Data supporting Embedding Rewilding in Policy: Perspectives on Overcoming Barriers and Unlocking Opportunities

1. Rewilding initiatives are increasing in number across Europe and the UK in response to a growing awareness of substantial nature depletion, despite a lack of policy, guidance, and legislation.
2. Ongoing transformations of UK environmental policies offer a “policy window” in which rewilding could become established as a key strategy for nature recovery.
3. Here, we present the results of discussion sessions held as part of a British Ecological Society Policy Training workshop. A total of 46 participants, academics, practitioners and young people interested in rewilding attended. Our discussion focused on three pre-determined thematic discussion sessions: i) barriers to rewilding and trade-offs; ii) species reintroductions; iii) facilitating rewilding in policy. Using thematic analysis, four emerging cross-cutting themes were identified from our workshop discussions: (a) environmental stewardship & public engagement, (b) cross-policy approaches, (c) incentivising rewilding, and (d) an evidence-base for rewilding.
4. Policy Implications: Given the UK’s considerable biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystem processes and function on a large scale is increasingly urgent, and operationalising rewilding through supportive environmental policy structures should be a key priority for government.

1. 尽管欧洲与英国地区目前仍缺乏配套政策、指南与立法，但随着公众对大规模自然退化问题的认知持续深化，当地的野化回归（rewilding）相关行动正不断增多。
2. 英国环境政策的持续变革正带来一个「政策窗口」，野化回归有望在此期间确立为自然恢复的核心战略。
3. 本研究呈现了英国生态学会（British Ecological Society）政策培训工作坊中讨论环节的成果。本次工作坊共有46名参与者到场，其中包括关注野化回归的学者、从业者与青年群体。研讨围绕三项预设主题展开：i) 野化回归的阻碍因素与权衡取舍；ii) 物种再引入；iii) 推动野化回归纳入政策框架。通过主题分析法，本研究从工作坊的讨论内容中提炼出四项贯穿各议题的核心主题：(a) 环境管理与公众参与；(b) 跨政策路径；(c) 野化回归的激励机制；(d) 野化回归的证据基础。
4. 政策启示：鉴于英国生物多样性流失问题严峻，大规模恢复生态系统过程与功能的需求日益紧迫，通过配套环境政策框架落地野化回归应当成为政府的核心工作重点。