Rewilding☆

Rewilding is a type of large-scale biological and ecological restoration that emphasizes recovery of wide-ranging native species, top carnivores, and other keystone animals in their natural patterns of abundance to regain functional and resilient ecosystems (Noss, 1992, Noss and Cooperrider, 1994). The term was coined by Dave Foreman (first used in print by Foote (1990)), a long-time trail blazing (path-breaking seemed slightly less of a cliché than trail-breaking, but either is fine) conservationist, founder of the Rewilding Institute, and cofounder of the Wildlands Network (originally The Wildlands Project). The founding of the Wildlands Network was an effort to create a North American system of connected, strictly protected areas able to support ecologically effective populations of all native species. This level of protection requires very large-scale rewilding. The term is now widely used, but its meaning has expanded to include restoration generally, restoration of Pleistocene species, and in some cases creation of urban greenways.