land was unprofitably intensively farmed whilst the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides was depleting the soil of nutrients. The implementation of rewilding strategies, such as introducing grazing animals and restoring natural water courses, triggered a remarkable turnaround. The estate now provides habitats for a variety of wildlife and can boast breeding ground for rare species like turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, and purple emperor butterflies. What’s more, the land still produces meat-based products that are farmed sustainably without the huge capital outlays of traditional farms. The 3,500-acre estate is open for the public to experience the valuable work that’s been done to rewild the land.

How can I get involved on World Rewilding Day?

There are no organized events for the first World Rewilding Day which means it is the perfect opportunity to start or continue your education of rewilding. Below are some good areas to delve into.

If rewilding is a new to you, take this chance to further educate yourself on the basic principles. Expand your rewilding knowledge by reading some of our articles: from in-depth guides on returning ancient species like aurochs to how wildlife corridors address habitat fragmentation. 

Start at home by rewilding your garden. Rewilding can happen on big or small patches of land, there’s always room for improvement and space for nature to creep back in. Learn what approach to take; how to plant a haven for wildlife and which methods turn your garden into a sustainable one.

Find out about existing rewilding projects – what problems do they tackle and how do the rewilding interventions help?

Spread the word! Educate others on the benefits and shed light on how they can get involved. Share inspirational talks such as one of George Monbiot's or this article. Quote the wise words of Sir David Attenborough 

There is a path to sustainability. If enough people can see the path… we may just start down it in time.

At Mossy Earth our approach to rewilding is centred around the following principles:

Impact – to carefully select and monitor projects that deliver an effective ecological return on investment. To prioritise projects based on their direct contribution to restoring key ecosystem processes and biodiversity. 

Scientifically supported – feasibility studies ensure that the chosen projects fulfil a scientifically backed and ecological theory-based criteria.

The wider context – To have long-lasting effect our projects need to consider not only on-site factors but also key stakeholders and the wider community. This helps to secure success when addressing the overall problem.

Transparency through technology – technology plays an important role in project implementation and communication. Through the use of camera traps and tracking devices we are able to monitor key species’ movements and better understand their behaviours. Our range of communication channels allows us to feed important stages of every project back to our members, keeping them informed and involved.

If you are interested, find out more about our rewilding methodologies and rewilding projects.

The first World Rewilding Day is 20th March 2021. Learn about Rewilding, its benefits and how to get involved on this day of celebration and awareness.

World Rewilding Day

Celebrating the positive impacts of Rewilding and raising awareness

Sir David Attenborough recently put “rewilding” on the map in his documentary A Life On Our Planet “To restore stability to our planet we must restore its biodiversity, the very thing that we’ve removed… We must rewild the world!”

Whether you are new to the exciting concept of rewilding or someone who could give Sir David or George Monbiot a run for their money on nature restoration, we highly recommend the following 5 rewilding podcasts.  

These rewilding podcasts will inspire, educate and entertain. And in addition to their focus on rewilding, they cover topics that express the value of nature and show how adopting a sustainable lifestyle can reduce your environmental footprint.

Jack Humphrey, the podcast’s host, created the Rewilding Earth podcast to showcase the work of the people involved in preserving nature's building blocks, whether they be intact wilderness or key corridors and buffers surrounding wilderness, as well as the people invested in protecting and reintroducing extirpated species. You will meet conservation biologists, climate activists, naturalists, organizers, artists, and authors as Jack interviews all the key players in the challenge to rewild the world. 

Why Hunting Is Not Conservation with Kevin Bixby

Crista Valentino on the New Generation of Conservation Leaders

Jason Mark On Patagonia’s 9 Million Acre Gift

Listen to The Rewilding Earth Mission on these podcast providers:

iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, YouTube

Mossy Earth is a social enterprise on a mission to restore nature and fight climate change through its reforestation and rewilding projects.

So, our Eco side podcast aims to empower and educate listeners on rewilding, nature restoration and low impact living. Listen to inspiring wilderness tales that reflect how different individuals embrace the wild side of our planet and make it part of their life, as well as insights from experts in the field of rewilding, on the state of our natural world, and how to protect it. 

Listen to The Eco Side on these podcast providers:

3. The Reintroduction & Rewilding Summit Podcas‪t

Charlie Moores from the Birds of Poole Harbour and the host of The Reintroduction & Rewilding Summit interviews a series of wildlife restoration leaders, discussing the details, aims and inspiration behind each scheme. With many of these topics or ideas sometimes being considered controversial, these open discussions aim to lay all cards on the table, allowing listeners to hear about the processes, practicalities and outcomes of each of the projects and how they fit into a wider context of rewilding.

Meet Isabella Tree, who has been largely responsible for bringing rewilding to public attention through her brilliant book "Wilding"

Listen to The Reintroduction & Rewilding Summit on these podcast providers:

Not strictly a 100% rewilding podcast but the Science Focus podcast has released a number of interesting and engaging rewilding episodes over the last twelve months. 

Why rewilding success stories make us hopeful for the future 

Rewilding: Can it save our wildlife and temper climate change?

Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?

Listen to The Science Focus on these podcast providers:

Knepp Wildland is the first major rewilding project in England and incidentally one of the inspirations for us starting Mossy Earth. The Wildland comprises of 1,400 hectares or 3,500 acres of former arable and dairy farmland in the grounds of Knepp Castle. Join their resident ecologist, Penny Green on the Knepp Wildland Podcast, and experience some of the wildlife wonders encountered, the secrets uncovered and the remarkable people who are part of the Knepp Wildland rewilding project.

Listen to the Knepp Wildland podcast on these providers:

We hope you enjoy these rewilding podcasts as much as we have done reviewing them. Should you wish to learn even more about rewilding then be sure to check out our rewilding blog, watch our YouTube channel or book a call with one of our conservation biologists! If you are looking to start your contribution to the rewilding movement immediately, then have a read of Reasons for Rewilding and find out how to get involved in both small and larger-scale rewilding projects.

We review the 5 Best Rewilding Podcasts on the airwaves. These podcasts will inspire, educate and entertain as you journey down the exciting and sometimes controversial rabbit hole of rewilding. 

The 5 Best Rewilding Podcasts

Rewilding podcasts that will inspire, educate and entertain

Being out of sight for most of us, the subterranean world is a mysterious place that has always captured our imagination. Caves have featured in human folklore since the earliest times. However few stories are as surprising or exciting as the discoveries that are being made by the field of biospeleology which focuses on the creatures that inhabit them. 

From the United States to Mexico, South Africa to Vietnam, caves have developed their fascinating designs across the entire world. They are the result of processes that in some cases, have taken millions of years to form and now stand as not only an insight into geological functions but serve as an important ecosystem to various, and often unusual organisms.  

In Slovenia, the Postojna cave system, although it is the second biggest in the country, it is effectively the home of the field of biospeleology as well as the region where the etymology of the word “karst” can be traced to. Through its 24-kilometre underground passages and caverns (as old as three million years) impressive geological creations developed that home over 150 different types of fauna.

Karst caves, the most common type, form through the gradual dissolution of limestone or dolomite bedrock caused by running water over thousands of years. The chambers and tunnels that result are characterised by environmental conditions that are nothing like those of the above ground world which they are so close to. Low light or complete darkness and a dearth of nutrients makes them seem rather inhospitable to life. However, even in these obscure corners of our planet, there are lifeforms such as the elusive olm 'dragon' that live and thrive. 

If there is one feature that many cave-dwelling animals seem to share it is that they are utterly bizarre to the human eye. This is particularly true for troglobites which are the species that are strictly bound to underground habitats. Millions of years of evolution in this unique environment led to stunning and strange adaptations. Species that once saw daylight have lost many anatomical features. Eyes and skin pigment are of little use in the pitch black so there is nothing preventing the genes behind them from being lost from the population. 

An evolutionary experiment in bizarreness 

Some of the curious creatures of the underworld

Troglobites: Strange Cave Specialists | Planet Earth | BBC Earth

The olm, Proteus anguinus, is one of the most peculiar troglobites we know of and is also one of the most well studied. The first records of the olm salamander come from 1689 in present-day Slovenia when a naturalist called Valvasor found them washing up from underground waters after heavy rains. The local people believed them to be the babies of a cave dragon which is understandable given their appearance.

With a slender body of up to 40 cm the olm salamander swims with an eel-like motion through the well oxygenated underground water it inhabits. Unlike many other salamanders the olm has remained aquatic and relies on external gills to breathe. Generations of natural selection in the dark left the olm salamander blind with underdeveloped and skin-covered eyes. To hunt the crustaceans, insects and snails that make up its diet it relies instead on an acute sense of smell and sound, an ability to sense weak electrical signals and even magnetic fields. Surprisingly though, olms can survive without eating for an entire decade, a feat that seems useful given that food in these caves can often become scarce.  The average lifespan of an olm is estimated to be 58 years and it is thought that some individuals may survive for a century or more. This makes this species a complete outlier in the animal world because it lives much longer than expected for its body size. 

The glowworms of New Zealand, Arachnocampa luminosa, are another fascinating cave dweller. They are not actually worms but fungus-eating flies that have a peculiar hunting strategy during their larval stage. After hatching, the larvae find a good spot on the cave walls from which to hunt. They secrete several threads of sticky web that hang from the ceiling. Each worm is equipped with a specialised organ that uses a chemical reaction to generate blue light. Small flying insects are attracted to the light and are then trapped by the sticky threads. The larvae then start to consume the thread thus pulling the trapped insects and essentially “fishing” them upwards before eating them alive. In caves where glowworms are common, the walls can be seen glowing with dots of blue – a spectacular and strange sight indeed. 

Describing cave life without mentioning bats would be to miss an important part of the puzzle of many subterranean ecosystems. There are about 1400 bat species around the world many of which rely on the stability and protection of subterranean environments. Some species form roosts numbering in the millions. At dusk, they leave their caves to search for food in a spectacular show that has become a tourist attraction in many parts of the world. Some species feed on insects, thus controlling their populations, others are fruit-eaters and play a role in dispersing plant seeds, and some have an important pollinator function as they move around feeding on nectar.

When bats return to the caves and drop their guano (bat faeces) they are serving another important ecological function. They are bringing nutrients from the outside world to places where the absence of light prevents plants that form the base of the food chain elsewhere can’t grow. The guano provides energy for a community of insects, spiders and crustaceans uniquely adapted to take advantage of this cave resource. 

Being out of sight and often hard to access, cave ecosystems are relatively safe from the havoc that human influence is causing in other natural places. Unfortunately, this is often far from the truth. Urban pollution and garbage dumps can contaminate karstic springs and sinkholes which feed water to caves without anyone realising. The olm, for example, is very sensitive to water contamination and this is one of the issues that has to be addressed in its native range in Southeastern Europe. In certain areas, deforestation aboveground can affect water quality belowground as the filtration properties of the soil are altered. In other cases, dams may completely alter the course of rivers and the way in which they flow underground into caves thus altering their chemistry.

When humans visit caves, or modify them in any way, they also threaten this unique ecosystem. The light, noise and structural modification of many “tourist” caves renders the environment unsuitable for creatures which have adapted to a completely different environment. Even caves that have not been modified to accommodate human visitors are threatened by cavers if they are not careful. Groups such as the British Caving Association have come up with specific guidelines to help cavers explore without causing damage. 

Many cave dwellers have a very restricted range and some species exist only in a single cave. This high rate of local endemism means that damage to a single cave system could wipe out a species from the face of the earth. Given that so much of the subterranean world is yet to be explored, chances are that species are being lost in this way before even being described by science.

At Mossy Earth we believe that pristine nature not only provides us with useful services and great enjoyment but that it is valuable in and of itself. One way this translates into concrete work is through our ugly ones' programme which is specifically dedicated to the conservation of threatened species that are considered to be uncharismatic, boring or even “ugly”. Strange and hidden, cave creatures such as the olm are great candidates for this slightly unconventional but urgently needed work. You can expect more news from us about the mysteries of the amazing world under our feet!  

On a mission to help forgotten species and their ecosystems

Adaptations: In an evolutionary sense, this is the direct result of evolution and natural selection, where animals become adapted to their environments by means of changes to their behaviour or physically to their body.  

Bedrock: The type of solid rock that rests underneath loose substances such as sand, gravel, earth or indeed the ocean. It is formed through intense heat and pressure when many varying shapes and sizes of rock are fused together. Bedrock can descend for hundreds of meters beneath the ground. 

Biospeleology: It is also referred to as “cave biology”, the study dedicated to learning about and understanding the types of animals that’s have evolved and adapted to life in caves.

Natural Selection: The theory first described by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, which suggests that genetic traits of animals are selected and passed on to their offspring, in order to give them the best opportunity of survival. Each animal is slightly different in their genetic code which constantly change with each generation. Through natural selection, those who’s genetics have adapted best to their environment will have better opportunity to feed and/or mate, produce more offspring who carry on the successful traits. 

Subterranean Ecosystems: These are unique underground communities of organisms such as plants, animals and fungi. All of the organisms involved have specifically evolved together, and to their cave setting, relying on each other to support the ecosystem. 

Delve into the alien world of cave-dwelling animals, including the olm salamander, their conservation, the exciting discoveries that are being made in the field of biospeleology.

Extraordinary and Endangered Cave Dwelling-Animals

An alien world that deserves our attention 

Cave-dwelling animals and their conservation

A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts, and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Seventy out of the top 100 crops that humans consume, which supplies up to 90% of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees! No bees, no food, it’s that simple. We need to save the bees from bee extinction!

Why are bees under threat of extinction? 

Bee communities, both wild and managed, have been declining over the last half-century. Scientists have found that bees are dying from a variety of factors; pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, nutrition deficit, air pollution, and climate change.

Though many of these causes are interrelated, the bottom line is that humans are largely responsible for the two most prominent causes: pesticides and habitat loss.

Let's look at seven ways we can help reverse the bee's recent demise and prevent a bee extinction. 

Honeybees feed on the flowers from nearby crops and ornamental plants, and it is vital that these are not coated in pesticides that could weaken the hive. Organic farming is the overarching new policy trend that will stabilize human food production, preserve wild habitats, and protect the bees. The nation of Bhutan has led the world in adopting a 100% organic farming policy, while eight European countries have followed suit and banned particular pesticides and genetically modified crops to help revive bee numbers.

Ensure your fruit and vegetables are organically and locally grown if possible, and that you are not using any pesticides in your own garden …even if those weeds do look unsightly on the driveway!

Like human hotels, by building a bee hotel, you’ll be supplying accommodation, refreshment, and even breakfast for bees. Building a bee hotel is an easy way to save your local bees. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to build and where to put a bee hotel.

If possible, recycle and reuse scrap pieces of wood or furniture, plastic bottles, and old garden canes for your bee hotel. If you have nothing at home, visit your local waste tip to source your materials. 

Planting for pollinators and rewild your garden, allotment, or even balcony will help honeybees immensely. Bees forage from flowers rich in nectar and pollen, the former contains the sugar they require for energy while the latter provides them essential proteins and oils. When flowers are scarce, bees can starve. Use this plant for pollinators guide to discover which plants (flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees) to grow, and when they flower. Different bees are active throughout the year, so you’ll need flowering plants from spring to winter.

You can make a huge impact on the health of your local ecosystem by starting a beehive. Having your own beehive can help you learn about bee biology, bee ecosystems, and improve the environment around you. Plus, you get the added benefits of bee products such as raw honey and beeswax, as well as the satisfaction and joy derived from working with a hive. Contact your local beekeeping club for more information.

If you’re not ready for a hive of your own, you can indirectly help bees by supporting your local beekeeper. These keepers work hard to nurture their bees and better the local community for bees and humans alike. The easiest way to do this is to buy locally-made honey and beeswax products. Such as soaps, lotions, and candles.

If you’d like a hive but don’t have the time nor space, why not help fund new hive installations? The Honeybee Conservancy in the U.S. and The British Beekeeping Association are working to install stocked honeybee hives and solitary bee homes in communities across the United States and the UK respectively. By sponsoring/adopting a beehive, you aren’t only helping to save the bees, but improving communities – beehives provide training and learning opportunities for both young and old, and the bees can help improve the local ecosystem. Such sponsorship programs provide bees and equipment to help people safely set up, maintain and observe such on-site bee sanctuaries at schools, community gardens, and green spaces.

Rewilding Blog

Romania's Brown Bears

What Is The Sixth Mass Extinction?

Trophic Cascades

World Rewilding Day - 20th March

The 5 Best Rewilding Podcasts

Cave-dwelling animals and their conservation

Save The Bees

What is Rewilding?

Rewilding In Britain

Birds of Prey in Ireland & the UK

Vultures in the Douro Valley

Reasons for Rewilding

Nature-Based Tourism

Wild Boar

Wildlife in Ireland

Salmon Farming in Scotland

Wildlife Corridors

Tree Extinction

Rewilding Scotland

Rewilding In North America

A Review of George Monbiot's Feral

Tracking Eurasian Lynx

Lynx in Britain

Aurochs and their role in rewilding

What is Climate Change?

Rewilding Romania

Rewild Your Garden

Rewilding Ireland

Saving Scotland's Wildcats

The Return of European Bison

Deforestation

What is Biodiversity?