Rewilding is about letting nature take its own course, by restoring land to its natural state so that natural processes can follow. The extent to which land can be rewilded depends on where it is and how big the area is. Social and economic factors – the human element – are major factors in how far you can take rewilding. Biological factors also come into play, for example where species have become extinct.

See Wildland Network for information and resources on wildland and rewilding.

There are also some excellent books on rewilding:

• Beyond Conservation: a wildland strategy, by Peter Taylor (2005). Available from Routledge or Amazon
• Rewilding: ECOS writings on wildland and conservation values, edited by Peter Taylor (2011). Available from British Association of Nature Conservationists
• Feral: Searching for enchantment on the frontiers of rewilding, by George Monbiot (2013). See reviews and summary Available from Amazon