“What we are doing is to create the conditions, ecological and sociological, for the return of these two large predators that are present… but we need to find conditions for them to settle and to grow.”

Drive through Portugal and you will see vast plantations of non-native species like eucalyptus and pine. But with these plants comes the demise of the ecosystem and a huge risk of fire; in 2017 more than 100 people died in forest fires that were able to cross huge swathes of land and even dams.

Pedro Prata is helping to restore great swathes of Portugal and provide spaces for native species to thrive, including lynx and wolves. Through buying patches of land Rewilding Portugal is creating a mosaic of areas to reintroduce native animals and plant species with the hope they will spill out to the surrounding areas.

Join rewilding enthusiast and financier Ben Goldsmith as he speaks to environmental trail blazers from all corners of the globe.

Recent climate science seems to paint a picture of despair with irreparable damage being done to our natural world. But there are rays of hope. Across the planet people are carrying out astonishing work, returning large areas of land and oceans back to their former glory.

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes.

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