Growing a Truffula Forest

The Scottish charity Trees for Life got 6 Wild Boars to help efforts to restore the Caledonian Forest.



Boar to clear bracken for trees



Innovative wild boar restoration project
launches in the Highlands

Rare Photo of Three Amur Leopards Offers Hope for World's Most Endangered Cat

Via RareWildlifeGuy



Scientists discover rare wild cat in Fujairah wadi

A few stories I've found while catching up on e-mail.

Rewilding Giant Pandas
China builds research center to help giant pandas adapt to wild

Restoration for ecosystem services
Woodland used to prevent flooding

A million acres of Tallgrass Prairie
Public forums set for conservation plan

Go veggie to rewild the land
Want to help reach 350 ppm? Stop eating meat!

Anti-rewilding paranoia
Eco-Nuts Out to Destroy Life As We Know It

Knowing the territory
Mapping where the wild things are

Wildland Research Institute
Could big beasts return to new wild woods?

Dorset dairy farmer spots endangered butterflies on his farm

An example of reconciliation ecology:

Green lines
What does it take to save a species? Sometimes, high-voltage power wires

I've made many posts about the problems of Cattle here on Turtle Island. But in their native habitat, they play a vital role.


From Cumbria Wildlife Trust



Cows help conserve rare butterflies

Bramble Park Zoo Has New Baby Pallas’ Cat Kittens

Here's me raising awareness about the threats facing Bees.

Colonies in peril - Hug a Bee Today

Bee Hugs Fan Facebook Page

The original Bee Hugs video is here

Sent to Calgary Herald

Re: Alberta opposes Parks Canada plan for bison in Banff

While growing up in Vegreville in the mid 70's, I heard was a rumor about a wild Bison roaming around the nearby village of Hairy Hill. To a 9 year old conservationist, this was exciting. Just imagine, the chance to see an large endangered animal so close to home. And unlike the Bison of Elk Island National Park, this one wasn't behind a fence. He was running free.

Now, over 30 years later, Parks Canada wants to establish a breeding population of Plains Bison in Banff National Park. This excites me. Restoring Plains Bison to the park, after a 100 year absence, allows the park to heal an ecological wound.

The ecologist in me wonders what will happen. What vegetation changes will occur? How will predators and other herbivores respond? How will the Bison move from season to season? And many other questions will be answered.

But my inner 9 year old is saying "Wow, they'll be wild!" Unlike their cousins held behind the 8 foot high fence of the glorified zoo of Elk Island Park,they'll be free to roam. That freedom makes them truly wild animals. So bring them back and let them roam.

The Buffalo Commons is starting to become a reality.

A new park to save the plains



Wind Cave National Park bison arrive at their new home in Mexico

Of coarse the backwater of Alberta is against it.

Alberta opposes Parks Canada plan for bison in Banff

To support the return of Plains Bison to Banff, comment on the Banff National Park Management Plan Review by November 30, 2009.

Via WTSWW on Twitter

Scotland’s wild beavers build their first lodge




You can follow the Scottish Beaver Trial on their blog here

The release date of this book is Dec. 22, 2009.



Rewilding the World

A friend post this to her Facebook page:

9 Weirdest-Looking Animals You Didn't Know Existed

But I immediately recognized 8 of the 9, so here's my list of 9 weirdest animals.




Placozoa - no front and back or sides, just a top and bottom.
Genome Of Simplest Animal Reveals Ancient Lineage, Confounding Array Of Complex Capabilities



Babirusa
Creepy Animals You Dont See Everyday



Vampire Squid
Singularity




Barreleye
Strange fish has a see-through head



Assassin Spider
Photo in the News: Bizarre Assassin Spiders Discovered in Madagascar



Gulper Eel
Creatures of the Deep Sea







Water Bear


MARS ORGANISM SURVIVOR?

And finally,



Canine transmissible venereal tumor - This is parasitic species of Dog. I'll spare you the technical argument of involving cladistics.

A Dead Dog Lives On (Inside New Dogs)

Can you come up with a list that's weirder and more obscure?

In a talk on the Mannahatta Project, Eric Sanderson points out that habitat is home.





A study in Animal Conservation backs this up.

No Place Like Home: Africa's Big Cats Show Postcode Preference

It's been a busy weekend for rewilding news.



Via highcountrynews

Empty nest Making a case for the California condor's return to the Northwest



India agrees to cheetah survey

A visit to Knepp Castle Wildland project helped motivate Fresh Egg managing director Adam Stafford to partner with the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Fresh Egg Partners with the Sussex Wildlife Trust

Re-introduction efforts for four endangered cats:



Flying Turkmen leopards to bring species back to Caucasus



Proposal To Reintroduce Iberian Lynx On Abandoned Agricultural Land

Banni Grassland possible home for cheetahs



Amur tiger orphan reintroduced into the wild

As mentioned earlier, England is planning to rewild it's country-side.


Plans for animals to be reintroduced in the North East

UK to get 'motorways for animals'




Here's the reaction:

No, Hilary Benn – a lynx is not just for conference

Benn's vision fails to ignite farmers

Terence Blacker: Britain's green and pleasant divided land

34 Black-footed Ferets were released into Grasslands National Park on Friday.

Endangered black-footed ferrets return home to wilds of Canadian Prairie

Dave Foreman speaks of Aldo Leopold and the Green Fire Wolf at a Bioneers Conference in 2005