In May this year, a group of scientists, managers, and stakeholders descended upon the Tatra mountains for a three-day workshop. These attendees were gathering as part of an innovative Horizon Europe project called WildE. The aim of the project is to understand the impact of wilderness on local environments, the climate, and the people who depend on these landscapes. Armed with that knowledge, they can then offer policy recommendations to hopefully restore these places to their wild state.

The project largely focuses on eight case studies, which includes two famous valleys in Tatra National Park. To understand the goals and the methods of this project we spoke with Arndt Hampe. He is a forest ecologist and the director of the WildE project.