To grow Europe’s rewilding movement, we must first rekindle the bond between people and nature. From award-winning films and powerful hip-hop tracks to bold collaborations with influential voices, Rewilding Europe’s landscaping team is building emotional connections in innovative ways.
Velebit revived
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Once considered niche and unorthodox, natural redevelopment is now at the forefront of a global movement to revitalize ecosystems and restore biodiversity. Across Europe, rewilding is already producing visible results. Wilder nature is returning and people are starting to feel the benefits of this regeneration. Rewilding Europe is determined to amplify this dynamic, breathing new life into ecosystems and creating landscapes where people and wildlife thrive together. By showing what is possible, we hope to inspire others to join us in embracing and expanding rewilding across the continent.
This expansion process is not only a technological and ecological challenge, but also a social one. Delivering lasting, meaningful change depends on capturing the hearts and minds of people and building understanding, trust and shared ownership of natural recovery. As communities, decision-makers and businesses feel connected to rewilding and see how it improves livelihoods, resilience and quality of life, support will increase and momentum will accelerate.
Apennine revived
Harness the power of visual content
By combining art and science, visual storytelling has the power to transform complex ecological processes into experiences that people can feel and understand, sparking curiosity, connection, and action. Across Rewilding Europe’s operating landscape, photography, film, art, infographics and other visual media are bringing rewilding to life and making nature recovery emotionally compelling.
Perhaps the most powerful example of this is the Wilder Europe series of short films by award-winning French videographer Emmanuel Rondeau. The five documentaries released so far, produced with the financial support of global law firm Hogan Lovells, showcase the work of Rewilding Europe and its network of partner foundations in the Central Apennines (Italy), the Velebit Mountains (Croatia), the Oder Delta (Germany and Poland), the Iberian Plateau (Spain) and the Rhodope Mountains (Bulgaria). With beautifully crafted stories that explore the intimate relationship between nature and people, these films have captivated audiences through in-person screenings and online viewing.
Watch the Wilder Europe Series
Inspiring Influencers
Rooted in celebrity culture but based on digital platforms, influencers have an increasingly powerful influence in modern commerce and society. The rise of video and short-form content like TikTok and Reels has added emotional immediacy, and many of these opinion leaders have come to be recognized as entrepreneurs, cultural producers, and content creators. Influencers in the conservation space can leverage their platforms to promote ideas and issues by building trust and authenticity, making complex environmental issues relevant, and encouraging lifestyle change and collective action, especially among younger generations.
Both Rewilding Sweden and Rewilding Portugal are leveraging the power of influencers to reach new audiences and build the rewilding movement at local and national levels. In 2025, the Rewilding Sweden team began publishing their work in collaboration with Rolf Nylinder, a Swedish filmmaker, fisherman, and nature explorer with a significant YouTube following. His laid-back yet captivating storytelling style, driven by a love of wild spaces, and beautifully shot footage in the Nordic taiga, attracts thousands of viewers.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF ROLF NYLINDER IN THE NORTH EUROPEAN TAIGA
Create influence
Over the past few years, Rewilding Portugal has worked with a variety of influencers to make rewilding more visible at the national level and promote rewilding efforts in the Greater Côa Valley. The most influential collaborations were with João Amorim, a traveler and photographer with over 275,000 followers on Instagram, and Ana Varela, a famous Portuguese actress with over 125,000 followers on Instagram.
“We invited them to the Greater Côa Valley because they both have a huge social media presence and a clear passion for nature and rewilding,” explains Fernando Teixeira, Communications and Corporate Director at Rewilding Portugal. “Ana focused on how natural grazing connects people with nature and strengthens community engagement, while João explored natural grazing and its role in reducing bushfire risk. The impact was huge – we gained over 5,000 new followers across each of our social media channels.”
Watch JOÃO AMORIM at Grande Vale CÔA
Creating a revived hip
From Joni Mitchell and The Beatles to Weezer and will.i.am, nature and conservation have inspired generations of musicians. However, in 2025, the first new inspired hip-hop song was released in the music world. “Rewilding” by Zagreb-based trap rap trio Kuku$ tells the story of a lonely wanderer who travels through the Velebit Mountains and contemplates the challenges facing nature. He realized that the solution to this challenge was rewilding. An accompanying video for the song, featuring Rewilding Velebit team members, local wildlife and the band, was filmed at various locations in Velebit and the Lika Plains.
“We wanted to try something new and thought hip-hop songs would attract new people, especially young people, to the rewilding movement,” said Rewilding Velebit communications director Kruno Bošnjaković. “It was the perfect combination because Kuku$ is one of the most popular bands in the Croatian trap rap scene and has a huge fan following across the country.”
The production of “Rewilding” was covered by several Croatian TV stations, and the song received airplay on radio and is available on major music streaming platforms, including Apple Music. The video was featured on Croatia’s “Eko Zona” TV show, watched by 140,000 viewers. The band performed the song live for the first time in front of 1,000 people at Zagreb’s Vintage Industrial Bar in October last year.
Re-establishing emotional connections
Getting people involved in rewilding efforts isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s about fostering an emotional connection with wild nature by focusing on meaningful, enjoyable experiences and stories that resonate on a personal level. Rewilding Europe’s landscape team is generating thousands of new followers and passionate rewilding enthusiasts through creative collaborations with artists and influencers. Every view, share, and conversation helps build support for river restoration, the return of iconic species like bison and beaver, and the idea that nature needs more space.
Focusing on the recovery of iconic European animals such as beavers, wolves, and bison can generate excitement and deep emotional investment. Highlighting positive and hopeful stories of natural recovery highlights the potential for a more natural and healthy future. And by using powerful, high-quality photography and video to show how wildlife is returning to European landscapes and how natural restoration is transforming lives and livelihoods, we can inspire awe, wonder, pride and optimism.
Across Europe, Rewilding Europe’s landscape teams will continue to grow the rewilding movement by leveraging bold, innovative storytelling across all forms of media to help make nature restoration a vibrant part of popular culture.
Neil Aldridge
Neil Aldridge
