Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery, by Paul Jepson & Cain Blythe, it is a key work for understanding rewilding as a scientific concept, conservation practice, and movement transforming the relationship between human society and nature.
The book moves away from simplistic or merely romantic views of rewilding and proposes an informed, critical and pluralistic approach. The authors explore rewilding as a process of ecological recovery guided by natural functions, ecosystem autonomy and the reactivation of ecological dynamics, rather than simply reintroducing emblematic species. They also highlight the diversity of existing models, from large wilderness landscapes to humanised rural contexts, emphasising that rewilding is not a single formula, but a set of practices adaptable to territories and people.
The book is particularly relevant in the context of climate crisis, biodiversity collapse and rural abandonment, as seen in many regions of Europe, including the Greater Côa Valley. Jepson and Blythe demonstrate how rewilding can contribute to ecological resilience, new local economic models, reconciliation between conservation and development, and a new positive narrative for marginalised territories.
More than a manifesto, this book is a conceptual and strategic tool, essential for decision-makers, technicians, researchers, and professionals in nature tourism and conservation. Its main strength lies in showing that rewilding is not a return to the past, but an informed commitment to the future, where nature, culture, and society can evolve and coexist side by side once again.
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