Thriving life. Stronger bonds.

Thriving life. Stronger bonds.

WHY NORTHERN SWEDEN

A landscape of challenges and opportunities

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WHY NORTHERN SWEDEN

A landscape of challenges and opportunities

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REWILDING ABRAMSÅN

Healing the silent wounds of a northern Swedish river

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REWILDING ABRAMSÅN

Healing the silent wounds of a northern Swedish river

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REWILDING HEARTS & MINDS

Weaving wild nature back into the fabric of our lives

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REWILDING HEARTS & MINDS

Weaving wild nature back into the fabric of our lives

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PATH OF THE REINDEER

From summit to sea – reviving reindeer routes and grazing lands

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PATH OF THE REINDEER

From summit to sea – reviving reindeer routes and grazing lands

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NORDIC TAIGA MUSSEL MISSION

Reviving freshwater pearl mussels in the boreal waters

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NORDIC TAIGA MUSSEL MISSION

Reviving freshwater pearl mussels in the boreal waters

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Restoring the Nordic Taiga’s Wild Heart

Rewilding Sweden is a non-profit organisation restoring and rewilding nature in Sweden. Our work is demonstrated in a northern landscape we call the Nordic Taiga. We believe wild nature and people can flourish together – for biodiversity, climate, culture, and local livelihoods.

Northern Sweden’s taiga stretches across Sápmi – the cultural and historical heartland of Europe’s only Indigenous people, the Sámi. Here lies one of the continent’s last great wilderness areas: towering forests, winding rivers and vast peatlands shaped by water, wildlife, and nature’s own cycles. But there is also another side to the story. Forests have been drained and clear-cut before developing habitats for species reliant on old trees and deadwood. Rivers have been dammed and straightened, wetlands drained, and habitats fragmented. Keystone species have declined, no longer able to sustain their ecological roles.

Rewilding Sweden works to restore these natural values – for the benefit of both nature and people. By revitalising natural processes, reconnecting landscapes, supporting keystone species, and promoting nature-based livelihoods, we help ecosystems recover in ways that let nature take the lead. Since many of these species are still present but in low numbers, our main focus is to strengthen their ability to drive recovery – enabling them to expand habitats, rebuild populations, and restore vital ecosystem functions. As part of this, we also work to shift forestry practices toward greater respect for the forest’s life and diversity.

Through growing initiatives, we aim to make the taiga wilder and more resilient – a place where nature leads the way for wild species, people, and local economies to thrive together.

Northern Sweden’s taiga stretches across Sápmi – the cultural and historical heartland of Europe’s only Indigenous people, the Sámi. Here lies one of the continent’s last great wilderness areas: towering forests, winding rivers and vast peatlands shaped by water, wildlife, and nature’s own cycles. But there is also another side to the story. Forests have been drained and clear-cut before developing habitats for species reliant on old trees and deadwood. Rivers have been dammed and straightened, wetlands drained, and habitats fragmented. Keystone species have declined, no longer able to sustain their ecological roles.

Rewilding Sweden works to restore these natural values – for the benefit of both nature and people. By revitalising natural processes, reconnecting landscapes, supporting keystone species, and promoting nature-based livelihoods, we help ecosystems recover in ways that let nature take the lead. Since many of these species are still present but in low numbers, our main focus is to strengthen their ability to drive recovery – enabling them to expand habitats, rebuild populations, and restore vital ecosystem functions. As part of this, we also work to shift forestry practices toward greater respect for the forest’s life and diversity.

Through growing initiatives, we aim to make the taiga wilder and more resilient – a place where nature leads the way for wild species, people, and local economies to thrive together.

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WILDER WATERSCAPES

The integrated rewilding of landscape hydrology,
rivers and forests

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What are we doing?

Wilder Rivers & Wetlands
Wilder Forests
Reindeer & Natural Grazing

Our commitment and vision

Rewilding Sweden is the Swedish partner of Rewilding Europe. Together with other european initiatives, we work to restore wild landscapes across the continent.

In the Nordic Taiga, our commitment is to show how revitalised natural processes can shape the land, support biodiversity, provide clean water and air, store carbon, promote well-being, and enable sustainable livelihoods. We focus on restoring forests, wetlands, and rivers – along with the life they support and the land in between – while strengthening nature-based economies and collaborating with local communities. Through our partnership with Rewilding Europe, we also aim to inspire and support the scaling up of rewilding beyond our demonstration areas.

Our vision is to make Sweden a wilder place, where nature, people, and local economies thrive together. We see wild nature as a legacy to protect and pass on in the best possible condition – so that future generations can experience and connect with it like those before them.

Mission statement

By revitalising natural processes, reconnecting landscapes, supporting keystone species, and promoting nature-based livelihoods, we help ecosystems recover in ways that let nature take the lead. Since many of these species are still present but in low numbers, our main focus is to strengthen their ability to drive recovery – enabling them to expand habitats, rebuild populations, and restore vital ecosystem functions. As part of this, we also work to shift forestry practices toward greater respect for the forest’s life and diversity.

The land of indigenous Sámi people

For the Sámi people of the Nordic Taiga, living in harmony with nature and the shifting seasons is essential. Their culture is deeply connected to reindeer, whose grazing supports resilient ecosystems vital for both climate and biodiversity. But climate change and resource exploitation – mainly from forestry, mining, and green energy development – have disrupted migration routes and degraded grazing lands, forcing herders to depend on supplementary feeding and road transport.

Rewilding Sweden works to restore degraded forests, rivers, and wetlands, revitalizing natural processes and blue-green connectivity that improve the health of waterways and surrounding landscapes. This strengthens reindeer grazing, supports Sámi culture, and aids the broader recovery of wild nature.

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Restoring functions and natural processes

Rewilding does not have a single-species focus. It’s about helping nature do its job again. Many key processes in ecosystems used to happen on their own, often thanks to animals just living their lives. A good example is when freshwater pearl mussels filter water, improving conditions for fish eggs and for sensitive insect larvae – the ones that break down leaves and graze algae – helping kickstart the river’s food web. A natural process is a chain of events triggered by the actions – the functions – of organisms. When ecosystems begin to work on their own, they become wilder: more complex, with a wider range of functions. Such systems are more resistant to stress, like drought, fire, and climate change – ultimately benefiting us humans.

The purpose of rewilding is to give space and control back to nature. It may start by helping nature heal, but ultimately, it’s about stepping aside and letting it lead.

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How to rewild?

Habitat rewilding
(Active supportive approach)
Keystone species reintroduction
(Active trophic approach)
Passive rewilding
(Inactive approach)

Follow us on Youtube

At times, we capture our rewilding efforts on film – sometimes using drones ourselves, other times through collaborations with filmmakers. We share this footage on out Youtube channel – take a look and let us know what you think!

 

Youtube Channel

 

Become a supporter

Everyone is welcome to join the rewilding movement. If you would like to financially support our work to recover wild nature in Sweden we would be grateful – this can be arranged through monthly donations, or in a way that suits you.

 

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