Rewilding has basically two trains of thought. One of harmony and moving with the flow of life and one of control and “repair”.
From an overly general global aboriginal point of view, rewilding should be seen as a way to manage the land in such a way where the existing resources are managed so that the land continues to produce when it should and the land will help to dictate what to do and when to act.
The colonial methods are still somewhat engrained within European based countries, but their neo liberals like to try absolving themselves of their forefathers’ transgressions by trying to partially wipe away this multi century mess the original colonists wrought through brute force. But again, they try controlling matters with their narrowly informed means.
Is it possible or even wise to return the land back to it’s pristine past or has already been forever changed? Ideally, it sounds great to return everything back before it became fubar, but is the land really capable of returning back to it’s former glory after centuries of abuse and continuing global climate change (both human and natural causes). Should a healthy landscape now look completely different?
From a personal standpoint, rewilding is more of a state of mind. Stop being such an adult all of the time and go live with fun and wonder as a child within reason of course. Should we all begin to really observe the world around us, be in the world rather than simply traveling through it, great solutions to our problems may be found right in front of our noses.
Look, feel, hear, and smell the natural world around you. Mother Nature has many of the answers if we can just quiet our minds and listen. Is selective eradication of entire non-native species really necessary or is it something we should adapt to? Is it evil to kill herds of deer and horses just because they are a nuisance brought in by ignorant people of the past? Maybe so, but how and where are these communal decisions being made of the commons.
As an artist, I don’t feel like it is my place to preach because I am just as stupid as everyone else, but I, as everyone else, generally have a valid viewpoint. Multiple viewpoints creates discouse, and all of our viewpoints can help to build a complete picture. With a clearer picture, better solutions can be invented through collaboration. So I guess this last paragraph is sort of a project theme mission statement.