Embedding rewilding in policy: Perspectives on overcoming barriers and unlocking opportunities
Abstract Rewilding initiatives are increasing in number across Europe and the UK in response to a growing awareness of substantial nature depletion, despite a lack of policy, guidance and legislation. Ongoing transformations of UK environmental policies offer a ‘policy window’ in which rewilding could become established as a key strategy for nature recovery. Here, we present the results of discussion sessions held as part of a British Ecological Society Policy Training workshop. A total of 46 participants, academics, practitioners and young people interested in rewilding attended. Our discussion focused on three pre‐determined thematic discussion sessions: (1) barriers to rewilding and trade‐offs; (2) species reintroductions; (3) facilitating rewilding in policy. Using thematic analysis, four emerging cross‐cutting themes were identified from our workshop discussions: (a) environmental stewardship & public engagement, (b) cross‐policy approaches, (c) incentivising rewilding and (d) an evidence base for rewilding. Policy Implications . Given the UK's considerable biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystem processes and function on a large scale is increasingly urgent, and operationalising rewilding through supportive environmental policy structures should be a key priority for government. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Authors
- Esther Brooker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7196-9332)
- Charlotte E. Trotman
- Matthew C. Morgan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6955-4656)
- India Stephenson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-1476)
- Louisa Mamalis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0173-1967)
- Kristy A. Adaway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1041-8592)
- África Gómez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1297-4502)
- David M. Page (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8704-6938)
- Jack H. Hatfield (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6361-0629)
- Tien T. T. Nguyen
- Marta Maziarz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-5713)
- Bonnie M. Miller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7333-3389)
- Richard K. Broughton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6838-9628)
- Nicholas King (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9624-1356)
- Neil M. Burns (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6453-0161)
- Chloe Mason (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9622-0638)
- F. Blake Morton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8644-1557)
- Jonathan David Bolland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7326-5075)
- Lori Lawson Handley
- Felicitas ten Brink
- Robin L. Bailey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8770-1680)
- Charlotte R. Hopkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0434-6378)
- Nicholas J. Morris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9463-647X)
- Clare E. Collins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9385-6590)
- Clare Cowgill
- Dylan Thompson‐Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0460-4033)
- Amelia Bateman‐Young
- Benjamin Pile
- Darryl Villaret
- Emma‐Lee L. Peterson
- Charlotte Le Marquand
- Kieran P. McCloskey
- Ben Stainton
Institutions
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- University of Hull (GB)
- Wildlife Trusts (GB)
- Leverhulme Trust (GB)
- Museum and Institute of Zoology (PL)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB)
- North Yorkshire County Council (GB)
- University of York (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- British Ecological Society (GB)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- People and Nature
- Published
- 2025-11-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70205
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.31