Turning hope into action on World Rewilding Day

Happy World Rewilding Day! Today we join dozens of other conservation organizations from every corner of the globe to celebrate our commitment to rewilding. Last year’s theme was #RewildingHope – this year, we turn that #HopeIntoAction.

If the term “rewilding” is a new one, no worries! To all of us at American Prairie, rewilding means working to restore our piece of the Northern Great Plains with a particular focus on the complexity and resilience of the ecosystem. In a rewilded prairie ecosystem, populations of native plants, insects, and animals will be robust and healthy enough to fulfill their natural ecological roles, and biodiversity will abound.

?“The significance of rewilding, from a scientist’s perspective, is the idea of putting all of the pieces back into the puzzle. The ecosystem has a mind of its own. It is dynamic, it is intended to change. But an ecosystem cannot function without all of its animals and all of its species present. Once it has that, it will do unpredictable things. It will move like a river moves and changes it bank. But the river can’t do that if there’s not water in it.” -Daniel Kinka, Ph.D., Senior Wildlife Restoration Manager

How do we get there? That’s where “Hope into Action,” the theme for this year’s World Rewilding Day, comes in.

As the Global Rewilding Alliance says, hope is a verb. Instead of an abstract concept, hope takes form in courageous, pragmatic, innovative action. We’re sharing examples of #HopeIntoAction across our social media channels today, paying particular attention to three of the keystone species so crucial to the prairie landscape: beavers, black-tailed prairie dogs, and bison. Don’t want to miss anything? Visit us on Instagram – we’ll have links to everything in a saved Highlight available on our profile.?

World Rewilding Day is also an opportunity to signal boost the valiant efforts of our partner organizations from all over the world. Use the hashtags (#WorldRewildingDay and #HopeIntoAction), and visit the Global Rewilding Alliance online. Look for the Rewilding Diaries – short videos contributed by members of the Alliance (including American Prairie!) sharing how they’re putting hope into action with their rewilding work.

For more information on our rewilding plan and how you can help bring that vision to life, visit us at https://americanprairie.org/rewilding. Happy World Rewilding Day, and here’s a to a wilder world!