REWILDING STORIES
"It’s vital that SCOTLAND: The Big Picture tells compelling stories that ignite fresh conversations around Scotland’s landscapes."
Featured Story
Where Predators Rule
With global nature loss inextricably linked with climate breakdown, the place for top predators in a future Scotland, is an increasingly pressing discussion. Gordon Eaglesham explores the complex and evolving science around the foundational role of large carnivores in living systems around the world.
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Farming, Fears and Folly
#BuildingBridges
Rewilding continues to be viewed with suspicion by farmers wary of change and loss of control, but Galloway farmer Patrick Laurie argues that if we can get past the misconceptions, farming and nature are all part of the same puzzle.
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Rewilding Me
#MeWilding
The pandemic has touched everyone in different ways and for Sam Wilson, a geologist from Edinburgh, it has profoundly changed her perspective on the sights, sounds and smells of nature close to home.
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THE WINGS OF CHANGE
#BuildingBridges
As Scotland’s white-tailed eagles continue to reclaim ancient hunting territories, their presence raises questions over our readiness to share Scotland’s landscape with unfamiliar neighbours.
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REUNITING FISH AND FOREST
#Riverwoods
In many river catchments, Scotland’s wild salmon are in freefall. While scientists frantically search for answers to a complex issue, restoring native woodland and reigniting natural processes in upland rivers, could deliver benefits for both fish and people.
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THE WOLF: TOO WILD FOR SCOTLAND? (part 2)
“Ironically, the species regarded by many as a threat and menace to our survival, has turned out to be a test of how likely we are to achieve a sustainable relationship with the natural world.”
Marco Musiani et al., A New Era for Wolves and People
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THE WOLF: TOO WILD FOR SCOTLAND? (part 1)
As wolves continue to recolonise many parts of Europe, including heavily-populated countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, discussion around their return to the British Isles remains symptomatic of a nation undecided on its future relationship with nature.
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REWILDING GONE WRONG? Lessons from the Oostvaardersplassen
Some people call the Oostvaardersplassen a rewilding experiment gone wrong. But if that is the case, what lessons can we learn from this controversial Dutch nature reserve as we try to map the relatively uncharted waters of letting nature take the lead, in our endeavours to restore wildness to Europe’s landscapes?
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BERLIN'S BOAR WARS
Each spring the bustling city of Berlin becomes home to a group of enterprising animals who thrive in its parks, cemeteries and gardens. With the potential for conflict high, how do the people of Berlin react to their seasonal neighbours?
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MAKING BEAVERS MAINSTREAM
Our relationship with the beaver is a complicated one. Over four centuries ago, we valued their scent glands, meat and fur so highly, we eventually exterminated them from Britain. Today, they’re back, and we’re discovering once again how valuable they are. It turns out that beavers are worth far more alive than dead.
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