It is with profound sadness that we remember Dr. Marc Stalmans, who passed away on August 30th at the age of 66. As Science Director of Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, Marc played a central role in one of the most significant rewilding efforts in the world. The Global Rewilding Alliance will also remember Marc for his generosity, guidance, and steady support for our research advancing wetlands rewilding research in Africa. Marc Stalmans proved, in both study and practice, that even after devastation, landscapes and communities can be revived. His legacy lives on in every thriving corner of Gorongosa, in its grasslands, forests, and wetlands, and in the next generation of ecologists carrying forward his vision.

Photo credits: Gorongosa

Successful and ambitious rewilding at scale necessitates that we work proactively with private landowners. Yet how, exactly, to engage is less clear. Jennifer Gooden, CEO of Biophilia Foundation, explores principles drawn from the psychology of human motivation that can help us engage with key rewilding partners more effectively.

Photo credit: Higorwood from Getty Images

Swathi Palanichamy introduces their study, ‘Developing a Framework to Enable Wildlife Corridors to Attract Corporate Sponsorship,’ shedding light on the business case for wildlife corridors after assessing companies’ past involvement with environmental projects, motivators and barriers to investing in wildlife corridors. Recommendations for creators of wildlife corridors as well as policymakers are provided, as well as direct insight from interviewees.

Photo credit: CreativeNature_nl from Getty Images

The GRA has joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC) as an official supporter. HAC is a leading, intergovernmental group of 119 countries united by a shared ambition to implement the global goal of effectively conserving and managing at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. By joining the HAC, GRA will more easily reach out to key governments with priority messages, science-anchored information (such as ACC research) as well as promoting rewilding to achieve the 30×30 target. 

Photo credit: Ivan Mikhaylov from Getty Images

Rewilding is one of a number of systemic approaches that will shape our future. We might work on a specific creek or forest, a specific ecosystem or landscape, but what we do is part of a much larger effort for reviving Earth, for a new economy, a new life-style and an appropriate set of values, that will enable us to live sustainably on a rich and diverse planet – a home, that truly is a home for us and future generations. We are an important player in a much bigger game and need to live up to our possibilities.

In this thought-piece, Managing Director Karl Wagner sets out the bigger picture of what we are doing in the rewilding movement and how it connects with contemporary events.

Photo credit: Michael Studinger from NASA CC0 Images.

Rewilding is a timely, systemic and fundamental approach. To understand its relevance it is worthwhile to understand the context within which rewilding takes place and to not ignore the key driver behind many problems that we face. 50 years old and unfortunately more valid than ever: Limits to Growth.

Photo credit: Fernando Quevedo

Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal. Photo credit: UNEP, 2023; Todd BrownThe UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global initiative aimed at protecting and revitalising ecosystems worldwide for the benefit of both people and nature. Its goal is to stop ecosystem degradation...