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Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery
'A hugely useful and fascinating resume of rewilding - what it means, where it came from, why it's important and where it's going. Jepson and Blythe have done a masterly job, explaining the science behind rewilding in an accessible, honest and compelling way. It deserves to be widely read and become a book of great influence.' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding'Compelling ... [a] succinct and objective account' Financial TimesRewilding is the first popular book on the ground-breaking science behind the restoration of wild nature. As ecologists Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe show, rewilding is a new and progressive approach to conservation, blending radical scientific insights with practical innovations to revive ecological processes, benefiting people as well as nature. Its goal is to restore lost interactions between animals, plants and natural disturbance that are the essence of thriving ecosystems. With its sense of hope and purpose, rewilding is breathing new life into the conservation movement, and enabling a growing number of people - even urban-dwellers - to enjoy thrilling wildlife experiences previously accessible only in remote wilderness reserves. 'De-domesticated' horses galloping across a Dutch 'Serengeti'; beavers creating wetlands in the British countryside; giant tortoises restoring the wildlife of the Mauritian islands; perhaps one day even rhinos roaming the Australian outback - rewilding is full of exciting and inspirational possibilities.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
August 1, 2020
Those who are enthusiastic about saving the environment often have a mixed relationship with science. They might for example, support organic farming or oppose nuclear power, despite organics having no nutritional benefit and requiring far more land to be used to raise the same amount of crops, while nuclear is a green energy source that should be seen as an essential support to renewables. This same confusion can extend to the concept of rewilding, which is one reason that the subtitle of this book uses the word 'radical'.
As Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe make clear, though, radical change is what is required if we are to encourage ecological recovery. To begin with, we need to provide environments for nature that take in the big picture - thinking not just of individual nature reserves but, for example, of corridors that link areas allowing safe species migration. And we also need to move away from an arbitrary approach to restricting to 'native' species, as sometimes what will enable effective rewilding is to import a large herbivore (often the key to a rewilding scheme) that is similar to an species that used to be native but has now disappeared. It's simply not possible to prissily stick exactly and only to native species - especially as many species (humans included outside of Africa) have over the millennia migrated to many new environments.
Jepson and Blythe describe some remarkable successes, often in the face of resistance from traditional environmental or ecological opinions. There are the headline issues that tend to capture the public's attention, of course, such as wolves taking farmers' livestock, but often the difficulties faced by those who understand that rewilding is a really important step forward come from those who should be celebrating this return to nature in a new and creative way.
Parts of the book work better than others. Some bits feel a little on the stodgy academic writing side, but then we'll get into the story of a particular project and the narrative becomes engaging again. This is in an important topic, often treated as fringe, that deserves more exposure, which this book should provide.
As Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe make clear, though, radical change is what is required if we are to encourage ecological recovery. To begin with, we need to provide environments for nature that take in the big picture - thinking not just of individual nature reserves but, for example, of corridors that link areas allowing safe species migration. And we also need to move away from an arbitrary approach to restricting to 'native' species, as sometimes what will enable effective rewilding is to import a large herbivore (often the key to a rewilding scheme) that is similar to an species that used to be native but has now disappeared. It's simply not possible to prissily stick exactly and only to native species - especially as many species (humans included outside of Africa) have over the millennia migrated to many new environments.
Jepson and Blythe describe some remarkable successes, often in the face of resistance from traditional environmental or ecological opinions. There are the headline issues that tend to capture the public's attention, of course, such as wolves taking farmers' livestock, but often the difficulties faced by those who understand that rewilding is a really important step forward come from those who should be celebrating this return to nature in a new and creative way.
Parts of the book work better than others. Some bits feel a little on the stodgy academic writing side, but then we'll get into the story of a particular project and the narrative becomes engaging again. This is in an important topic, often treated as fringe, that deserves more exposure, which this book should provide.
July 27, 2022
Fast overview of re wild ideas for ecological conservation, and beyond, to thriving dynamic landscapes. Book is chock full of easy to understand info graphics, colored maps and photos. Here is quote slash manifesto slash principal pg53 :
" conservation should use ecological history as a guide to actively restore ecological and evolutionary processes"
And
" taking inspiration from multiple past natures to shape future natures "
.so thus, need large ungulates etc, large predators, and diverse plants, and viola, a healthy nature.
Has good index and further reading for each chapter.
Nice, if controversial and sometimes zany, radical idea for conserved environments .
" conservation should use ecological history as a guide to actively restore ecological and evolutionary processes"
And
" taking inspiration from multiple past natures to shape future natures "
.so thus, need large ungulates etc, large predators, and diverse plants, and viola, a healthy nature.
Has good index and further reading for each chapter.
Nice, if controversial and sometimes zany, radical idea for conserved environments .
September 28, 2020
The term rewilding has become the latest buzz word in conservation and environmental circles. But what does it actually mean? And does it actually work in practice? In essence, it means taking large steps back in the way we treat landscapes and the animals that inhabit them, reintroducing the apex predators and large herbivores and letting the highly interdependent ecosystems readjust accordingly. The answer to the second question is yes it does.
It is still a controversial subject though, and there is resistance to actioning these sorts of changes to the landscape from both landowners and environmentalists. The return of wolves to the highlands of Scotland would be fantastic, but for some people, this is a step too far. In this book, practising ecologists Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe explain the science behind rewilding and go into some detail on schemes that have worked around the world.
Rewilding is not about turning the clock back and restoring damaged ecosystems to an arbitrary past baseline. Rather, it is about restoring networks of interactions between communities of organisms and their physical environment, along with the ecological process that emerge from these interactions.
They go into so detail about the sorts of animals that are needed to bring about lasting and significant change to the ecosystems. It turns out that as good as apex predators are altering the dynamic, the best animals for changing ecosystems are large herbivores. In Europe we used to have large cattle breed called aurochs, these are now extinct but there is a scheme to selectively breeding older species of cattle to recreate this ancient species. The result of this is the Taurus, these have been bred with large horns, small udders and longer legs. It is intended that these will become the wild bovine to populate the rewilded areas in years to come.
One of the countries that have had a lot of success with their scheme in the Netherlands. They have decided to take an offensive approach to rewilding, they acquired large herbivores including the Konik ponies and Heck cattle and let them loose on the new nature reserve in Oostvaardersplassen. Slowly they transformed the landscape and it became more like the New Forest, a mix of open ground and trees. Another case study is on reintroducing large tortoises onto the islands of Mauritius and how they replace the damaging non-native rabbits and goats that were there. Species that were endangered have bounced back.
I think that the message this book sends is really good, the authors have selected solid case studies demonstrating that the science behind rewilding is strong. Mostly the prose is ok to read, but occasionally it read like a paper in a journal, but thankfully not too often. Worth reading if you are interested in the subject.
It is still a controversial subject though, and there is resistance to actioning these sorts of changes to the landscape from both landowners and environmentalists. The return of wolves to the highlands of Scotland would be fantastic, but for some people, this is a step too far. In this book, practising ecologists Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe explain the science behind rewilding and go into some detail on schemes that have worked around the world.
Rewilding is not about turning the clock back and restoring damaged ecosystems to an arbitrary past baseline. Rather, it is about restoring networks of interactions between communities of organisms and their physical environment, along with the ecological process that emerge from these interactions.
They go into so detail about the sorts of animals that are needed to bring about lasting and significant change to the ecosystems. It turns out that as good as apex predators are altering the dynamic, the best animals for changing ecosystems are large herbivores. In Europe we used to have large cattle breed called aurochs, these are now extinct but there is a scheme to selectively breeding older species of cattle to recreate this ancient species. The result of this is the Taurus, these have been bred with large horns, small udders and longer legs. It is intended that these will become the wild bovine to populate the rewilded areas in years to come.
One of the countries that have had a lot of success with their scheme in the Netherlands. They have decided to take an offensive approach to rewilding, they acquired large herbivores including the Konik ponies and Heck cattle and let them loose on the new nature reserve in Oostvaardersplassen. Slowly they transformed the landscape and it became more like the New Forest, a mix of open ground and trees. Another case study is on reintroducing large tortoises onto the islands of Mauritius and how they replace the damaging non-native rabbits and goats that were there. Species that were endangered have bounced back.
I think that the message this book sends is really good, the authors have selected solid case studies demonstrating that the science behind rewilding is strong. Mostly the prose is ok to read, but occasionally it read like a paper in a journal, but thankfully not too often. Worth reading if you are interested in the subject.
April 2, 2022
Let me begin by saying that everyone who says this book’s illustrations and layout are beautiful is absolutely right. As a print book, I suspect this would be gorgeous. I received an eARC from NetGalley and MIT Press, and it was a little harder to read on my phone screen, but that isn’t why I didn’t finish Rewilding. Rather, as beautiful and perhaps comprehensive a review of this subject as it is, I found Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe’s writing style incompatible with how I like my popular science books.
I first came upon the concept of rewilding when I read How to Clone a Mammoth last year. Beth Shapiro provided a great overview of the state of the ancient DNA field, and she mentioned many of the rewilding experiments that this book covers in more detail. I think it’s a fascinating and perhaps worthwhile enterprise; I want to be clear that I’m not objecting to this book based on its authors’ ideas (so far as I got through reading them). Instead, I didn’t appreciate their voice here.
When I read a science book, I’m happy for the authors to inject their own thoughts, opinions, and personality into their writing. However, I want them to be able to separate those biases from how they present the science itself. Jepson and Blythe don’t do that here.
Here’s an early example that raised my hackles: they present the overkill hypothesis as a settled fact within the scientific community. They laud Paul Martin as a visionary, a “time traveller” who has “the imagination and command of facts to think across eras and continents.” When they touch on “resistance to the overkill theory” they say, “In retrospect, it is interesting to ask why there was so much resistance to the overkill hypothesis” and then go on to say it was inexorably logical and blame conservation movements in the 1980s. Ok.
Look, I am not a scientist. I don’t even have a particularly deep knowledge of this subject as a layperson. But I can use Google, and I do have some sweet critical thinking skills, and literally the first result when I google “overkill hypothesis” is this meta-analysis from 2018. It concludes that the overkill hypothesis enjoys excellent support among ecologists, like Jepson and Blythe, but remains controversial among archaeologists, and it points to a breakdown in communication between these disciplines as a result for the discrepancy. Note that I’m not saying Jepson and Blythe are wrong to champion the overkill hypothesis—I just take issue with how they present it as more settled than it is, and how their anemic attempt at presenting “both sides” criticism makes it seem like critics are unreasonable or biased while they are not.
As I continued reading, I encountered more writing that left me on edge. Chapter 4 begins to talk about the rewilding experiments of past decades and says, “A few of these scientists had the combination of vision, boldness, powers of persuasion, and opportunity to try out new approaches….” When Jepson and Blythe describe the Oostvaardersplassen experiment, they say, “Frans Vera is someone with a genius for looking at things differently and assembling disparate forms of evidence to develop, test, and articulate new ideas. He is also fearless when it comes to challenging mainstream thinking….” I cannot stand this level of aggrandizement in a popular science book!
It is one thing to laud the accomplishments of scientists. Praise Marie Curie all you want for her contributions to theories of radioactivity in the face of institutional sexism. By all means, tell me that Vera did some good ecological research into rewilding. But stop trying to paint individual scientists as mavericks who challenge a system that is somehow otherwise going to hold back scientific progress. Sure, I am open to critiquing the conservatism within science—but that’s not the same thing as saying, “this person is a visionary!!1111.”
So I stopped reading after that. Your mileage may vary. As I said at the beginning, the illustrations and layout of this book are great—props to whatever designers worked on it. There is bound to be a lot of good, accurate, useful information to be learned here when it comes to environmental history, ecology, and the subject of rewilding in particular. Nevertheless, I personally could not stomach the biased writing any longer, and rather than trudge through the remaining seventy pages or so, I decided to call it a day.
I’m not panning the book to the point of saying don’t read it, but I hope that my review provides some perspective as you go into it.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
I first came upon the concept of rewilding when I read How to Clone a Mammoth last year. Beth Shapiro provided a great overview of the state of the ancient DNA field, and she mentioned many of the rewilding experiments that this book covers in more detail. I think it’s a fascinating and perhaps worthwhile enterprise; I want to be clear that I’m not objecting to this book based on its authors’ ideas (so far as I got through reading them). Instead, I didn’t appreciate their voice here.
When I read a science book, I’m happy for the authors to inject their own thoughts, opinions, and personality into their writing. However, I want them to be able to separate those biases from how they present the science itself. Jepson and Blythe don’t do that here.
Here’s an early example that raised my hackles: they present the overkill hypothesis as a settled fact within the scientific community. They laud Paul Martin as a visionary, a “time traveller” who has “the imagination and command of facts to think across eras and continents.” When they touch on “resistance to the overkill theory” they say, “In retrospect, it is interesting to ask why there was so much resistance to the overkill hypothesis” and then go on to say it was inexorably logical and blame conservation movements in the 1980s. Ok.
Look, I am not a scientist. I don’t even have a particularly deep knowledge of this subject as a layperson. But I can use Google, and I do have some sweet critical thinking skills, and literally the first result when I google “overkill hypothesis” is this meta-analysis from 2018. It concludes that the overkill hypothesis enjoys excellent support among ecologists, like Jepson and Blythe, but remains controversial among archaeologists, and it points to a breakdown in communication between these disciplines as a result for the discrepancy. Note that I’m not saying Jepson and Blythe are wrong to champion the overkill hypothesis—I just take issue with how they present it as more settled than it is, and how their anemic attempt at presenting “both sides” criticism makes it seem like critics are unreasonable or biased while they are not.
As I continued reading, I encountered more writing that left me on edge. Chapter 4 begins to talk about the rewilding experiments of past decades and says, “A few of these scientists had the combination of vision, boldness, powers of persuasion, and opportunity to try out new approaches….” When Jepson and Blythe describe the Oostvaardersplassen experiment, they say, “Frans Vera is someone with a genius for looking at things differently and assembling disparate forms of evidence to develop, test, and articulate new ideas. He is also fearless when it comes to challenging mainstream thinking….” I cannot stand this level of aggrandizement in a popular science book!
It is one thing to laud the accomplishments of scientists. Praise Marie Curie all you want for her contributions to theories of radioactivity in the face of institutional sexism. By all means, tell me that Vera did some good ecological research into rewilding. But stop trying to paint individual scientists as mavericks who challenge a system that is somehow otherwise going to hold back scientific progress. Sure, I am open to critiquing the conservatism within science—but that’s not the same thing as saying, “this person is a visionary!!1111.”
So I stopped reading after that. Your mileage may vary. As I said at the beginning, the illustrations and layout of this book are great—props to whatever designers worked on it. There is bound to be a lot of good, accurate, useful information to be learned here when it comes to environmental history, ecology, and the subject of rewilding in particular. Nevertheless, I personally could not stomach the biased writing any longer, and rather than trudge through the remaining seventy pages or so, I decided to call it a day.
I’m not panning the book to the point of saying don’t read it, but I hope that my review provides some perspective as you go into it.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
November 29, 2024
فکر میکنم هر کسی که دارد در مورد حفاظت حیاتوحش مطالعه یا در این زمینه فعالیت میکند، باید این کتاب را بخواند. کتابی که دارد از یک تغییر جدی پارادایمهای زیستشناسی حفاظت حرف میزند.
اگر موافق این تغییر باشیم، این کتاب چشمانداز ما را گسترش میدهد و دیدی اساسی به ما میدهد، و اگر مخالف هم باشیم، باز هم باید بتوانیم دلایلی قوی را علیه این تغییر و ایدههای کتاب مطرح کنیم.
اما در کل فکر میکنم که هنوز سپردن خود به "باز وحشیسازی" و عملی کردن پروژههای بلندپروازانه آن، نیاز به شواهد عملی و آزمایشات بیشتری دارد
اگر موافق این تغییر باشیم، این کتاب چشمانداز ما را گسترش میدهد و دیدی اساسی به ما میدهد، و اگر مخالف هم باشیم، باز هم باید بتوانیم دلایلی قوی را علیه این تغییر و ایدههای کتاب مطرح کنیم.
اما در کل فکر میکنم که هنوز سپردن خود به "باز وحشیسازی" و عملی کردن پروژههای بلندپروازانه آن، نیاز به شواهد عملی و آزمایشات بیشتری دارد
August 2, 2020
An interesting book on a fascinating topic. I have been reading articles and translated a few German studies into English over the years so I think I am fairly well-grounded in the subject. And this book is certainly a great introduction into the subject, why ultimately, I did not give it a higher rating was the reason that it was all rather delivered very dryly, so you really have to want to read this to keep going. Still, the information is all there, some fascinating facts and overall a recommended read if you are interested in the topic.
June 5, 2021
really interesting read into the science of rewilding.
well researched and evidenced.
well researched and evidenced.
August 17, 2020
As we live in the midst of a climate catastrophe it can be hard to find hope, but we must. Rewilding as a concept feels like it can be a vital source of positivity in dark times. It seems to hold not only a potential way to help repair the damage of our past actions, but also a way to transform our future relationship with the natural world and that is exciting.
My first introduction to rewilding was through Isabella Tree’s book Wilding, which chronicled the experiences of Isabella and her husband, Charles Burrell, as they sought an alternative to the failing intensive farming of their familial estate at Knepp in Sussex. Wilding goes deeply into the experiment at Knepp and the results that they have observed, whereas Rewilding is a broader discussion of the science and developments around the world.
I would highly recommend both books for these reasons. Wilding is great for providing inspiration and hope around the dynamic changes that take place when humans remove themselves, or considerably reduce their involvement, in land management and let nature have its way. Rewidling opens up the much wider opportunities that exist across the world to transform what we think of as the natural environment, but which is really just a shadow of what once was, before we started impacting it.
What I find exciting about rewilding, apart from the opportunities for resurrection in our natural world, is the way that it changes the way that we think about the world around us. For example, one criticism of rewilding is that it can lead to de-domesticated fauna dying in their environment, such as cattle dying from the cold, in ways that are considered inhumane and should not be allowed. This highlights both our arrogant relationship with nature and also our hypocrisy given the many cruel deaths (and lives) we happily inflict on such animals to provide cheap food.
Maybe we don’t need to just re-wild our landscape but also ourselves, to find a more natural space in which to exist away from our plastic wrapped food and constantly fluttering screens. There are a number of ethical and practical challenges as we move down the path of rewilding and the book does well to bring these forwards and seek debate, so that buy-in can be achieved and the issues can be navigated in a thoughtful and considered way.
As the notion and language of wilding permeates out day to day culture, even in my semi-rural corner of Nottinghamshire we talk about rewilding gardens and public spaces, this is an excellent book to broaden understanding of both the threats and opportunities. On the one hand we are faced with a disaster that is largely of our own making and yet on the other we have an incredible opportunity to reposition ourselves into a more humble but deeply satisfying place in the world.
My first introduction to rewilding was through Isabella Tree’s book Wilding, which chronicled the experiences of Isabella and her husband, Charles Burrell, as they sought an alternative to the failing intensive farming of their familial estate at Knepp in Sussex. Wilding goes deeply into the experiment at Knepp and the results that they have observed, whereas Rewilding is a broader discussion of the science and developments around the world.
I would highly recommend both books for these reasons. Wilding is great for providing inspiration and hope around the dynamic changes that take place when humans remove themselves, or considerably reduce their involvement, in land management and let nature have its way. Rewidling opens up the much wider opportunities that exist across the world to transform what we think of as the natural environment, but which is really just a shadow of what once was, before we started impacting it.
What I find exciting about rewilding, apart from the opportunities for resurrection in our natural world, is the way that it changes the way that we think about the world around us. For example, one criticism of rewilding is that it can lead to de-domesticated fauna dying in their environment, such as cattle dying from the cold, in ways that are considered inhumane and should not be allowed. This highlights both our arrogant relationship with nature and also our hypocrisy given the many cruel deaths (and lives) we happily inflict on such animals to provide cheap food.
Maybe we don’t need to just re-wild our landscape but also ourselves, to find a more natural space in which to exist away from our plastic wrapped food and constantly fluttering screens. There are a number of ethical and practical challenges as we move down the path of rewilding and the book does well to bring these forwards and seek debate, so that buy-in can be achieved and the issues can be navigated in a thoughtful and considered way.
As the notion and language of wilding permeates out day to day culture, even in my semi-rural corner of Nottinghamshire we talk about rewilding gardens and public spaces, this is an excellent book to broaden understanding of both the threats and opportunities. On the one hand we are faced with a disaster that is largely of our own making and yet on the other we have an incredible opportunity to reposition ourselves into a more humble but deeply satisfying place in the world.
Read
December 16, 2025I am not going to rate this because this is a good example of a book that isn't for me, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad book. If you are considering reading this book, it's useful to be aware of the following:
- This is a very short, broad overview of rewilding. Jepson explains ecological concepts simply and clearly, and glazes over many details, but in a way that's perfect for a general audience.
- If you've read other books on rewilding, all of the examples used will be familiar to you, and you probably won't learn many new things. At the same time, if you haven't, then this book will give you a brief snapshot/overview of commonly discussed case studies.
- It is a quick read, clearly written, with a positive, enthusiastic tone.
- The short length combined with the breadth means almost nothing is covered in depth or with a novel lens. This means it's not a book for someone like me who's already got the overview and wants a different perspective on stuff I already have read about, especially when the content is going to be familiar. For example, I got quite excited when he mentioned narratives, framing, and institutions, because these are core topics that I research, but the discussion is so brief that I don't feel like it really helped even a casual reader understand (although it's hard for me to know because of my own knowledge and interests).
- I did go to some of his papers afterwards, including a perspective piece from 2022 on instituonal redesign, and this gave me more insights into his thinking here. I understand he may have wanted to keep this book short, but there's plenty of material in that paper that could have been simplified and incorporated here (just as one example).
-In the same chapter, I was relieved he finally mentioned even one of the many other books on the topic, Feral, and he mentions how Monbiot's approach has contributed to (he kind of implied CAUSED but I would disagree) the politicisation of rewilding and disdain for the term among some farmers. I got excited because he said this chapter would dive into the politics. But again I was disappointed because it never really went beyond a superficial skim.
There are three major "biases" (and I don't say this as a criticism - we all have our biases) that I suggest you factor into deciding if this book is for you:
1) it's very Euro-centric. Other countries are mentioned, but fundamentally the definition, framing, and ideas he presents are very, very European in their idea of what constitutes "wild". For example, he's very enthusiastic about breeds of large herbivores (usually livestock bred to be more like historic species) used in rewilding being considered wild animals and not livestock. And he gets very enthusiastic for quite engineered solutions in the Netherlands. These aren't bad takes. And he recognises that things would look different on other continents. But it is a very narrow view of what rewilding is.
2) Similarly, animals are at the centre of how he views rewilding. There's very little discussion of rewilding that doesn't involve some charismatic species and he repeatedly talks about how supply of animals is so essential. I don't think rewilding only includes projects that involve deliberate animal introductions, but that's because I take a broader and more long term view of what re-wilding is.
3) He is incredibly positive about rewilding and sometimes exaggerates the outcomes or downplays the negatives. There's scant discussion of nuances and trade offs. I really don't like how much his advocacy comes through because he runs organisations and his own business advocating for everything he talks about in this book. it made the book feel a bit like an advertisement for his work.
So it may not be a book for me, but it might be a book for you. If you are looking for a succinct overview of rewilding, especially in European and similar landscapes, this is a good choice for that. And if you want a book that is positive and presents a hopeful view of conservation, this is also a nice, feel good read.
- This is a very short, broad overview of rewilding. Jepson explains ecological concepts simply and clearly, and glazes over many details, but in a way that's perfect for a general audience.
- If you've read other books on rewilding, all of the examples used will be familiar to you, and you probably won't learn many new things. At the same time, if you haven't, then this book will give you a brief snapshot/overview of commonly discussed case studies.
- It is a quick read, clearly written, with a positive, enthusiastic tone.
- The short length combined with the breadth means almost nothing is covered in depth or with a novel lens. This means it's not a book for someone like me who's already got the overview and wants a different perspective on stuff I already have read about, especially when the content is going to be familiar. For example, I got quite excited when he mentioned narratives, framing, and institutions, because these are core topics that I research, but the discussion is so brief that I don't feel like it really helped even a casual reader understand (although it's hard for me to know because of my own knowledge and interests).
- I did go to some of his papers afterwards, including a perspective piece from 2022 on instituonal redesign, and this gave me more insights into his thinking here. I understand he may have wanted to keep this book short, but there's plenty of material in that paper that could have been simplified and incorporated here (just as one example).
-In the same chapter, I was relieved he finally mentioned even one of the many other books on the topic, Feral, and he mentions how Monbiot's approach has contributed to (he kind of implied CAUSED but I would disagree) the politicisation of rewilding and disdain for the term among some farmers. I got excited because he said this chapter would dive into the politics. But again I was disappointed because it never really went beyond a superficial skim.
There are three major "biases" (and I don't say this as a criticism - we all have our biases) that I suggest you factor into deciding if this book is for you:
1) it's very Euro-centric. Other countries are mentioned, but fundamentally the definition, framing, and ideas he presents are very, very European in their idea of what constitutes "wild". For example, he's very enthusiastic about breeds of large herbivores (usually livestock bred to be more like historic species) used in rewilding being considered wild animals and not livestock. And he gets very enthusiastic for quite engineered solutions in the Netherlands. These aren't bad takes. And he recognises that things would look different on other continents. But it is a very narrow view of what rewilding is.
2) Similarly, animals are at the centre of how he views rewilding. There's very little discussion of rewilding that doesn't involve some charismatic species and he repeatedly talks about how supply of animals is so essential. I don't think rewilding only includes projects that involve deliberate animal introductions, but that's because I take a broader and more long term view of what re-wilding is.
3) He is incredibly positive about rewilding and sometimes exaggerates the outcomes or downplays the negatives. There's scant discussion of nuances and trade offs. I really don't like how much his advocacy comes through because he runs organisations and his own business advocating for everything he talks about in this book. it made the book feel a bit like an advertisement for his work.
So it may not be a book for me, but it might be a book for you. If you are looking for a succinct overview of rewilding, especially in European and similar landscapes, this is a good choice for that. And if you want a book that is positive and presents a hopeful view of conservation, this is also a nice, feel good read.
January 11, 2022
This was fine. It's a subject I'm quite interested in but I did find myself getting distracted easily.
June 6, 2025
Introducties hoe je ze graag ziet: breed, veel voorbeelden, her en der een leuk beverfeitje
January 21, 2023
Der Inhalt des Buches ist in Ordnung, nur war die Schreibweise schwierig, weshalb es nicht wirklich Freude bereitet hat beim Lesen.
In dem Buch geht es um den Wiederaufbau von Natur. Welche Möglichkeiten gibt es? Die gängigsten aber auch neue Methoden werden in diesem Buch erläutert und Beispiele gegeben, welche Maßnahmen bis jetzt gefruchtet haben. Ein Beispiel ist Ile aux aigrettes in Mauritius, wo der Dodo ausgestorben ist. Dort hat man Riesenschildkröten ausgesetzt, um die Populationen wiederzubeleben. Dabei haben die Schildkröten maßgeblich dazu beigetragen, dass sich auch die Natur verändert hat.
In dem Buch geht es um den Wiederaufbau von Natur. Welche Möglichkeiten gibt es? Die gängigsten aber auch neue Methoden werden in diesem Buch erläutert und Beispiele gegeben, welche Maßnahmen bis jetzt gefruchtet haben. Ein Beispiel ist Ile aux aigrettes in Mauritius, wo der Dodo ausgestorben ist. Dort hat man Riesenschildkröten ausgesetzt, um die Populationen wiederzubeleben. Dabei haben die Schildkröten maßgeblich dazu beigetragen, dass sich auch die Natur verändert hat.
July 4, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Icon Books for the digital ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I’m one of those college graduates who did not seek a career in their major (environmental policy and management), but I do enjoy revisiting the field and studies on occasion out of personal interest. Some of my favorite courses covered topics pertaining to earth ethics, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. Naturally, this seemed like a book I would enjoy. I wish that this work had been published while I was a student because I’m sure it would have added greatly to classroom discussions and research I conducted with my peers. Unless you are an environmental major of some kind, or truly have an interest in ecology and rewilding programs, I’m not sure if this would be your cup of tea; however, it was up-to-date, thought-provoking, and, quite frankly, wouldn’t hurt for future college-level environmental programs to better incorporate these concepts (or even this particular book) into course curriculums.
I’m one of those college graduates who did not seek a career in their major (environmental policy and management), but I do enjoy revisiting the field and studies on occasion out of personal interest. Some of my favorite courses covered topics pertaining to earth ethics, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. Naturally, this seemed like a book I would enjoy. I wish that this work had been published while I was a student because I’m sure it would have added greatly to classroom discussions and research I conducted with my peers. Unless you are an environmental major of some kind, or truly have an interest in ecology and rewilding programs, I’m not sure if this would be your cup of tea; however, it was up-to-date, thought-provoking, and, quite frankly, wouldn’t hurt for future college-level environmental programs to better incorporate these concepts (or even this particular book) into course curriculums.
October 29, 2021
Of the few books I have read about this topic aimed at the general public, this one is hands down the best yet. The author provided just the right amount of detail on the key ideas and concepts behind rewilding without being overly technical. Instead, it was engaging, truly inspiring and motivational for me, and I am confident readers will be converted after going through it. How can one not be excited about re-engaging with nature and doing something proactive to reverse the damage done?
I agree with the book that it is inevitable that this century will see the progression of the conservation movement from one of defensive maneuvers to offensive action for recovery. If this idea appeals to you, I highly recommend this book as a starting point to learn all about what has happened so far, from the science to practical issues.
I agree with the book that it is inevitable that this century will see the progression of the conservation movement from one of defensive maneuvers to offensive action for recovery. If this idea appeals to you, I highly recommend this book as a starting point to learn all about what has happened so far, from the science to practical issues.
January 4, 2022
It's always interesting talking to people about rewilding. Should we, as people, interfere with nature anymore than we've already done? Can we ever make things right again? I am not so sure if we can, but I hold some hope.
This book looks at rewilding from different angles. There's the science, to back the theories up, the opinions of various people involved and some great examples of successful rewilding examples like the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands and the reintroduction of the wolf in Yellowstone Park. The text is supported by helpful diagrams and beautiful photography. An useful book and definitely recommended for biologists and people interested in conservation of natural areas.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read. Opinions expressed are my honest thoughts.
This book looks at rewilding from different angles. There's the science, to back the theories up, the opinions of various people involved and some great examples of successful rewilding examples like the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands and the reintroduction of the wolf in Yellowstone Park. The text is supported by helpful diagrams and beautiful photography. An useful book and definitely recommended for biologists and people interested in conservation of natural areas.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read. Opinions expressed are my honest thoughts.
September 7, 2025
I love the concept of rewilding, with the appropriate definition of course. 3 stars because I would have personally liked to have seen some successful small scale rewilding projects. I don’t know that they necessarily all have to be hundreds/thousands of acres.
I loved the enthusiasm and passion from the author, but I can’t help but feel like the citations and supporting science behind it wasn’t there. How and where to get funding, how to convince people this is the right path to take etc. That’s not to say I’m not all for it, just a stronger more solid argument to convince the general populous is all. :)
I loved the enthusiasm and passion from the author, but I can’t help but feel like the citations and supporting science behind it wasn’t there. How and where to get funding, how to convince people this is the right path to take etc. That’s not to say I’m not all for it, just a stronger more solid argument to convince the general populous is all. :)
May 18, 2021
This is really a book of a few concepts:
- Large herbivores (think Bison) served key ecosystem functions and by focusing on replacing predators only we are missing significant parts of ecosystem structure
- What is the right point to conserve/restore the environment to? What you remember from your childhood? When industrialization happened? When Europeans arrived? When humans arrived? They argue that the latter two are more healthy/complete ecosystems, and yet current conservation efforts are not that ambitious.
- How do you restore an ecosystem if species are extinct/introduced so the previous structure isn't possible? They argue to focus on the functions that aren't being served properly because too much of one species or missing another. Replace the functions, even if it is a different species.
Lots to think about and a some really good examples of different approaches and goals that relate to the above points. Also the book is brief and to the point, a quick read. Well worth reading, though you likely need to have some base knowledge of ecosystem terminology and systems terminology. They also address the fact that the book is eurocentric which I appreciated.
- Large herbivores (think Bison) served key ecosystem functions and by focusing on replacing predators only we are missing significant parts of ecosystem structure
- What is the right point to conserve/restore the environment to? What you remember from your childhood? When industrialization happened? When Europeans arrived? When humans arrived? They argue that the latter two are more healthy/complete ecosystems, and yet current conservation efforts are not that ambitious.
- How do you restore an ecosystem if species are extinct/introduced so the previous structure isn't possible? They argue to focus on the functions that aren't being served properly because too much of one species or missing another. Replace the functions, even if it is a different species.
Lots to think about and a some really good examples of different approaches and goals that relate to the above points. Also the book is brief and to the point, a quick read. Well worth reading, though you likely need to have some base knowledge of ecosystem terminology and systems terminology. They also address the fact that the book is eurocentric which I appreciated.
September 12, 2022
A great overview of an up and coming environmental science. It goes in deep but still keeps the language open and available to all reading levels (obviously with the exception of literal children). The graphics were gorgeous and really helped explain the points. All graphics and diagrams were worth looking at and none seemed extraneous. Would recommend this to all STEM students looking to understand rewilding at a deeper level.
September 1, 2022
This book is a must read for whoever is into conservation and biodiversity. Rewilding sets forward a true approach to steer away from the business-as-usual that has clearly proven to ineffective. We are victims of the shifting baseline syndrome: we are trying to restore and conserve using degraded scenarios, and not flourishing nature, as baseline. This book bring forward a provocative yet meanfingul ideas: why can’t we have mega, wild herbivores in Europe? We need a paradigm shift if we want to actually have a healthy planet
January 30, 2023
Ljómandi fin bók um endurheimt vistkerfa/rewilding. Datt smá út í byrjun en ekkert mal að ná að fylgja þræði. Höfundar fara yfir fyrri rannsóknir á sviðinu og spekúlera í framtíðinni, einnig fjallað um tegundaútdauða og DNA útdauðra tegunda sem lifa enn í dýrum í dag og möguleika þess til endurheimtar vistkerfa, og varúðarorð um þennan möguleika. Ein af þessum náttúruvísindabókum sem enda á bjartsýnum/ jákvæðum nótum um framtíðina, ef við höldum rétt á spilunum- sem er næs.
November 19, 2025
A truly fascinating and informative read. I’ve been interested in rewilding for over a year now, so had to pick this up when I saw it.
This book provides an easy to read exploration into rewilding, a progressive and radical ecological practice that might just save the world. Highly recommend just having a look at some articles around the subject if you cba with a full book!
This book provides an easy to read exploration into rewilding, a progressive and radical ecological practice that might just save the world. Highly recommend just having a look at some articles around the subject if you cba with a full book!
June 9, 2021
Time for a career change I think
December 3, 2025
Everything you need to know about the benefits and struggles of rewilding! Past, present, and future...
April 8, 2025
very slow but interesting
May 22, 2025
fascinating topic but I found this book a bit dry, slow to read
December 22, 2024
An interesting introduction to the world of rewinding which compares the different approaches taken to restore our natural landscapes.
April 12, 2022
Very informative book about the practice of rewilding, including several projects of which one is a Dutch project! I was quite surprised to find this out. Never knew the Oostvaardersplassen were a rewilding project. A full review will follow on my blog! I wasn't a very big fan of the narration, which is why I'm going for 3 stars for this one, down from a 4.
January 4, 2022
Ecologists want see a healthier planet, and some have found a path to this recovery through rewilding -- that is, reintroducing species to their native habitats after being wiped out. And as it turns out, there are wildly different approaches to this truly radical technique. From delicate moves (like replacing an extinct tortoise species with a similar one in the Mauritian Islands) to sledgehammer action (think bringing back mammoths), rewilding begs the question, "How? And more importantly, should we?"
"Rewilding" is a great introduction to the topic, which is multifaceted in the extreme. This book explores the history of rewilding -- what's worked, what's failed, and what's on the horizon -- as well as the ripple effects. As an armchair ecologist, most of these approaches were new to me. But I did recognize a few rewilding efforts, including Pleistocene Park and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. I appreciated the mentions of plant and insect rewilding, too, which are often eclipsed by megaherbivores and other showy species.
While it is intended as an overview and introduction, this book sometimes get technical, so a background in biology would be helpful for most readers. The language drifts between pop sci and textbook, but there are lots of great illustrations to help clear up sticky concepts. Plenty of beautiful photographs and well-placed diagrams.
"Rewilding" is a fantastic conversation starter, leaving the reader with lots of food for thought. An excellent foundation for building new knowledge on this tangled topic.
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
"Rewilding" is a great introduction to the topic, which is multifaceted in the extreme. This book explores the history of rewilding -- what's worked, what's failed, and what's on the horizon -- as well as the ripple effects. As an armchair ecologist, most of these approaches were new to me. But I did recognize a few rewilding efforts, including Pleistocene Park and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone. I appreciated the mentions of plant and insect rewilding, too, which are often eclipsed by megaherbivores and other showy species.
While it is intended as an overview and introduction, this book sometimes get technical, so a background in biology would be helpful for most readers. The language drifts between pop sci and textbook, but there are lots of great illustrations to help clear up sticky concepts. Plenty of beautiful photographs and well-placed diagrams.
"Rewilding" is a fantastic conversation starter, leaving the reader with lots of food for thought. An excellent foundation for building new knowledge on this tangled topic.
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2022
This is an extremely well-written and beautifully illustrated book on the ecological concept of "Rewilding". It's a thorough examination of the topic, from the history and framework, to the potential for the future. It's helpful, but not necessary to have a background in the sciences, particularly Biology and Ecology. The background would be helpful in fully understanding the concepts described in the book, but the authors do a great job of explaining the concepts and the illustrations are amazing. I would recommend this book for any student of Ecology, especially as an additional narrative to conservation and preservation. The books look at a "radical new way" of ecological restoration will give students another lens to think critically about the concepts.
Thank you to Netgalley and MIT Press for an advanced reader e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and MIT Press for an advanced reader e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2022
A brisk textbook that provides an overview of rewilding in well-chosen words, charts, and pictures. Blythe and Jepson provide plenty of concrete details that anchor the rather spaghetti-like ball of ideas that describe the science and practices of the rewilding movement.
There's a strong case here for making interventions that diversify the landscape and create more ecological niches for life to fill. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the (somewhat understated) truth that even the experts in the field don't really know much about it yet, and that rewilding is not so much about re-creating older ecosystems as it is about creating new ecosystems that -- hopefully! -- share the positive characteristics that we believe the older systems had.
There's a strong case here for making interventions that diversify the landscape and create more ecological niches for life to fill. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the (somewhat understated) truth that even the experts in the field don't really know much about it yet, and that rewilding is not so much about re-creating older ecosystems as it is about creating new ecosystems that -- hopefully! -- share the positive characteristics that we believe the older systems had.
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