Rewilding North America

Rewilding North America presents a conservation strategy to restore and protect large wilderness areas across the continent. The book outlines specific approaches for reintroducing apex predators and creating connected wildlife corridors. Dave Foreman draws on paleontology, ecology, and conservation biology to make his case for continental-scale conservation. He examines past extinction events and human impacts on North American ecosystems from the Pleistocene to the present. The book details practical steps and policy recommendations for implementing rewilding projects across different regions. Maps and case studies illustrate potential corridors and core habitat areas that could link existing protected lands. This work represents a bold vision for transforming conservation efforts from isolated preserves to an interconnected network of wild spaces. The author's synthesis of science and advocacy establishes a framework for addressing biodiversity loss at a continental scale.

Readers appreciate Foreman's detailed vision for restoring North American ecosystems and his thorough research on megafauna extinction and rewilding corridors. Multiple reviews highlight the practical proposals for connecting habitats across the continent. Several readers note the book's technical density makes it better suited for conservation professionals than casual readers. Some found the writing style dry and academic. A few reviews mention the proposals seem unrealistic given current land use and political realities. Common criticism focuses on Foreman's limited discussion of indigenous peoples' role in conservation and what some view as an oversimplified view of pre-European ecosystems. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (52 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (21 reviews) Sample review: "Exhaustively researched and ambitious in scope, but the dense scientific language makes it a challenging read for non-experts. The continental-scale conservation strategies are fascinating but could use more consideration of socioeconomic factors." - Goodreads reviewer

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🌲 Dave Foreman co-founded Earth First!, one of the most radical environmental movements of the 1980s, before writing this book and shifting toward conservation science. 🦬 The book introduces the concept of "Pleistocene rewilding," which proposes reintroducing modern relatives of extinct megafauna, such as bringing African elephants to North America to fill the ecological role of mammoths. 🗺️ The author identifies five major extinction events in North America's history and proposes specific "megalinkages" - vast wildlife corridors spanning thousands of miles across the continent. 🐺 The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, which occurred before the book's publication, serves as a prime example of successful rewilding and demonstrates how a single species can transform an entire ecosystem. 🌿 The book combines conservation biology, paleontology, and ecological history to create a comprehensive 100-year vision for restoring North America's wild networks and natural processes.