March 20th is World Rewilding Day. Launched in 2021 by the Global Rewilding Alliance, it's a day when rewilding initiatives and supporters from six continents come together to celebrate what might be the most hopeful movement of our time.

This year's theme is #ChooseOurFuture. Not as an abstract slogan, but as a reminder that the future isn't something that happens to us. It's something we build. One restored river, one regenerated field, one protected forest at a time.

So what is rewilding, exactly?

Rewilding is the practice of letting nature restore itself. Not by managing every outcome, but by creating the right conditions and then stepping back.

It means removing dams so rivers can flow freely. It means letting forests regenerate on land that was once industrial farmland. It means reintroducing species that disappeared because of human activity, and then giving them space to do what they've always done.

The results are remarkable. Across Europe, species that were locally extinct are returning. Beavers are reshaping waterways in the UK. Bison are roaming the Southern Carpathians in Romania. And here in the Netherlands, otters have returned to Dutch waterways after decades of absence.

Rewilding works because ecosystems are resilient. When you give nature room, it doesn't just survive. It rebounds.

Why it matters right now

We're facing two enormous crises at once; biodiversity collapse and climate change. They're not separate problems. They're symptoms of the same thing: ecosystems that have been degraded beyond their ability to function.

Rewilding addresses both simultaneously. Healthy ecosystems absorb carbon, regulate water cycles, support pollinators, prevent flooding, and create the conditions for life to thrive. Not as a side effect, but as their primary function.

Rewilding isn't a nice-to-have. It's infrastructure.

What Terry funds

At Terry, we believe climate action should be grounded in living systems, not abstract metrics. That's why we fund partners who restore, regenerate, and protect nature every single day.

De Bosboerderij regenerates farmland into living forests through syntrophic farming. Stichting Levend Land restores Dutch farmland through regenerative agriculture and biodiversity restoration. Voedselbos de Geeren is a food forest in the heart of the Netherlands where biodiversity and community grow hand in hand. De Braamsluiper, founded by Olympic and European medal-winning rowers, traded gold medals for green gold, regenerating land and restoring ecosystems. Het Groninger Landschap has safeguarded nature, landscapes, and heritage in Groningen since 1936.

Rechten van de Natuur fights for the legal rights of all living beings. We Are The Regeneration unites regenerative pioneers, farmers, and changemakers to accelerate the transition toward an ecological economy. Land van Ons restores Dutch farmland through community ownership and regenerative farming.

Life Terra plants trees at scale across Europe, millions and counting. And the Kelp Forest Alliance restores the ocean's blue forests worldwide.

Every time someone shops through Terry, they fund these projects directly. No carbon credits. No offsets. Real ecosystems, real impact.

Rewilding beyond Terry

We also want to celebrate organisations doing extraordinary rewilding work that we deeply admire.

ARK Rewilding Nederland are pioneers of the movement in the Netherlands. Their project Dwaalfilm (dwaalfilm.eu) is an interactive map featuring over 300 short nature films across Dutch rewilding landscapes. If you have five minutes today, explore it.

Rewilding Europe leads the continental movement, and today they launch a new documentary about rewilding in the Danube Delta in Ukraine.

The Global Rewilding Alliance brings together over 280 partners worldwide. And the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration continues to build the global framework for nature recovery at scale.

What you can do

You don't need to start a foundation to be part of this. Let a corner of your garden grow wild. Support organisations that restore nature. Shop through platforms that fund real impact. Pay attention to where your money goes and what it supports.

Rewilding starts with a choice. Today is a good day to make one.

Happy World Rewilding Day.

Links:

• World Rewilding Day: globalrewilding.earth/world-rewilding-day-2026

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: decadeonrestoration.org/world-rewilding-day-2026-choose-our-future

• Dwaalfilm: dwaalfilm.eu/nl

• Rewilding Europe: rewildingeurope.com/world-rewilding-day

• ARK Rewilding Nederland: arkrewilding.nl