Wildlife Conservation Science

Most parks don’t fail because of poor design. They fail because ecology is ignored. A park is not just pathways, lawns, and benches — it is a living system that needs to be designed with water, soil, climate, biodiversity, and human behaviour in mind. Dead plantations? Often a result of poor species selection, wrong soil mixes, or ignoring wind & sunlight patterns. Dry landscapes or waterlogging? Caused by missing contour studies, faulty drainage planning, and zero water-balance analysis. No birds, no shade, no life? Because biodiversity wasn’t considered. Every tree species supports a specific set of insects & birds — and when you plant the wrong species, the entire chain collapses. This is why ecological planning is not optional — it’s the foundation of long-lasting public spaces. As a Landscape Architect & Ecological Planner, my work goes beyond aesthetics: ✔️ Water management & sustainable flow systems ✔️ Soil & geology studies for long-term plant survival ✔️ Climate-responsive design ✔️ Plantation strategy based on biodiversity ✔️ Creating parks, campuses & public spaces that thrive — not just in the first year, but for decades Parks fail when ecology is missing. Parks succeed when science, sustainability, and design work together. Let’s build public spaces that live, breathe, and grow — not fade away. link If you care about sustainability, landscape. #LandscapeArchitecture #EcologicalPlanning #UrbanDesign #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateResponsiveDesign #WaterManagement #BiodiversityMatters #GreenInfrastructure #PublicSpaces #UrbanPlanning #EnvironmentalDesign #ParksAndRecreation #LandscapeArchitect #SustainabilityInDesign #SoilHealth #CityDevelopment #FutureOfCities Landscape Architecture, Ecological Planning, Urban Greens, Sustainable Design, Biodiversity, Water Management, Public Space Development, Climate Responsive Design, Environmental Planning, Park Design Strategy

Foxholes: The Simple, Brilliant Reforestation Method You’ve Probably Never Heard Of 🌳 In Madagascar, Ecosia and The Phoenix Conservancy are restoring forests using a method called 'foxholes' and it doesn’t involve planting saplings. It immediately reminded me of half-moon Earth bunds. Simple, effective and surprisingly powerful. Instead of raising delicate nursery saplings and hoping they survive in harsh conditions, foxholes mimic how forests regenerate naturally. Seeds are scattered into shallow basins, where they compete naturally for light, water and nutrients, just as they would in the wild. The results? ⤷ 30x more trees ⤷ 2x the plant diversity ⤷ 30% lower cost than traditional tree planting This technique rebuilds ecosystems, supports local livelihoods and creates space for endangered species like the ring-tailed lemur to return. Foxholes build on restoration techniques developed in Central and South America, especially ‘applied nucleation’, which is the practice of planting small patches of forest to kickstart natural regeneration. And while the method isn’t new, Ecosia is helping it scale, connecting partners across continents, from Madagascar to Brazil. Effective restoration doesn’t need to be high-tech or high-cost. Sometimes, all it takes is a shallow hole and a deeper understanding of nature. One rooted in the same wisdom that has guided indigenous land stewards for generations: work with nature, not against it. #NatureRestoration #Rewilding #TreePlanting #Biodiversity #Conservation 🎞️ Ecosia

Have you heard the term “Lazarus” species? It’s when animals reappear after being considered extinct – and eastern barred bandicoots are among them. Three decades ago, the small marsupials were declared extinct in the wild on mainland Australia. But yesterday, 100 of them were released onto Australia's Phillip Island - and Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund helped make it possible! The bandicoots’ backstory is extraordinary. Back in the late 1980s, habitat loss and predators had driven them to the brink. But then, 60 surviving bandicoots were discovered in - of all places - a dump in the state of Victoria. They were taken to sanctuaries, but there was still a big problem: their descendants started to suffer fatal health issues from a lack of genetic diversity. So the Odonata Foundation, Cesar Australia, and the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team had an idea. They started breeding mainland bandicoots with genetically distinct Tasmanian populations - and it worked! The bandicoots grew fitter, healthier, more resilient and primed for survival. Not only are eastern barred bandicoots no longer extinct on mainland Australia, but there are more than 2,000 of them - and the project has lasting impact: 🌱 Each eastern barred bandicoot digs through up to three tons of soil every year, improving soil health, water retention, and seed dispersal 🌏 The project could help conservationists save endangered species all over the world The Right Now Climate Fund has invested AU$2.5 million to support a total of nine endangered Australian species protected by the Odonata Foundation, because we know nature is key to building resilience to climate change. It’s amazing to see the results, and I invite you to learn more about what science, collaboration, and commitment to nature can achieve: https://lnkd.in/gikDZi_A Michael Miller Janet Menzies Matthew Benham Justine Mahler Robert Kowalik Jasmine Hyman The Climate Pledge

It’s not just a pretty picture—there’s a full ecological restoration plan behind it. At Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury campus, what if we transformed open concrete drains into natural, #NaturePositve waterways. The first photo with the concrete drains is the actual photo. The other AI-generated visuals you see are backed by detailed modelling that factors in climate, soil, hydrology, and vegetation to simulate ecological succession and produce a full restoration blueprint. This isn’t just landscaping—it’s habitat creation with measurable outcomes. For every 100 metres of restored channel, we estimate: 1–2 turtle nesting zones 1–2 frog breeding habitats, supporting species like Limnodynastes and Litoria A 5–10% increase in aquatic and terrestrial macroinvertebrate diversity 10–15 native plant species introduced, boosting structure and pollinator resources Multiple microhabitats created for birds, skinks, dragonflies, and microbats At these levels, there is no increased risk of flooding. These numbers scale up significantly across kilometres of restored urban drains and farm waterways—and we’ve built this to be scalable across the country. #WSUNaturePositive2029 #1MillionTurtles #NaturePositive #WetlandRestoration #TurtleConservation #FrogHabitat #BiodiversityGains #EcologicalEngineering #WSU #AIforNature

What’s the first image that comes to mind with "rewilding"? For some, it’s a vast, empty wilderness, fenced off from people. However, this is one of the greatest myths in conservation. A fantastic new paper in Conservation Letters (Zoderer et al., 2025) provides powerful data to show the exact opposite. After systematically analyzing 89 European rewilding projects, the authors found that people are not separate from rewilding—they are central to its success.  The paper highlights that rewilding is adaptive and practical with six distinct strategies, shaped by social and ecological drivers:  1. 🦌 Megaherbivore rewilding 2. 🌳 Multi-intervention rewilding 3. 💧 Ecosystem restoration 4. 🧬 Species breeding & reintroduction 5. 🤝 Fostering human-wildlife coexistence 6. 🌲 Wild nature protection And what defines these strategies? Just as much as ecology, it's their socioeconomic goals and the active roles they create for people. Across the projects, the most common roles are recreationists (76%), learners (58%), and entrepreneurs (51%).  In smaller projects (like "Megaherbivore rewilding"), people are central as recreationists enjoying wildlife tourism. In vast landscape-scale projects (like "Wild nature protection"), people are still central, but as entrepreneurs and stewards driving new nature-based economies. It's not "hands-off"; it's a different kind of human involvement.  The data also suggests that rewilding is an additive approach, building on the foundations of traditional conservation but explicitly adding new dimensions like process-led restoration and integrated human economies.  One of the major interpretations in my mind is that rewilding isn't about removing people; it's about re-integrating us. It’s about creating resilient ecosystems that also generate social and economic well-being. This research shows rewilding for what it truly is: a practical, adaptive, and human-centric approach to restoring our world. 🔗 See the comments for the link to the paper #Rewilding #Conservation #Ecology #Biodiversity #NatureBasedEconomies #NatureBasedSolutions

Tiny frog becomes a symbol of big conservation success in Argentina On Argentina’s remote Somuncurá Plateau, a fragile stream winds through rocky grasslands, heated by geothermal springs. In its shallow waters lives the El Rincon stream frog—an amphibian so rare it exists nowhere else on Earth. Just a few years ago, its future looked bleak. Today, its fortunes are changing, reports Mark Hillsdon. Thanks to a coalition of scientists, ranchers, and conservationists, the frog’s population has increased by 15% since 2018. That recovery, though modest in numbers, marks a significant win for amphibian conservation—an area of global biodiversity often neglected and underfunded. Federico Kacoliris, who leads the Somuncurá Foundation, has spearheaded the effort and was recently awarded a prestigious Whitley Award. The threats were many: invasive rainbow trout introduced a century ago preyed on tadpoles; cattle trampled stream banks and fouled waters; and habitat degradation intensified under pressure from changing land use. The conservation strategy was straightforward but ambitious. The team removed trout section by section using natural and artificial barriers. Thousands of tadpoles bred in captivity were reintroduced into the restored streams. Agreements with local ranchers led to fenced-off breeding sites and water access for livestock. Guardian dogs made sheep ranching viable again, reducing conflict with native predators. These efforts benefited more than just frogs. The naked characin, Patagonia’s only endemic fish species, shares the Valcheta stream and has also begun to recover. With 20,000 hectares now secured as a reserve, and local school children monitoring reintroduced frogs, the program has grown into what supporters say is a model for place-based conservation. Frogs may lack the charisma of jaguars or condors—though I happily make an exception—but in the Somuncurá, they’ve become symbols of community pride. Conservation there is not just about preserving a species, but rekindling a relationship between people and place. 📰 Mongabay News https://lnkd.in/gm-Nu4qZ

What can landscape history tell us about biodiversity? Our new article in Ecology and Evolution led by Nivedita Varma Harisena and with Maarten van Strien demonstrates the importance of historical ecological networks to estimate current beta and gamma diversity. The history of a landscape can help identify spatial patterns in species metacommunity extents that associate better with beta and gamma diversity, which cannot be identified via spatial networks alone. We found this for odonate species in the wetlands of the Swiss plateau based on data of the past 110 years on wetland change (1899-2010). Thus, the history of a landscape contributes significant information, either in terms of habitat ecological similarities or time lagged species dispersal impacts, on the current patterns and processes of species diversity. Such historical habitat networks can be a useful knowledge base for estimating metacommunity spatial extents at a regional scale. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the method of identifying regional units of similarly interacting habitat patch groups can create a common ground within which collaborations between multiple stakeholders can be fostered to holistically manage landscapes for biodiversity conservation. https://lnkd.in/dGwj7hcC  

A remarkable environmental recovery in the Czech Republic’s Brdy Protected Landscape Area has demonstrated that natural engineering can occasionally outperform human planning. For years, government officials had intended to construct a dam to restore local wetlands and improve water quality, but the project remained stalled due to bureaucratic hurdles and funding delays. In a sudden turn of events, a family of Eurasian beavers relocated to the area and constructed their own dam, achieving the exact environmental objectives the state had envisioned, and doing so in nearly the identical geographic location. The impact of this beaver-built infrastructure has been profound, successfully retaining water and filtering out pollutants that had plagued the region for years. These natural dams have effectively reversed the ecological degradation caused by artificial drainage systems dating back to the former Brdy Military District. By slowing the flow of water, the beavers have restored critical biodiversity to the wetlands, proving that non-human intervention can sometimes provide the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to complex environmental challenges. As of April 3, 2026, the success of the Brdy beavers serves as a high-profile case study for "rewilding" as a viable alternative to traditional civil engineering. National Geographic reports that the area has seen a significant resurgence in native flora and fauna since the beavers established their habitat. This story highlights a growing shift in conservation philosophy, where allowing keystone species to perform their natural behaviors is increasingly recognized as a superior method for restoring damaged ecosystems and ensuring long-term environmental stability. #Rewilding #NatureBasedSolutions #CzechRepublic

Today, March 20th, marks the fifth World Rewilding Day, a celebration of the growing conservation movement and a pivotal aspect of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Rewilding, at its core, focuses on revitalizing degraded ecosystems to become resilient and self-sustaining. This approach utilizes natural processes, aiming for decreased conservation management while not neglecting human involvement. The goal is to harmonize human presence with nature, acknowledging our interconnectedness within the landscape. At The Royal Commission for AlUla, significant initiatives are underway across our six nature reserves established in 2019. These lands, previously ravaged by overgrazing, misuse, and hunting, necessitate comprehensive restoration efforts. Our ambitious objective includes the reintroduction of the Arabian leopard into the wild in AlUla, a groundbreaking endeavor. This endeavor requires the restoration, protection, and rewilding of approximately 19,000 km2 from the ground up. This intricate, all-encompassing process involves strategic projects alongside localized endeavors. Activities range from managing protected areas, establishing and training a local ranger force, engaging and educating the community, to passive and active revegetation through diverse methods like fencing, sustainable grazing plans, and cultivating millions of native plants. Additionally, the program includes wildlife reintroduction, monitoring, and the Arabian leopard breeding program, all supported by research and collaborations with international experts and organizations. Seven years into the 17-year project, remarkable progress has been achieved. Notable outcomes include a 43% increase in vegetation cover within Sharaan National Park, flourishing populations of reintroduced gazelle, and the upcoming establishment of an Arabian leopard breeding center in AlUla. These developments mark the beginning of the rewilding journey for our expanding big cat population. Rewilding has garnered significant attention due to the narratives of hope and impactful actions it presents amidst contemporary crises. Across rewilding projects globally, the shared aspiration is to combat biodiversity loss, aiding nature's recovery, working towards a future where people and wildlife can thrive together. #RewildingTogether #HopeIntoAction #GenerationRestoration #WorldRewildingDay Ben Goldsmith