Climate change is happening fast, driving some ecosystems well beyond their limits. Conservation policy commonly aims to restore habitats to historical benchmarks or modern likely equivalents. However, as climate changes and species redistribute themselves in response to it, this may in some circumstances no longer be an option. Rewilding is a novel and rapidly developing concept in ecosystem management, which could provide a flexible framework for tackling the biodiversity crisis and enhancing ecological resilience. This talk will discuss the pros and cons of rewilding as a way to managing future-proofed ecosystems, highlighting the potential ecological and socio-economic risks and benefits, and exploring the current barriers to implementation.

Nathalie Pettorelli is a senior scientist at the Zoological Society of London. She heads the Environmental Monitoring and Conservation Modelling (EMCM) team, which is interested in developing tools and methodologies supporting the sustainable management of natural resources.

Nathalie has published over 200 scientific contributions on biodiversity monitoring, climate change ecology, and the use of satellite remote sensing to support wildlife management and conservation. She is the Editor in Chief of Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, a senior editor for Journal of Applied Ecology, and the co-chair of the IUCN rewilding group.

This in-person event is followed by a drinks reception and everyone is welcome