How Rewilding Trips Benefit Local Communities and Wildlife

Far more than a buzzword, the concept of rewilding is being embraced by destinations, properties, as well as the conservation organisations that work within these landscapes as the future of sustainable conservation travel.

Essentially, rewilding is a form of ecological restoration which aims to increase naturally occurring species for the benefit of landscapes, wildlife and local communities. At the heart of this is the goal to reverse the trend of human degradation and instead letting nature thrive. After all, these are the landscapes that are ultimately responsible for sustaining all life on our planet.

The benefits of rewilding are far-reaching, creating improved livelihoods for communities and thriving ecosystems – not to mention the long-term benefits for all of us, no matter where we live, particularly when it comes to mitigating the harmful impact of climate change.

Travellers have the opportunity to be a part of the rewilding movement by consciously selecting destinations and staying in properties that are actively involved in reintroducing species and restoring ecosystems. In a nutshell, this is what rewilding trips are all about.

No matter where you choose to travel to – Africa, Latin America, and even Europe, there are inspiring examples of rewilding in action. By choosing the right holiday or asking one of Niarra’s Travel Researchers to help you with that choice, you will automatically be playing a role in supporting projects that have a long-lasting positive impact on the environment and the communities which call these places home.

A good place to start is to ask questions about whether the places you are visiting have examples of successful wildlife reintroductions, community collaborations and a clear set of conservation goals that include minimising their environmental impact. Most players actively involved in rewilding projects will be transparent and ethical in their approach and will gladly share these details with you so that you can make eco-friendly travel choices.

One of the main benefits of rewilding trips is biodiversity enhancements with native species that may have gone locally extinct due to various challenges from poaching to habitat-loss, being reintroduced. Each of these species has a vital role to play in achieving a delicate ecological balance that allows environments to flourish. This includes promoting vegetation growth, as well as regulating prey populations, so that landscapes are able to be self-sustaining, healthy and resilient.

Another important benefit of rewilding trips is the vital role they can play in mitigating climate change. Rewilding projects that focus on reforestation, landscape restoration can help to capture carbon and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This positive impact is not just on the local environment, but the entire planet.

In most cases, rewilding trips involve working closely with local communities, providing them with employment opportunities which are often in short supply in the world’s more rural areas. By ensuring local people are empowered and actively involved in rewilding projects – and in some instances pioneering them – there is a greater likelihood of success.

The benefits of this are even further amplified as improved ecosystems result in greater interest from environmentally conscious travellers, creating manifold economic opportunities for people to develop unique ecotourism-focused properties and experiences – as well as the supply chain that all of these businesses rely on for everything from freshly grown food to transport providers. This ensures that economic prosperity is not only limited to those directly involved in ecotourism and rewilding projects – but also the greater community too.

Just as travellers have the opportunity to learn during rewilding trips, gaining a deeper understanding of how the natural world operates, so too do local communities have the opportunity to become ambassadors for their natural heritage. Often, conservationists work closely with local schools to run educational conservation awareness programmes that create the next generation of environmental stewards.

All over the world, there are fascinating and inspiring stories of successful rewilding projects in action. Very often, these same projects operate alongside ecotourism establishments, giving travellers the opportunity to see their pioneering work firsthand and meet the conservationists behind them. These are just a few examples of remarkable rewilding projects in South Africa, Rwanda and Argentina.

As recently as just over 20 years ago, Rwanda’s only savannah reserve and Central Africa’s largest protected wetland was close to the point of no return. In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, the once vast wildlife in Akagera National Park had been poached or had lost their habitat to agriculture and livestock farming. Then in 2010, the Rwanda Development Board invited African Parks to partner with them and restore Akagera to its former glory.

What followed was an incredible conservation success story in Rwanda – poaching was almost completely eliminated in just a few short years, and afterwards, the park saw the reintroduction of iconic species like the white and black rhinos, as well as lions. It is now home to a thriving wildlife population, having grown from less than 5,000 animals to almost 12,000 today. If you would like to see this incredible park firsthand, we recommend staying at either Magashi Camp, or Ruzizi Tented Camp.

The restoration of the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve has been a true labour of love for the Oppenheimer family who became custodians of the land in 1999, taking over from the previous owner, the late Stephen Boler, who bought several cattle farms with the goal of restoring this part of the Kalahari Desert to its original state.

Over the years, iconic Kalahari species have been reintroduced, including black rhinos and the famous black-maned lions of the region. To date, 43 former cattle and sheep farms have been amalgamated and designated as a formally protected areas – it is in fact, South Africa’s largest privately owned reserve. Visits here are enriched by spending time with the many conservationists and researchers based at Tswalu, while staying at one of the beautiful properties: Loapi, Motse or Tarkuni.

Home to the world’s second largest wetland, Iberá National Park is a place of importance in terms of biodiversity, home to some 4,000 species of flora and fauna. But human encroachment in the form of cattle farms had caused a great deal of destruction, until 1997 when an NGO was created by conservationists Doug and Kris Tompkins, which now operates as ‘Rewilding Argentina’. In 2018, they succeeded in creating Iberá National Park with the support of governments and private enterprises.

Today the landscape is a tapestry of lagoons, marshes, plains and forests home to an array of wildlife including capybaras, marsh deer, black howler monkeys, rheas and maned wolves. Locally extinct species were introduced, including giant anteaters, pampas deer, collared peccaries and most recently, jaguars. You can learn more about this fascinating rewilding project while staying at Rincón del Socorro.

If you would love to go on a rewilding trip of your own, and play a role in ensuring the benefits of these projects leave a lasting legacy, then get in touch with our expert travel team on +44 (0) 20 3821 5994 (UK), +1 (833) 215 9353 (US), or at explore@niarratravel.com and start curating your perfect itinerary for a once-in-a-lifetime conservation-focused trip.