rewilding
noun

- the process of protecting an environment and returning it to its natural state, for example by bringing back wild animals that used to live there

The Cambridge Dictionary
 
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ORIGIN

The word rewilding was first coined by members of the grassroot's network 'Earth First!' and appeared in print in 1990.

Practice and interest in rewilding has grown rapidly since, with individual supporters, small land owners, local NGOs and authorities, national governments, and international NGOs such as 'The International Union for the Conservation of Nature' (IUCN).

While small scale efforts are generally well regarded, the increasing popularity of rewilding has generated much controversary, especially regarding large scale projects. These have attracted criticism from academics, government officials, business people, and even practicing conservationists.

In 2011, the ‘Rewilding Europe’ initiative was established with the aim of rewilding 1 million hectares of land in ten areas including the western Iberian Peninsula, Velebit, the Carpathians and the Danube delta.

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SYNONYMS for “restore”

breathe new life into, bring back, build again, create again, dial back, establish again, make as good as new, piece back together, put back into its original condition, put back together, put in working order, put right, re-establish, reanimate, recapture, reclaim, reconstitute, recreate, rectify, reestablish, regenerate, rehabilitate, reincarnate, reinstate, reinstitute, reintroduce, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, rekindle, remediate, remedy, renew, replenish, restore, restore the balance, restore to health, restore to normality, resurrect, resuscitate, return to a former position, return to a former state, revitalise, revive, revivify, rewaken, REWILD, set right, set straight, set to rights, win back

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PRACTICE OWAD in a conversation, say something like:

“We’ve decided to go on a Scottish REWILDING holiday this summer, a google search shows many other options.”

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Paul Smith