2023 was a successful year for lynx reintroduction, with 17 animals released as a part of a long-term collaboration between West Pomeranian Nature Society (ZTP) and Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD), backed by Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund (EWCF).

Now, thanks to the approval of the LIFE programme the continued support for the collaborative efforts is secured for the next 5 years. As the project involves organisations from Germany, Poland, and Lithuania, it not only marks a significant chapter in the conservation of lynx populations in the region but also expands the international partner network.

Launched at the conclusion of a high-level gathering in Vienna, the European Rewilding Coalition brings together Europe’s leading practical rewilding organisations. By working together, the coalition membership will accelerate landscape-scale rewilding across the continent.

The first meeting of the Oder Delta Network partners took place on September 27, during the European Week of Sustainable Development. The meeting embodied the idea of cross-border cooperation between entities sharing the rewilding vision. The element that united all the partners was the development of nature-positive tourism.

“Over several days, we explored firsthand the significance of freshwater ecosystems for nature-based water management, sustainable forestry, waterway management, environmental accident mitigation, the practical challenges of rewilding, and so much more. It was a truly immersive experience that highlighted the beauty and fragility of rivers and reinforced the need to protect these ecosystems” commented Valerie Kendall, from MKO Ireland and one of the lecturers of the 4th edition of River University, which took place in the unique Oder Delta landscape, on the Polish-German border, on 31 July-4 August 2023.

In the coming days, July 31st- August 4th, 2023, various river stakeholders (academic staff, water-related institutions, municipalities and government representatives, locals, NGOs, business owners, individuals) from 11 European countries will visit the Oder Delta during the 4th edition of the international River University, organised by Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) in collaboration with Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD). Taking the Oder River as an example and focusing on water pollution and risk management, they will explore the impact of the river’s condition on the Baltic Sea, as well as climate change’s consequences on the watersheds.

In February 2023, EnviroSustain announced a long-term partnership with Rewilding Europe. This collaboration will see a portion of the EnviroSustain turnover supporting rewilding initiatives for the next ten years, as well as pro bono advice on rewilding-related buildings in the network- such as new offices and rewilding centres. In June, Dr. Birgit Memminger-Rieve, MD at EnviroSustain, and Ingemar Hunold, Partner at EnviroSustain, met with the Rewilding Oder Delta team to provide support and advice for the newly established centre.

Two juvenile Eurasian lynx – a one year-old female and a one-year old male – have been released into a natural forest area in Western Pomerania, north-western Poland, as part of a long-term reintroduction initiative. In February, a collaboration between the West Pomeranian Nature Society (ZTP) and Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD) saw three animals transported from a German animal park near Hamburg to Dzika Zagroda enclosure facility near Mirosławiec in Poland.