Restoring the Nordic Taiga’s Wild Heart
Stretching over the cultural and historical heart of Sápmi – the Sámi homeland, Europe’s only Indigenous people – northern Sweden’s taiga is generally considered one of Europe’s last great wilderness areas.
In some regions, this vision holds true: vast coniferous woodlands, immense peatlands, and winding rivers create a patchwork of ecosystems shaped by water, wildlife, the cycles of nature, and the rhythm of the land. In others, though, the story is different. Large parts have been drained and transformed into production forests, clearcut before developing habitats for species that need old and dying trees, leaving isolated fragments of original woodland – vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and climate adaptation. Rivers have been dammed for hydropower and reshaped to facilitate timber transport, and wetlands have been altered, causing extensive habitat loss and fragmentation. Many of the taiga’s keystone species still exist, but their populations are depleted, struggling to fulfil their ecological roles.
Rewilding Sweden aims to restore these values – both for nature and local communities. By restoring natural processes, reconnecting landscapes, supporting key species, and promoting nature-based livelihoods, we help ecosystems recover on their own terms. Since many key species are still present, our main focus is on improving their ability to drive nature’s recovery, expand their habitats, strengthen their populations, and restore the functions they provide within ecosystems.
We acknowledge forestry as part of our landscape but believe it can be practiced in ways that are close to nature, supporting ecosystems while also remaining financially rewarding. Slowly, through growing efforts, we step toward a wilder, healthier Nordic Taiga – with nature dictating its fate and where both wildlife and people thrive.
