Symposium on Rewilding

 'Rewilding' has been gaining popularity as a conservation strategy in recent years. On Friday 26 August, NecoV - the Netherlands-Flemish Ecological Society - is holding a one-day symposium on the topic at NIOO in Wageningen.

From Wikipedia: "Rewilding is large-scale conservation aimed at restoring and protecting natural processes and core wilderness areas, providing connectivity between such areas, and protecting or reintroducing apex predators and keystone species."

The term was coined by conservationist Dave Foreman, and first appeared in print in 1990.

A major rewilding project here in the Netherlands has been the introduction of proxy species in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the 1980s, in order to recreate a grassland ecology.

The Rewilding-symposium at NIOO will be chaired by Liesbeth Bakker (NIOO-KNAW) and Chris Smit (University of Groningen).

• For programme details & registration, please go to the NecoV website.