Rewilding Futures: Shaping Tomorrow's Wild

Denmark is in the process of establishing 20 Nature National Parks based on rewilding principles, aiming to restore natural ecosystems and enhance biodiversity. This talk will outline the aim, planning and implementation of these parks as well as insights into key outputs of an industrial PhD conducted during the planning phase by Marianne. Mariannes research aim to support the pratical planning and implementation of ecological restoration with large herbivores in trophic rewilding sites and outputs the talk will cover include: • A framework developed to identify where to rewild, ensuring optimal locations for successful ecological restoration. • Research on what effects can be expected, drawing from vegetation survey data and long-term studies of extensive cattle and horse grazing across Denmark, spanning up to 20 years. • Analysis of where we can expect effects from large herbivores, using GPS tracking data from eleven sites to examine their movement patterns and habitat preferences.