REWILDING CANADA’S WILDFIRE PLAINS

NATIONAL Geographic has named its seven rewilding wonders of the world to highlight the benefits of revitalising habitats and ecosystems to their natural best.

The chronicle of all culture and nature illustrated the ecological and economic impact of rewilding vast depleted landscapes around the world.

It showcased biodiversity explosions in England, Spain and Nicaragua, and economic booms in Italy and Germany – after mountain ranges, vast plains, natural wetlands and humid valleys were rewilded with native species.

National Geographic Traveller’s seven success stories revealed how restoring the ecology of environments vitiated by intensive logging, mining or farming helps to re-establish their natural biodiversity, mitigate climate change and improve socio-economic prospects for communities.

In Costa Rica, it reported from slopes beside the country’s Tenorio Volcano National Park. Not long ago the area was barren, overgrazed pastoral land, but today the Tapir Valley is now a nature reserve bearing the emblematic name of one reintroduced species.

The reserve’s vine-draped forest canopy, wetlands and lagoons are home to 440 bird species and 50 frog species among other wildlife reintroduced there. All, though, are upstaged by the welcome return of Central America’s largest mammal, the Tapir.

In England’s Gwash Valley, almost 11 square kilometres of land was flooded in 1975 to create Rutland Water. Reviewing the East Midlands conservation area, National Geographic found an entire economy generated by the area’s new ecosystem.

Birdwatchers visit the area for ospreys, wildfowl and migrating species. Walkers, joggers and cyclists take to the lake’s 23-mile perimeter path. Anglers and water sports enthusiasts watch them pass by. The area is now a popular wedding destination and boutique hotels in Rutland’s waterside hamlets are fully booked months in advance.

In Spain’s Iberian Highlands, rewilding safaris to replenish depleted and depopulated farm land are the tip of an eco-tourism iceberg. Part of a broader rewilding project, which commenced in 2022, populations of Iberian Lynx and Ibex, wild horses and bulls have returned. The range’s ridges, plateaus and canyons are terrain now for hikers and bikers too. 

Rutland Water was created when 11 square kilometeres of rural land was flooded with water from two nearby rivers, the Nene and the Welland. Now an internationally important wetland site, the area in the UK's East midlands has become a popular destination for birdwatchers, water sports enthusiasts and couples looking to 'tie the knot' in picturesque surrounds.

In Scotland’s Highlands, National Geographic found social enterprise-turned-charity, Scotland: The Big Picture, driving wholesale nature recovery across the nation. In Nicaragua, it highlighted the country's years of devestating deforestation for logging and farming. Its Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve was established in 1991 and today the area's bountiful ecosystem grows ever more diverse every year.

Germany’s Lusatian Lakeland was lauded for using artificial wetland waters to regenerate heathland, grassland and forest for plants and animals. But its beach-fringed lakes are visited by as many kayakers and canoeists as rare species. The area's Lower Lusatia Mining Route incorporates a 320-mile cycle path that has nationwide appeal, as do its museums and visitor attractions.

And, nearby in Italy, National Geographic highlighted the Mediterranean country's forest-cloaked Central Apennines and how they are now a flourishing ecotourism hotspot with chamois, golden eagles, Griffon vultures, wild boar and Marsican brown bears  - where previously only herds of livestock roamed.

Each one of these resplendent examples of rewilding makes an excellent muse for Canada, which has seen swathes of precious boreal forest consumed by wildfires in recent years.

More than 20 million hectares of pristine Canadian woodland have been reduced to charred remains since 2020. Recurrent deadwood relics now stand leagues deep, letting off methane and other greenhouse gases, while tree roots parch in infertile scorched soils.

Forest blazes impacted roughly eight million hectares of critical wildlife when tree cover burned in 2023 alone. The record-breaking season's wildfires devastated habitats for bears, wolverines, migratory birds and fish. They also caused significant forestry job losses as tree stock loss, evacuation orders and degraded raw lumber supplies severely disrupted the industry.

Those charred forest lands now have no use or ecosystem to support their revival, and are no different in essence to the seven catastrophes behind National Geographic’s rewilding stories.

In the heart of Spain, the country's Iberian peninsula is home again to one of the country's most emblematic creatures - the Iberian Lynx. Extensive rewilding of the mountainous area's spent farmland has recovered the feline's natural habitat and led to a large revival in numbers of the wild cat. Eco-tourists as well as exteme sports enthusiasts have also taken to the region.

As part of its business model, Power Wood Canada Corp engages in clearing Canada’s burnt acreage before reforesting it with native tree species.

It uses a magnitude of wildfire-damaged deadwood to make energy-dense advanced black pellets, burned instead of coal.

And having harvested entire plains of charred lumber it sows seeds and plants seedlings of thousands of aspen, pine, spruce and larch trees to help rewild Canada’s northern climes.

It expects the process will support the reintroduction of bears, wolves, foxes, martens, moose, caribou, bison as well as jays, woodpeckers and owls to vast expanses of Canadian wilderness lost to fire.

Through Power Wood Canada Corp’s New Ground Foundation the company ensures that land is returned to its best natural state, quickly. Otherwise, decades pass as myriad hard wood columns decay into the earth before nature can return.

Power Wood Canada Corp’s Chairman David Peters explained: “Huge natural habitats in the northern regions of Canada have been desolated by successive wildfire seasons. More than 400,000 square kilometres of Canadian forest and land have been destroyed by wildfires in just the last five or six years.

“That is a staggering area from which to lose critical wildlife and ecosystems. In addition, the country has seen that the same devastation has been costly for forestry and tourism industries too.

“It’s vital that as much area as possible affected by wildfire is recovered, and Power Wood supports that process by first clearing standing and fallen deadwood for pellet production.

“Then, through our New Ground Foundation, we replenish those lands with seeds, seedlings and saplings so the environment can recover for wildlife to return.

“This is an essential part of our business model which focuses, from several angles, on slowing manmade climate change. 

"Preventing the mass release of methane, creating a low carbon footprint utility-scale fuel to replace coal and restoring Canada’s boreal carbon sink, are all key aspects of that model.

“Power Wood set up the New Ground Foundation to support the regeneration of forest ecosystems and the industries and economies which depend on them.”

The slopes of Costa Rica's Tenorio Volcano were once barren and exposed from overgrazing. Now with a full forsest canopy, after significant rewilding, they have been newly named the Tapir Valley after Central America’s largest mammal, the Tapir, came home to the region after its reforestation by conservationists. The valley is also now home to 440 bird species and 50 frog species.