Rewilding is receiving attention as an emerging field in conservation management and biology. It has also become clear that rewilding as a concept appeals to the public, politicians and the media, but the subject is equally likely to stir up controversy amongst local stakeholders and the scientific community. This book attempts to provide a global, scientific overview of rewilding to ground it as both a respectable science and a scalable solution in a changing world.
As one might expect from a new and controversial scientific field, the initial three chapters focus on definitions, history and framing of rewilding in both the scientific literature and the collective human experience. A common theme emerging throughout the book is the plasticity of rewilding as a concept. These chapters also raise interesting questions regarding how collectively humankind perceives nature and people as separate from each other, and go on to interrogate how this colonial approach to conservation affects social justice and access to nature.
Chapters 4–6 provide thoughtful explorations of the background, meanings and ambitions of four types of rewilding identified by the editors: Pleistocene, trophic, passive and ecological. These provide interesting introductions to each style of rewilding, offering the reader insightful commentary on their relationships with existing scientific theory and applied examples of each approach.
The second part of the book explores common challenges (chapters 12–15) and critiques facing rewilding in practice (chapters 16–19). The editors have taken care to address key themes and approaches common in rewilding projects, including carnivore reintroductions, translocations and urban rewilding, but I cannot help but feel that the book has failed to capture some key concepts in the rewilding movement. For example, inclusion of case studies and approaches arising from peatland, freshwater and marine contexts would have broadened the scope of the book, as would the inclusion of other disciplines, specifically economics. A more in-depth exploration of urban approaches to rewilding, the role of invasive species management and land governance would also have been of great benefit, especially as conservation practitioners commonly describe the latter as a key predictor of conservation success.
What is clear from reading Rewilding is how much effort the editors have made to underpin rewilding theory with multidisciplinary perspectives, and therefore advocate for recognition within global debate beyond the conservation community. For example, much space is dedicated to social science subjects: the book contains fascinating sections exploring the psychology and framing of nature and offers useful context for people working on engagement and outreach. Much of the emphasis is, however, upon the benefits of rewilding to communities, which somewhat skews some chapters—appearing to make a case for rewilding rather than providing a scientific critique.
It is somewhat disappointing to see rewilding explicitly framed as an animal issue by some contributors, despite many authors recognizing the influence of primary vegetation and herbivore interactions as a central tenant of rewilding. I feel the scope could have been widened to include non-animal wildlife, to avoid reinforcing the plant blindness common in much conservation biology.
From a Western perspective Rewilding is a welcome and helpful underpinning of rewilding science, and as such the editors certainly meet their primary objective, but many of the authors recognize that the text is unable to provide a universal and representative commentary on rewilding. This is entirely a result of research gaps across the sciences, particularly with respect to data representing the Global South. As a result, most of the content is unavoidably embedded within Western theory, and the book is arguably of the greatest relevance to rewilders working within a Western context, perhaps missing an opportunity to incorporate diverse voices.
Overall, Rewilding offers an excellent introduction to current rewilding theory and challenges readers to explore their own interpretation of and assumptions about rewilding practice. The book is an enjoyable and worthwhile read for anyone interested in rewilding, providing an informed introduction to the origins, perceptions and future trajectories of the movement. The editors do not quite meet their aim to provide a comprehensive global review but this is largely forgivable given the novelty of the subject matter and the associated data limitations. Rewilding showcases a cross section of multidisciplinary thought relevant to providing a scientific primer on rewilding practice. Furthermore, true to rewilding's mantra, this book presents a positive and uplifting vision of what could be, and how we could achieve a wilder Earth, by providing the reader with a healthy dose of conservation optimism expertly tempered with scientific enquiry.
