Rewilding is a term that’s newer to many Americans, but across the pond in the UK, it’s widely used. We wanted to share some resources related to rewilding that you may like to read and study to learn more about the subject and why it’s important to America’s wild horses, environment and people.
Rewilding is a form of environmental conservation and ecological restoration with species that are native to an area. At CANA Foundation, we believe that there are many benefits to rewilding and were honored to attend and speak about its progress in America related to wild horses at the Cambridge Conservation Forum in the UK in 2019.
The Horse as a native species to North America is an “integral component of the Natural System,” as stated by the Bureau of Land Management’s WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT OF 1971 (PUBLIC LAW 92-195)
Their job as a keystone species allows them to maintain, protect and help to rebuild environmental systems, allowing other species to thrive alongside them––all working to keep nature in balance, by helping to build biodiversity. The above short video explains why horses can serve such a great purpose for rewilding and below are links to learn more.
A great place to learn more about rewilding in England and beyond is to check out Rewilding Europe, whose mission is to make Europe a wilder place, with more space for wild nature, wildlife and natural processes. In bringing back the variety of life, they explore new ways for people to enjoy and earn a fair living from the wild. This organization is tracking rewilding efforts and supporting them in Europe. In addition to hosting webinars and events that the public can attend, they also publish information on rewilding case studies.
One fascinating recent story from Rewilding Europe revolves around a herd of Konik horses that has just been released onto an island in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. We will be watching this new group, as the goal of their release is to further enhance the natural environment through their grazing and aid the development of nature-based tourism.
More recently, rewilding has been in the news with multiple articles in The Guardian. Fiona Harvey, an environment correspondent, wrote “Rewild to mitigate the climate crisis, urge leading scientists,”about how rewilding can help the climate change crisis.
Megan Mayhew Bergman wrote about its benefits for everyday people and their suburban lawns in The Guardian article, “Born to Rewild.” George Monbiot has written many articles and books on rewilding, including this fascinating opinion piece in The Guardian “Rewilding will make Britain a rainforest nation again.” He also penned the 2017 book, “Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life.”
At CANA, we strive to work through science backed education that will ultimately help with rewilding initiatives to better the lives of horses, each other and our planet and make for a better future.
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