This is an open-ended exploration into ReWilding, conservation and practical projects happening around the world. As always, the goal of this email thread is to investigate solutions on how to solve this tsunami of tsunamis, and how together we can restore the delicate balance to the natural world.
Why ReWild
So why ReWild? You may think ‘well that's a silly question’, as to some, ReWilding today is as necessary as drinking water or breathing. However, to others, ReWilding is a rather strange concept that is not well understood.
To simplify the idea of ReWilding - from academics to enthusiasts, ReWilding essentially means to invite nature back into the world. Why? The short answer is because our natural biodiversity is under threat of the mass extinction as a result of the anthropocene (a new term for our geological age, wherein human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment). Collectively we need to claim responsibility for the damage that we've unleashed upon the natural world. And now with a world requiring action on a global scale to address multiple and complex problems, we should consider inviting nature into our solutions too (more on biomimicry later).
We humans cannot be happy and whole, unless nature is happy and whole”
- Stephan Harding (Renowned Ecologist author of Animate Earth)
ReWilding is therefore work that helps us to not only create a thriving planet, but also a diverse and vibrant world that future generations can enjoy as we have. As Stephan Harding explained in the quote above; we can't be healthy and whole, unless nature is healthy and whole. For our own psychological well being, we need biodiversity and nature in our lives.
What is ReWilding
ReWilding:
aims to restore self-regulating ecosystems
depends on a degree of human intervention
uses processes such as opening wildlife corridors, species introduction and reintroductions
Self-sustaining, resilient natural systems require the presence of keystone species. Luckily we in Africa still have many keystone species, and though they are under threat, they are not yet extinct. Through building wildlife corridors, we allow Trophic Rewilding, wherein empty niches are refilled through reintroduction or, where a species is extinct, a close relative or ecological analogue. There is often emphasis on megafauna, due primarily to this group being disproportionately affected by anthropogenic extinction.
How to ReWild
Using nature as an ally, we can restore wildernesses to what they should be – wild, self-regulating and untamed. We can conserve and connect, linking corridors to ensure we preserve and connecting biomes that are already intact.
Secondly we can ReWild through re-introducing keystone species, we can recreate more mature (or self-regulating) ecosystems in areas such as expired mines, damaged agricultural lands, or even within our intense urban areas. A good example is how wolves influenced rivers and the influence that keystone species had on the rivers and other biodiversity
We don’t exactly know what will happen if we were to ReWild all these locations, as nature is complex. This complexity goes against our reductionist ways, and our world has become so busy, that the love of simplification and the need to know provides us so much comfort in a noisy world. Nature is complex, and it isn’t as well understood as we pretend it to be. Allowing for complexity ensures we create conditions that are emergent and conducive to life.
A healthy environment is a healthy human ... Well, that's pretty ego-centric, thinking that us humans should be the center, and the environment should serve the human. An important step in ReWilding is believed to begin with ReWilding ourselves.
Traveling through the Okavango by Makoro, with African Bush Camps
ReWilding Ourselves
Why, and what an absurd idea? Life is a beautiful, extraordinary gift that when it flourishes, is a spectacular sight. Nature itself is spectacular, but when we forgot that we are nature, we also forgot that we are spectacular, too. Being conscious, as you read this very sentence, you and I are both miracles. ‘We are spacedust’, so if we are so splendid, so spectacular and so miraculous, why should we need to change, or to ReWild ourselves?
We need to ReWild ourselves because that is what makes us so spectacular in the first place.
Technology is often seen as a solution to everything, but let us not forget that what makes technology so amazing is what it allows for us! Through ReWilding ourselves we are reconnecting with nature and with parts of ourselves that we didn't even know existed.
Reconnecting with nature, and re-valuing it will ensure that we welcome nature back into our world. So start where you are, and as you guide nature into your home, your garden, your city, invite nature into your soul.
‘Start where you are’
Concluding thoughts
The idea behind ‘start where you are’ is powerful, you don't need to solve all the world's problems. You don't need to solve the giant crises that surround us everywhere, every day. You just need to start where you are – your life, your home, your work, your community.
As a consequence of where we find the world today, our goals of this movement should not necessarily be just to turn the clock back or to try and hold and keep nature as it is (to conserve), but instead our goal should be such to encourage damaged ecosystems towards becoming something that is continuously functional, diverse, and conducive to life.
For nature is something we touch, but it is not something we can hold. Nature is adaptive, changing and forever moving.
News from the South
Between the Tankwa Karoo National Park and the Cederberg Wilderness Area, a conservation corridor is on the brink reuniting these two iconic wild spaces
This corridor will assist in conserving the very wild Succulent Karoo
Building this corridor involves private landowners, government agencies and communities to reconnect this region and its wild treasures
A dream 15 years in the making, ReWild offers it’s congratulations to all those involved, including WWF, San Parks and Wilderness Foundation - Africa
You can find out more here
Whats Happening at ReWild Africa:
The ReWild team is leaves for the Kruger next week (September 2020), and staying at the Nsasani Trust to launch our latest experience in Deep Ecology.
ReWild is teaming up with Dartington and Schumacher College for #climatemarathon a virtual challenge this October to celebrate and support COP26 and everyone around the world addressing challenges posed by climate change
Sam and Alistair (ReWild Africa's two co-founders) begun their training and plan on running a marathon a week, we’d love you to join!
Virtual Challenge happening from the 4 – 31 October 2020
www.dartington.org/climatemarathon
“Tackling climate change is a marathon we are all in together”
Learn Biomimicry courses are now on a spring special for a limited time
We’ve launched our latest short (and independent film) here
Dr Stephan Harding is the author of Animate Earth, and Schumacher College's resident ecologist and tutor since 1991
Summary:
ReWilding involves inviting nature back into our human world
We should always consider using Nature as an ally in the act of restoration
ReWilding aim is to restore self-regulating ecosystems
ReWilding depends on a degree of human intervention
ReWild uses wildlife corridors, species introduction and reintroductions as the tools to facilitate the assumed natural processes
Nature is something we touch, but it is not something we can hold. Nature is adaptive, changing and forever moving.
A parting gift
As a parting gift, I leave you with a riddle
You can have me but cannot hold me;
Gain me and quickly lose me.
If treated with care I can be great,
And if betrayed I will break.
What am I?
Reply to this newsletter and we’ll provide you the answer : )
Wild Regards
Alistair and the ReWilders