There is no record of megafauna in the Canary Islands. Even so, human intervention has led to the extinction of the two species of the genus Canariomys found on the two central islands.

In addition to this, rabbits, rats and mice were introduced... Do you think that these species have replaced the native species or, in case of a small rewilding project, would it be more advisable to look for other proxies?

Greetings and sorry for my bad English...

Hi everyone!

As the title says, I am looking for readings on the subject of rewilding and biodiversity restoration. I am especially interested in starting rewilding/biodiversity projects. I am not sure it matters but in any case, I am based in Belgium.

Magazines, articles, scientific articles, books, sub-reddit, I'll take everything !

Thanks in advance

Hi - Is there a protocol or even better, an app, that walks you through a procedure to generate a biodiversity score? I'm thinking something like a set of instructions along the lines of:

-Pick a path that crosses the area you want to sample.

• Walk the line and photograph every bird / mammal / tree that you see within 30 minutes

• Identify all the items (This is where an app like iNaturaist could help)

-Score the results based on the number, variety and rareness of sightings.

I have the good fortune to have a job as a project manager for a large ecological wilding project on the great plains in the US.

The land is a private holding by one family and contains 300 acres of pasture and working horse farm and appx 1700 acres of undeveloped land. This large area contains multiple ecosystems including plains, closed canopy woodland, open canopy grasslands, bogs and former waterways, beaches, and a meandering river.

My official instructions are to create a self-sustaining asset that is a source of pride and connection to the family. They have mentioned placing the property into a 200 year easement to prevent future development. They are not eco-warriors, and in fact are conservative republicans, but they have a respect for nature.

I have a year and a half to develop a master plan for the wilds, and as of now I have no team to assist me.

I'm looking to connect with like-minded folks who have experience with this work at scale and would be interested in an ongoing conversation, providing feedback, and sharing resources.

Thanks all!

Everyone always attribute non native species as bad for ecpsystems or invasive, and for some species this is definitely the case (feral cats, spotted lanternfly, and lionfish just to name a few). But are there any cases where non-native species can be a good thing?

I'm no biologist, but I'd think that in some cases, non-native species could A: fufil niches left by extinct/extripated native species, B: help control true invasive species, or C: serve as backup populations for species struggling in their native range.

Are there any good examples of non-native species having positive effects, or at least no harmful effects on a new ecosystem?

I work a boring, stupid 9-5 office job. I'm 27. I'm tired of wasting myself. I'm going to hang onto this rope until I can swing to my next: working with the earth.

Don't argue with me about staying here and trying to do stuff on the side. I'm not settling any longer. I need advice on how to break into this industry.

I make $60K currently. I'm willing to take a pay cut; the lowest being $45K. I live in Texas. I do a lot of volunteering on regenerative farms and biodynamic gardens. I'm interested in rewilding. I'm looking for any job that has to do with ecological restoration.

My work days don't have to be exciting every day, but they do need to be purposeful. I'm cutting down brush and building healthy ecosystems. I'm breaking up concrete and restoring soil.

Please. Anyone have recs, advice?

Recently I have been cutting small non native/invasive trees in the forest. I am targeting Douglas firs and Sitka spruce trees that are suffocating smaller or slower growing native species like Scot’s pine, birch, holly and oak trees (Scotland). This is not my land but I don’t care.

In prehistoric times (some 600,000 years BP) there were hippos, hyenas, and even lions in the Thames Valley. What would it take to bring such early British megafauna back? And how would they change the ecosystem? If nothing else bringing hippos back on the Thames would make the annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race a LOT more interesting!

Joking aside, how large a range of river/marshland/forest would have to be set aside to make a viable habitat?

I am seeking input on dealing with a few invasives in my newish backyard wildflower patch (~700 sq ft / 65 sq meters). Medium to heavy shade from a couple black walnuts. Rich, recently imported top soil, fairly moist. Located in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA.

Last spring I covered bare soil in a seed mix (Shady Woodland Seed Mix | Prairie Moon Nursery) and mowed periodically through the season. I was happy to see a significant increase in wild flower establishment this spring compared to last year.

That said there are significant populations of Motherwort, Common Chickweed, and Ground Ivy, and a few plants of Goutweed, Giant Ragweed, and a couple Thistles.

I'm under the impression that pulling up all the non-natives will have the negative effect of soil disturbance. I am considering spot spraying glyphosate (horror of horrors!). The increase of the ratio of wild flowers to non native weeds from last year to this year gives me hope that I'm headed in the right direction.

Any advice? Anyone have experience with those particular plants (especially Motherwort, Chickweed, and Ground Ivy) in a wild flower patch?

All insights are welcome and appreciated!