If you look around your neighborhood, you may notice there are fewer butterflies than before. This is just one small example of how habitats shift due to climate change, but there are regions of the world where the damage to wildlife is far more severe. Fortunately, conservationists and scientists are able to restore areas with rewilding techniques. They use these metrics as a way to create the inspiring success stories that deserve more media attention.

An Increase in Biodiversity

Many rewilding projects start when one or multiple species are scarce or disappear from an area they once called home. So, scientists use a rise in biodiversity as a primary indicator. It also informs them about the diversity of the ecosystem, which is essential for recreating the food chain and restoring balance. 

One of the most successful efforts is at the Knepp Estate in the UK. Ornithologists reported a 92% decline in the national population of nightingales. The Estate started its rewilding project, spotting 40 males, their mates and children in the scrubs. It is considered a useful feeding zone for migrating birds.

Restoration of Ecosystem Functions

A habitat, without its essential species, loses stability and drives inhabitants away to greener pastures. After experiencing significant stress, an ecosystem is unable to support its most common plants or effectively manage invasive species. This is why you’ll see scientists focus on how many functions return to the region during a rewilding project. Restoration often works in conjunction with remediation strategies, which clean habitats of harmful contaminants that would otherwise deter wildlife.

Yellowstone National Park is a great example. The elk population got out of control once the gray wolf population was depleted. While the elk flourished, the increase jeopardized the health of native willows and aspens. Reintroducing the wolves helped the trees recover and maintain population control — even beavers and birds came back.

Better Water Quality and Flow

Climate change stressors make it more difficult for some plants to survive. Changes in humidity, temperature and soil all affect their abilities. The presence of vegetation is crucial for water biomes, as they filter contaminants, protect perimeters from flooding and regulate flow. Rewilding plants is just as important as reintroducing animals. Sometimes, animals can help.

In the UK, beavers play a vital role in controlling faster waters, which can threaten plant stability. Bringing the Eurasian beaver back lowered flood flows by 60% while improving the ability of nearby vegetation to perform their natural responsibilities. 

Visible Social and Economic Benefits

Rewilding benefits animals and can also strengthen communities. Scientists also use these quality-of-life metrics to judge their projects. The eco-social benefits are wide-ranging, and can include:

• Expanded job opportunities
• Improved public health
• Increased environmental tourism

You can even attract native wildlife to your backyard. One of the most accessible strategies is setting up a feeder with black-oil seeds to tempt many species of birds. The new food source may lead to their eventual return, even after an absence from your area.

Landscape-Scale Changes

Scientists and conservationists need to consider the broader context to determine if their project requires ongoing maintenance. They must question how their impacts affect nearby ecosystems. Even if you plant a native wildflower garden in your front yard, you have to continually observe it to ensure nothing changes that could negatively affect the animals and plants you want to protect. 

Sometimes, the reintroduction of a species could have a rippling effect — for better or worse. Experts must constantly adjust their techniques until they achieve environmental harmony. They achieve this with advanced monitoring tools, like sensors and light detection. This tracks everything from wildlife movement to soil health.

Carbon Sequestration Abilities

You know the clear-cutting of the Amazon Rainforest is harmful for many reasons, but its carbon sequestration potential is a massive one. The trees are sponges for atmospheric carbon, reducing the impact of climate change. Removing them means more greenhouse gases remain and hurt the planet, so scientists judge the success of rewilding by the increase in carbon storage.

The blue wildebeest, common to the Serengeti Desert, is a quiet advocate for carbon sequestration. Their numbers have declined in recent years, but their grazing patterns are essential for making the African prairies effective at absorbing carbon. Hundreds of thousands of grazers help keep growth under control, preventing wildfires. These disasters have been known to cause the yearly destruction of up to 80% of the ecosystem. Helping the blue wildebeest can restore carbon capture in the desert.

Rewarding Rewilding

Scientists need data to validate their rewilding efforts. Without measurables, it is challenging to revise strategies to find solutions that work in the long term. Most importantly, the numbers validate that human efforts matter. Rewilding can be effective at both small and large scales, and you can make a meaningful impact in your local community by raising awareness about these important initiatives. You could inspire the next generation of environmentalists and wildlife advocates, rewilding areas one community at a time.