Young people play a key role in the future of rewilding around the world, and in Europe it was with this in mind that the European Young Rewilders was created, also with a team working and growing directly from Portugal.
In 2019, the organization was founded under the name Young Rewilders Community, when Aleksandrina Mitseva was appointed as the youngest member of Rewilding Europe’s Supervisory Board. Her role was created to accommodate the huge interest of young people in Rewilding Europe’s work. She, along with five other inspired young people and Rewilding Europe’s communications team, envisioned the creation of a community that would help connect, engage and educate young people interested in rewilding.
In 2022, the organization was restructured and, led by new coordinator Giulia Testa, European Young Rewilders was born. Thanks to the support of a fantastic team of volunteers, the EYR network now strives to connect, empower and engage young people in rewilding across Europe.
At the beginning of 2023, groups were formed in some European countries, and that’s how the European Young Rewilders Portugal came into being. This group of young volunteers and enthusiasts, led by a national contact, currently has sixteen members trained in various fields, from biology to engineering and photography. Spread across various areas of the country and some abroad, they have begun to outline a strategic vision and a motivated approach to making a difference when it comes to rewilding in our country, focusing on three pillars: education, awareness and networking.
As far as networking is concerned, strategic partners within the movement have been contacted, such as Rewilding Portugal in the Côa Valley, Cascais Ambiente and Sylvester in the Lisbon area, and Herdade de Alagães in Mértola, Alentejo.
We are currently developing a number of activities with Sylvester, such as a manual on rewilding interventions for landowners with plots of up to 10 hectares, both in urban and rural areas, which is due to be launched and presented in the first half of next year and is being supervised by Rewilding Portugal. This is in addition to the collaboration already carried out in a volunteer action to clear weeds in an area where they operate.
In the case of Cascais Ambiente and Herdade de Alagães, we have made initial contacts and visits so that plans can be drawn up for activities that will include environmental education and collaboration in ecological restoration work.
In this new year, we intend to continue with the actions we have been developing and strengthen our current relationships. We hope to collaborate with other organizations and entities in various parts of the country that share the same vision as us and also to see our group grow with more young nature lovers.
When it came to deciding to join this community and later applying to be the national contact, it was partly because of the passion I’ve had from an early age, since even though I didn’t follow a traditional path in the field of biology or ecology like many of the volunteers, these are subjects I’ve always been interested in and have studied in depth over the last three years. I believe that by combining my experience in communication and team management, as well as self-taught learning, with the excellent skills of the other members, this combination can be an asset to the movement and we can develop successful partnerships and projects that will set an example in the future, as well as collaborating directly in the progress of rewilding in our country.
Because Portugal needs to be wild again, from inland areas to the coast, from the north to the south, not only with the aim of improving its natural heritage and ecosystems, but also as a way of mitigating climate change and the loss of biodiversity that we are currently facing. A Portugal where rewilding can be the “standard” approach can exist, but never without young people in the equation! We are counting on your support?
