Rise of Rewilding and its Role within Ecosystem Restoration (February 2020)
Channel: CEM ERTG
Date: 2020-03-17

IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group Webinar Series

Find the complete Series Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy4Yp_6qh0uEz_oq53_UhEDLHUZNPljRU

February 2020

Origins and Destinations: the Rise of Rewilding and its Role within Ecosystem Restoration

The presentation deals with the origins of the rewilding movement from North America to Europe and beyond, explaining how it has developed from an ecological restoration process to a movement involving hearts and minds. We will provide some brief historical background before describing the work of the IUCN CEM Rewilding Task Force and the draft rewilding principles developed over the last two years. We will finish by outlining current thinking on rewilding and possible future directions, before placing these in the context of ongoing debates on the relationship between ecological restoration and rewilding.

Presenters Steve Carver and Professor Ian Convery

Steve Carver

Steve is a Geographer with interests in GIS, landscape assessment and environmental modelling with particular respect to wilderness, wild land and rewilding. He is Director of the Wildland Research Institute and a senior lecturer in geography at the University of Leeds where he has worked for the last 27 years. He has worked in UK, Europe, North America, Greenland and Siberia. He currently Co-chair of the IUCN CEM Rewilding Task Force along with Ian Convery. When not drawing maps of wild places, you can either find Steve climbing and skiing in them or in his workshop messing with vintage motorcycles.

Ian Convery

Ian is Professor of Environment & Society at the University of Cumbria, and co-chair of the IUCN CEM Rewilding Task Force. He leads a multi-species reintroduction project in North-West England, and is also a Director of the Lifescape Project, a not-for-profit organisation set up to 'design and undertake conservation projects that aim to support wildlife, transform landscapes, and help to provide a future for all life.' He is a keen mountain biker, and can be regularly spotted falling off trails in the Lake District fells.