Rewilding Europe : exploring the governance of an experimental discourse and practice in European nature conservation

Rewilding is discussed here as a relatively new but contested discourse and practice in Europe. Rewilding represents an additional, entrepreneurial and somewhat bold strategy in biodiversity conservation, which aims for a return to more natural processes in places that have predominantly become shaped by human interventions. By allowing more space for nature to do its ‘own’ work, prominent organizations like Rewilding Europe propose to experiment with forms of passive management after initial interventions have secured basic conditions for ‘natural’ processes to re-occur in pilot areas across Europe. This approach is considered promising for local conservation initiatives and nature entrepreneurs (e.g. ecotourism), yet challenges traditional land use practices – including traditional biodiversity policies – in the light of the unforeseeable outcomes of rewilding experiments.