Wolfheze, the Netherlands — September 21, 2025 — At the inaugural Rewilding Our World conference, three remarkable individuals were honoured by the Rewilding Academy for their outstanding contributions to nature restoration, ecological understanding, and the rewilding movement worldwide.
The Global Rewilding Awards — the Rewilding Pioneer Award, the Rewilding Legacy Award, and the Species Rewilding Award — were presented respectively to Frans Vera, Sir Humphry Wakefield, and Lucy Rees during the opening day of the conference, in recognition of their vision, courage, and lifelong dedication to restoring the wild heart of nature.
Together, their work spans the spectrum of rewilding: from rethinking how Europe’s landscapes evolved, to safeguarding living symbols of wilderness, to exploring how animals themselves can be active agents of ecological renewal.
Rewilding Pioneer Award – Frans Vera
Few individuals have changed the way we see nature as profoundly as Frans Vera, recipient of the Rewilding Pioneer Award.
A Dutch ecologist and visionary behind the Oostvaardersplassen’s rewilding approach — one of Europe’s most influential rewilding sites — Vera revolutionised ecological thought through his pioneering work with large herbivores. At a time when conservation was dominated by static management and fenced reserves, Vera proposed a radical idea: that wild grazers like red deer, horses, and cattle were once key architects of Europe’s landscapes.
This idea, detailed in his seminal book Grazing Ecology and Forest History, challenged the prevailing belief that pre-agricultural Europe was an endless expanse of dense forest. Instead, Vera proposed that it was a dynamic, shifting mosaic of grasslands, scrub, and woodlands — continually shaped by the actions of large herbivores.
The “Vera Hypothesis,” as it became known, sparked international debate and fundamentally reshaped ecological restoration theory. It laid the conceptual groundwork for rewilding projects that now stretch from Iberia to the Baltic and beyond — landscapes where natural processes, rather than human plans, are allowed to determine ecological outcomes.
Frans Vera’s vision was never merely theoretical. At Oostvaardersplassen, he created a living experiment that continues to inspire practitioners worldwide. His approach provoked both admiration and controversy, but his determination to follow science and belief in nature’s autonomy never wavered.
Already in the 1990s, his ideas inspired a new generation of conservationists — some of whom would go on to found the Rewilding Academy. Today, as rewilding enters the global mainstream, Vera’s influence can be seen in projects that seek to restore not only species, but the ecological processes that sustain life.
“Frans Vera changed the way we think about wild nature,” said conference Chair Michele Robson. “He taught us that landscapes are not static museums of biodiversity, but living, self-willed systems shaped by the interplay of species and time.”
For his pioneering research, groundbreaking ecological theory, and lifelong dedication to restoring wild processes, Frans Vera was honoured with the Rewilding Pioneer Award.
Rewilding Legacy Award – Sir Humphry Wakefield
If Vera represents rewilding’s intellectual revolution, Sir Humphry Wakefield, 2nd Baronet, embodies its spirit of stewardship, heritage, and endurance.
Recipient of the Rewilding Legacy Award, Sir Humphry has spent a lifetime safeguarding wild places, reviving degraded landscapes, and inspiring generations to rediscover humanity’s relationship with nature.
As the custodian of Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, England, he has protected and championed the wild Chillingham cattle — one of the world’s last surviving herds of truly wild cattle. These animals, untamed for centuries, represent a living link to Europe’s ecological and cultural past. Through his stewardship, Sir Humphry has ensured their continued survival, maintaining a balance between heritage conservation and ecological integrity.
Yet his contributions extend far beyond Chillingham. Early in his career, Sir Humphry collaborated with other visionaries such as Laurens van der Post and Dr. Ian Player in establishing the Wilderness Foundation, which has since inspired generations of young people to value wild nature and understand humanity’s dependence on it. He later chaired Wendy Campbell-Purdie’s foundation, supporting pioneering land restoration work in North Africa, and has served as a director of the Tree of Life Foundation since 1976 — advancing ecological restoration and cross-cultural understanding across continents.
Sir Humphry’s life has also been one of adventure and exploration: he joined the New Zealand Everest Team in 1990, participated in Norman D. Vaughan’s Antarctic Expedition in 1993, and remains a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a life member of the Scott Polar Institute.
Through these experiences, Sir Humphry has exemplified a philosophy that blends curiosity with courage — values central to the rewilding movement itself.
“Rewilding,” Sir Humphry remarked, “is not about turning back the clock, but about restoring the pulse of life — the rhythms that remind us who we are and where we come from.”
By combining heritage, science, and imagination, Sir Humphry has inspired people of all ages to reconnect with wildness in both landscape and spirit. His legacy — as guardian, mentor, and explorer — will continue to shape the future of rewilding for generations to come.
For his lifelong dedication to conservation, his visionary leadership, and his enduring inspiration to others, Sir Humphry Wakefield was presented with the Rewilding Legacy Award.
Species Rewilding Award – Lucy Rees
While Vera and Wakefield reimagined landscapes, Lucy Rees has reminded the world that animals themselves — their intelligence, behaviour, and relationships — are vital to rewilding.
An equine ethologist, author, and field researcher, Lucy Rees received the Species Rewilding Award for her groundbreaking work with wild and semi-wild horses. Her research has transformed our understanding of how horses interact with each other and their environment — and how they can actively restore degraded ecosystems.
From her base in Extremadura, Spain, Lucy Rees manages the Pottoka in Piornal Project, where herds of primitive Basque ponies roam freely through rugged terrain. This project functions both as a living study of horse behaviour and a model for ecological restoration. The grazing, trampling, and movement patterns of these horses help regenerate vegetation, prevent bush encroachment, and maintain open habitats that support biodiversity.
Lucy Rees’ books — including The Horse’s Mind, Wild Horse Ethology, and Horses in Company — are regarded as foundational works in equine science and animal behaviour. Through them, she has bridged the worlds of scientific research, practical animal management, and deep empathy for wild nature.
Her influence reaches far beyond academia. By demonstrating that wild horses can act as keystone species, she has opened new pathways for integrating animal behaviour and ecological restoration — an approach increasingly reflected in rewilding projects across Europe and Latin America.
Lucy Rees’ work also challenges us to reconsider our relationship with animals: to see them not as resources or tools, but as partners in the renewal of ecosystems.
“Lucy Rees has given voice to the wild horse,” the award citation reads. “Her insights remind us that true rewilding is not only about bringing species back, but about allowing them to express their natural behaviour — and in doing so, heal the land.”
For her visionary research, her commitment to rewilding through animal behaviour, and her profound influence on both science and practice, Lucy Rees was honoured with the Species Rewilding Award.
Celebrating a Movement of Hope
The presentation of the Global Rewilding Awards marked a highlight of Day One at the Rewilding Our World 2025 conference, which gathered scientists, practitioners, and community leaders from across the globe to share knowledge and advance the rewilding movement.
Each of the three honourees — in their own way — represents a cornerstone of rewilding’s evolution:
- Frans Vera, who reframed ecological theory and reawakened Europe’s landscapes.
- Sir Humphry Wakefield, who embodied stewardship, adventure, and intergenerational inspiration.
- Lucy Rees, who reconnected humanity to the intelligence and agency of wild species.
Together, their work exemplifies the values that define rewilding: humility before nature, trust in natural processes, and faith in the ability of life to renew itself.
As the conference continues to explore global strategies for restoring ecosystems and rebalancing Earth’s systems, the Rewilding Academy’s recognition of these three pioneers serves as a reminder that rewilding is not just a scientific discipline — it is a cultural renewal.
“Rewilding is about restoring hope,” said Arend de Haas, director ecosystem restoration at the Rewilding Academy. “And these three individuals have each, in their own way, helped restore that hope — for nature, and for all of us.”
Featured photo: Lucy Rees and Purnima Devi Barman (Photo: Arjan Otte)