Nature conservation and restoration in the Basque Country.
Why rewilding?
The Basque Country—Euskal Herria—is defined by a deep relationship between people and nature. For centuries, this rugged region between the mountains and the ocean sustained local communities through its natural resources. This co-existence shaped both local culture and ecosystems.
While most of Europe has lost its natural landscapes, the Basque Country still pulses with life. This biological richness is not accidental. It’s the result of a terrain too rugged for the champions of industrial agriculture, like large tractors and combine harvesters. It’s the result of an untamable climate that resists predictability and uniformity. It’s the result of a cultural mindset too proud to forget its roots and too closely tied to the land to sever its relationship with it. From the silver firs of the Iraty forest to the wetland estuary of Urdaibai, this region still holds something that much of Europe has lost: a real connection with wild nature.
In this sense, nature is more than a scenic backdrop—it is the region’s defining strength, a source of identity, health, and future promise. In a crowded and depleted continent, the Basque Country can stand out not only for its traditions and language—but for the health of its waters, the fertility of its soils and the abundance of wildlife. Today, wilder places still exist within the Basque Country, but many have disappeared or are being threatened, like elsewhere in Europe and the world. The future of what remains is not guaranteed. Rewilding offers a way to honour local traditions, protect what is vulnerable, and restore what has been lost.
Nature as opportunity
Across the world, people are looking for healthier food, responsible getaways and a more active lifestyle. The Basque Country is well-positioned to respond to these demands. It already attracts people for its food, landscapes, coastline, and culture—but there is much more potential to unlock.
The Basque Country has the potential to offer unparalleled quality of life to both inhabitants and visitors by restoring the land and water in close collaboration with the whole community. Rewilding embraces local traditions and provides practical opportunities that benefit communities and ecosystems.
Because Basque landscapes haven’t been completely depleted like most of the European countryside, it still offers a valuable alternative to industrial abuse and detrimental human impact, an alternative that is closer to Basque traditions. Farming and fishing does not have to deplete soil and water. Tourism does not need to be polluting. Industry doesn’t require a devastating footprint. There are plenty of alternative opportunities available where progress goes hand in hand with thriving ecosystems.
In a world where global systems are increasingly unstable, local autonomy becomes more important. The Basque Country should aim for more self-reliance in energy, food, and fresh water—not to isolate itself, but to reduce risk and increase resilience. Rewilding contributes to this by improving the health of soils, rivers, forests, and coastal ecosystems. It’s a practical, regional response to global challenges, and a chance to align economic development with ecological recovery.
Ecosystem support
The pressure on our ecosystems is driven by real economic needs. People need food, water, energy, housing and income—and many depend directly on the land or ocean to provide it. These needs are essential to human life and the right to pursue these needs are well protected. But the ecosystems that provide us those needs do not enjoy the same protection. There is no union for the Eurasian otter, no vote for the Pyrenean desman, yet we all rely on the same systems. When those systems collapse, everybody loses.
All native species in an ecosystem contribute to its health. Our economic needs might prioritize the fish we can eat or the grass our sheep graze, but those fishes and grasses are only a part of a bigger system. To protect those elements that matter to us, we also need to take the whole ecosystem into consideration, because it is all connected. The pesticides used on a farm end up in rivers and streams. Logging trees leads to soil erosion. Vultures clean carcasses which prevents diseases from spreading.Otters keep fish populations in check which prevent overgrazing of aquatic vegetation. Our impact often has unforeseen ripple effects that contribute to ecosystem deterioration. Rewilding Euskal Herria focuses on these ecological processes by restoring key species and critical habitats.
What we do
Rewilding Euskal Herria is a practical, community-driven initiative that works on projects that benefit the whole ecosystem. We also organize awareness campaigns to improve the relationship between human and nature.
We work on the ground to:
- Restore degraded landscapes
- Protect key species and habitats
- Support natural processes like pollination, erosion control, and water purification
- Connect local initiatives to funding, tools, and partners
We focus on areas where positive change is possible—places under pressure, but full of potential. Our work combines ecological science with traditional knowledge, and always involves local people: neighbours, families, small businesses, farmers, fishers, teachers and artisans.
Alongside fieldwork, we tell stories, offer education, and promote a vision of the Basque wilderness as something that offers great value to the whole community.
How we work
We can not rewild without people. That’s why our approach is collaborative, practical, and open. Here’s how we build momentum:
- Community and Membership
We invite anyone who cares for Basque nature to become a member. Membership helps us grow, stay independent, and speak with a stronger voice. - Local Partnerships
We work with, support and promote local businesses such as farms and fisheries, restaurants and tour operators and traditional artisans to develop nature-positive products and services. These partnerships support rural livelihoods while strengthening conservation. - Advising Municipalities
We offer advice and ideas—solicited or not—on how towns, villages and regions can improve their landscapes, protect biodiversity, and integrate nature into planning. - Education and Storytelling
We run workshops, field trips, and public events that reconnect people with local nature. We bring science into the open, and turn complex ideas and processes into stories that inspire action. - Nature Financing
We develop new ways to reward landowners and small businesses for protecting nature—through certification, ecological credits, and public-private investment.
Join us
Rewilding embraces a more balanced path forward, with space for communities and nature to thrive in peaceful co-existence. We believe a wild Basque Country is a free Basque Country. We honour and respect what nature has to offer and believe a healthy ecosystem equals healthy economic growth and healthy lives.
Join us. Support rewilding. Give nature its voice.
