How we can Choose Our Future: a tidal wave of action on World Rewilding Day

On 20 March 2026 – the solar equinox – the global rewilding movement gathered for World Rewilding Day. It is a key moment to come together in support of nature’s recovery, celebrate our successes, and build momentum for more. This year, millions of people – citizens from all walks of life, organisations, and governments alike – joined in this year’s theme: Choose Our Future.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we repeat a strong message: a positive future is in the making; join the movement.

Choose Our Future

The future is a mosaic of choices – nothing is set, it’s all to play for.

With the help of rewilding, our future can be a world we want to live in. A beautiful planet where communities and wildlife thrive. Landscapes with reduced flooding, wildfire and drought, all while creating opportunities for local livelihoods and breathing new life into land, oceans and skies.

As a recent article said, we are ‘a movement built on action’. Rather than some distant idea, nature recovery (and the consequent return of abundance, resilience and beauty) is happening now, in real places, with real results.

From the Klamath River in California – where salmon returned to their century-old migration routes within months of a dam being removed – to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, a post-war area transformed into a haven teeming with biodiversity, the evidence is undeniable: when we give nature the chance, it comes back. Often faster than we ever imagined. Rewilding also brings economic opportunity, reduces flooding and wildfires, cools cities, and brings wildlife home – to rivers, forests, oceans; from vast national parks to local gardens.

Across continents, people from all walks of life are taking part – see for yourself in our short 1 minute film. Farmers, scientists, local communities, and volunteers are all contributing in their own ways. These efforts are not isolated; they add up in a globally-spanning mosaic to create visible change. Hopeful stories are coming from all corners of our planet.

This is where you come in. By taking part, as an organisation or a citizen, you too can contribute to a powerful, unified narrative: one where hope is grounded in evidence.

Rewilding Successes – wildlife releases, events and art

The impact of World Rewilding Day spanned the entire month of March and continues to spill over; we had a wonderful day-week-month of connecting, inspiring and getting stuck in with rewilding actions that #ChooseOurFuture!

Rewilding in action: species returns, volunteer days & frog saunas!

What is better than celebrating the day by rewilding on-the-ground?! Our partners in Mexico, Selva Teenek, released rehabilitated species back to the wild; a Lynx and Owl.

A herd of 5 European Bison, previously roaming within Blean project – a collaboration between Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust – have arrived in Cumbria to establish a new breeding herd as part of wider efforts to reintroduce bison to the UK landscape. Paul Whitfield, Director General at Wildwood Trust, said: “Inspiring a new project like this is exactly what we hoped for from the start. The Blean bison were always meant to act as a catalyst for change, showing how bison, as ecosystem engineers, can alter woodland structure and support greater biodiversity.”

In Australia, the Jane Goodall Institute Australia created frog saunas – tiny refuges that give native frogs a fighting chance against chytrid fungus – on the Georges River. Working alongside Landcare groups, local council and the Georges Riverkeeper Environmental Centre, young scientists designed and built the structures!

Groups around the world had ‘boots on the ground, hands in the mud, and heads in the sky’ as wetlands, woodlands, savannahs and classrooms were left just that bit wilder.

Rewilders celebrations: gatherings, films, launches and more

Our global network of rewilders joined us for a screening of award-winning short film The Rewilders and a panel with legendary practitioners: Mark Angelo, Sarah Tompkins, Sebastián Di Martino, Daniel Kinka whose work spans across three continents, working to rewild iconic species like Jaguar, Elephant, Bison and Pacific Salmon. Sarah Tompkins, Founder of Samara Karoo in South Africa, said: “What the Global Rewilding Alliance is building feels so important right now – bringing together voices, projects and communities across the world to make rewilding a real force for change.”

ARK Rewilding Netherlands organised a symposium to showcase the benefits of rewilding; from remote sensing and GPS-collared animals to insights from 35 years of rewilding, participants discovered how evidence is built in practice. The Global Rewilding Alliance was honoured to participate in-person with team members Chloe Eckert and Magnus Sylvén holding a presentation on Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions in the brand new Rewilding Expertise Centre, inaugurated on the day itself.

Urban Wilding Hub tackled the evergreen question How can we make cities wilder? with an online webinar including: Chris Fitch, Author of Wild Cities, Amelia Claridge and Layla Mapemba-Taylor, from London Wildlife Trust and Jessica Leaper from Whole Wild World.

Our partners, Felinos do Aguai hosted a whole day in Brazil (we wish we could have attended this one).

Rewilding Romania’s celebration of the day was a celebration of freshwater, Open Rivers programme took us on a journey along the Ramna River and other river basins. In the Danube Delta, rewilding continues to support both nature and local communities, even in challenging times. The Danube Delta and the Healing Power of Nature is a beautifully filmed short documentary by award-winning filmmaker Emmanuel Rondeau, launched on the day alongside an inspiring Q&A.

The Global Media became wilder

We saw a veritable wave of participation far and wide. India’s Forest Man was spotlighted, South Africa’s mistbelt forest is returning to life at Ferncliffe, a landmark law was passed in Illinois, the UK’s first rewilding visitor’s centre popped up, nature is recovering in the vast landscapes of Patagonia, London council launches ‘Plants for Pollinators’ project and missing species represented at Scottish government hustings.

We were pleased to see a 5 min long feature of The Rewilders in ABC TV news on 20th March – worth the watch!

We were joined by familiar faces

Deborah Meadan joined in the buzz, we were touched by a message from Kris Tompkins, Jeroen Helmer braved the rain to talk to us, and Scotland: The Big Picture had a fun interpretation of the theme.

In South America, Tompkins Conservation spotlighted the young rewilders that are building the movement in Chile and Argentina. “You need to integrate every single component of a whole ecosystem,” says Benjamin Caceres, Conservation coordinator at Rewilding Chile. Emiliana Retamal, wildlife ranger at the Rhea reintroduction project of Rewilding Chile, said that the most important moments are those that bond her with her colleagues and wildlife.

Many people from all walks of life make up this far-reaching, positive movement towards a wilder, more resilient and biodiverse future. If you are left wanting more, explore our World Rewilding Day Impact Report.

Here’s how you can be part of it

We warmly invite you to get more involved in our global, growing movement. We are seeing time and time again how people feel great when they help to rewild the world around us, not least because of the beautiful connections they make with other folks involved. There are many ways to do so. Perhaps start with:

• Share your vision — Tell us about the future you choose. Post a statement, photo, video, or artwork sharing imaginations of nature rebounding, and a thriving future, grounded in today’s actions. Say it from the heart! Use #ChooseOurFuture and tag us at @globalrewildingalliance
• Show the future you are already building — Perhaps you already experience life rebounding from your actions – inspire others! Photos, videos, illustrations, maps, or before-and-after visuals are welcome. A single powerful image can transport people into the future you are creating.
• Connect locally — Not already involved? Find rewilding organisations near you.
• Spread the word — Our herd is stronger if we get others involved. And stay in the loop via our uplifting mailings.

Finally, we encourage you to explore the posts on all platforms at #ChooseOurFuture in the coming months.

You will get a glimpse of the success stories of rewilding, the teams behind them, and the vision underpinning it all: a thriving, beautiful, resilient future (a good laugh is inevitable… our voted funniest post so far).

Whatever your background, wherever you are, there is a place for you in this movement. Every one of us can be a positive force for change.

Thanks so much for all you are doing to help create a wilder, kinder and more resilient world for generations to come!