The opening day of Rewilding Our World 2025 in Wolfheze, Netherlands, set a vibrant, hopeful tone for what promises to be a groundbreaking international gathering of conservationists, scientists, and community leaders. From keynote speeches to interactive panels, the first day offered a rich tapestry of ideas, experiences, and strategies for restoring ecosystems, empowering communities, and rewilding landscapes across the globe.
Day 1 was anchored in the spirit of bold experimentation, local leadership, and ecological restoration, reflecting a growing understanding that rewilding is not just about species or habitats—it is about connecting people, nature, and future generations. With a diverse lineup of speakers ranging from pioneering ecologists to grassroots conservation heroes, the day highlighted both the science and the soul of rewilding.
Opening Remarks and Laughter to Rewild the Mind
Conference Chair Michele Robson welcomed participants with opening remarks that emphasized the collective responsibility and opportunity to restore wild nature, introducing the Global Rewilding Manifesto, which calls for collaborative action to heal landscapes and societies alike. Following this, the atmosphere was lightened and energized by stand-up comedian Rogier Bak, whose sharp humor and reflections on climate, culture, and human folly reminded attendees that rewilding begins with mindset as much as methodology.
As Bak quipped, “If we can laugh at the chaos, maybe we can also learn to let nature lead.” The session set a playful yet thoughtful tone, underscoring that creativity and joy are essential ingredients in the complex work of ecological restoration.
Community-Centred Conservation: Purnima Devi Barman
The morning continued with a moving keynote by Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, known as the Stork Sister, whose groundbreaking work in Assam, India, has mobilized over 20,000 women through the Hargila Army to protect the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork. Barman’s approach demonstrates that conservation rooted in dignity, cultural respect, and community pride can achieve extraordinary outcomes. Her talk vividly illustrated how local leadership can transform not only species survival but also social structures and cultural attitudes toward the environment.
Purnima shared, “Conservation isn’t just science — it’s solidarity,” emphasizing the empowerment of women as the cornerstone of successful community-driven ecological restoration. From turning local stigma into pride to quadrupling the stork population in Assam, her story is a compelling reminder that humans are both a part of and stewards of nature. Her message resonated throughout the hall: effective rewilding begins with listening, nurturing, and partnering with communities..
Legacy of Conservation: Sir Humphry Wakefield
Following Barman, Sir Humphry Wakefield brought history, heritage, and philosophy into conversation with practical rewilding. Known for his work with Chillingham Castle’s wild cattle and global restoration initiatives, Wakefield emphasized that rewilding is not merely a technical challenge but a moral and intergenerational responsibility. Accompanied by the evocative sound of bagpipes, his talk underscored the intersection of tradition and ecological stewardship, reminding participants that landscapes carry memory, culture, and potential.
Reflecting on his late colleague Wendy Campbell-Purdie’s transformative tree-planting work across Morocco and Algeria, Sir Humphry observed, “When people believe, even deserts can bloom.” His vision ties rewilding to legacy and hope, illustrating that bold action rooted in values can restore both ecosystems and human confidence in a sustainable future. The combination of historical insight and on-the-ground examples set a profound context for the day’s scientific and practical discussions.
Wood-pasture Hypothesis: Dr. Frans Vera
One of the day’s most anticipated sessions featured Dr. Frans Vera, pioneer of the Dutch rewilding movement and architect of the “wood-pasture hypothesis.” Vera challenged conventional ideas of European landscapes as static or forest-dominated, presenting the Oostvaardersplassen as a living example of mosaic landscapes shaped by large herbivores. Grazers such as deer, horses, and cattle were depicted not as passive elements but as active engineers maintaining dynamic ecological balance.
“Rewilding is not just about letting go — it’s about letting nature work,” Vera explained, highlighting how the reintroduction of native processes can revive both biodiversity and landscape complexity. By emphasizing interactions between plants, animals, and habitats, Vera’s presentation framed a core principle of rewilding: restoration is not solely human-directed but a collaborative process with the organisms and systems themselves.
Species Reintroduction: Derek Gow
The theme of action-oriented rewilding continued with Derek Gow, whose work in the UK illustrates the power of bold interventions for restoring wildlife. From beavers to wildcats and water voles, Gow’s projects exemplify hands-on species reintroduction to rebuild ecological networks. His irrepressible energy and humor enlivened discussions on challenges ranging from bureaucratic hurdles to the unexpected quirks of Heck cattle—his living symbols of conservation history.
Gow reminded the audience, “If we want wild nature, we have to make space — and stop waiting for permission.” His stories emphasized that rewilding is an active endeavor requiring courage, imagination, and perseverance. He also highlighted efforts to restore the black grouse, a species emblematic of the UK’s lost moorlands, showing how reintroductions can mend ecological and cultural narratives alike.
From Local to Global: Sulaiman Tameer
The afternoon sessions shifted attention to underrepresented regions and species, beginning with Dr. Sulaiman Tameer from Kurdistan, Iraq. Tameer shared stories of navigating conservation in politically complex and ecologically diverse landscapes. His work with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, alongside the establishment of Iraq’s first animal rights law, underscores the interplay between legal frameworks, local action, and ecological recovery.
“Even in fractured landscapes, there is space for healing — and for wildness to return,” he noted, offering a message that rewilding can succeed even in places marked by conflict and human disruption. Tameer’s session highlighted that ecological restoration often requires resilience, negotiation, and cultural sensitivity in addition to scientific knowledge.
Learning from the Past: Danielle Schreve
Professor Danielle Schreve provided a scientific lens by introducing conservation palaeobiology, showing how fossils and historical data can inform contemporary rewilding strategies. By reconstructing pre-human-impact ecosystems, her work challenges the shifting baseline syndrome and helps define the reference conditions for modern restoration projects.
“The past is not gone — it’s a map. And it can guide us back to a wilder, richer world,” Schreve emphasized, underscoring the critical role of long-term ecological knowledge in shaping practical, science-based interventions. Her presentation bridged deep-time understanding with actionable modern conservation strategies, reinforcing the value of learning from what once was to restore what can be.
Coexistence and Large Herbivores: Susanne Vogel & Szymon Czyżewski
Human-wildlife coexistence and the social dimensions of rewilding were explored in consecutive presentations by Dr. Susanne Vogel and Szymon Czyżewski. Vogel highlighted strategies for reducing conflicts between local communities and large herbivores, particularly African elephants, showing that successful rewilding depends as much on social acceptance as on ecological feasibility.
Czyżewski added a European perspective, advocating for trophic rewilding in Poland to restore vegetation and biodiversity in forested landscapes. Both speakers emphasized that rewilding is a social as well as ecological process, requiring community engagement, adaptive management, and sensitivity to local contexts. The pairing of these talks highlighted the global relevance of balancing human and ecological needs in conservation planning.
Species-Focused Conservation: Stefanie Huck & Lucy Rees
The day’s focus on hands-on conservation continued with presentations on emblematic European species. Stefanie Huck shared her work with the European wildcat, detailing rehabilitation, monitoring, and reintroduction efforts that have brought this elusive predator back from the brink. Her talk demonstrated how careful science, patient stewardship, and public awareness can restore keystone species to functional ecosystems.
Lucy Rees explored the behavior and ecological role of Pottoka horses in Spain. Drawing on ethological research, Rees illustrated how free-roaming horses contribute to landscape dynamics, social cohesion, and ecosystem health. “The wild doesn’t need fixing — it needs understanding,” Rees concluded, a sentiment that echoed throughout the conference and reflected the ethos of observing, learning from, and partnering with wild systems rather than imposing control.
Rewilding Panel and Evening Film Screening
The day culminated with a high-energy panel discussion, bringing together Purnima Devi Barman, Derek Gow, Danielle Schreve, Frans Vera, and Leo Linnartz. The session highlighted diverse pathways to rewilding, emphasizing innovation, courage, and collaboration across species, landscapes, and communities. Panelists exchanged lessons learned, showcased success stories, and encouraged attendees to pursue ambitious, locally adapted strategies.
Closing the day, the film screening of “Kees’ Backyard – A Year on the Veluwe through the Eyes of a Naturalist” offered an intimate and immersive exploration of Dutch wildlife. Filmmaker Marcel Everts, guided by Kees Ravensbergen’s lifetime of observations, captured the subtle rhythms of ecosystems—from large mammals to returning birds—showing that restoration is both an ecological and a storytelling journey. The film underscored the importance of narrative in connecting people to nature and inspiring action.
Reflections on Day 1
Day 1 of Rewilding Our World 2025 demonstrated that rewilding is multifaceted, combining scientific rigor, social engagement, cultural sensitivity, and imaginative vision. From grassroots mobilization in Assam to ethological studies in Spain, from climate-focused strategies in the Netherlands to the restoration of deserts in North Africa, the conference highlighted that there is no single path to rewilding. Success lies in integrating knowledge, passion, and collaboration across scales and disciplines.
The speakers’ stories reminded attendees that wild nature is resilient but requires human allies, that restoration is both practical and aspirational, and that the rewilding movement thrives at the intersection of science, art, and human solidarity. As participants left the halls of Wolfheze, the message was clear: the future of rewilding belongs to those who act boldly, listen deeply, and embrace the complexity of the living world.
With the momentum of Day 1 behind them, delegates look forward to the next days of Rewilding Our World 2025—continuing conversations, deepening insights, and taking the inspiration of today into concrete action for tomorrow’s landscapes, species, and communities.