Re-wild thrives on different perspectives, dedication and motivations – qualities that are found in all of our teams. This International Women’s Day, we accelerate our action with female leaders in our landscape to learn more about their passion, beliefs and commitment to making Europe a wilderness.
An important role
People of all backgrounds and nationalities play a very important role in re-wild Europe, both at the central level and in our landscape team. Every day, everyone provides valuable expertise, insight and governance as we work to drive the Revival Movement, expand impact and realize our vision.
The campaign theme “Accelerating Action”, this year International Women's Day Tomorrow will be marked by millions of people around the world. So now is a great time to celebrate the efforts made by our female landscape leaders, currently with five leading our operations in Romania (Danube Delta and Southern CarpathiansScotland (ScotlandHighland), Croatia(Vilibite Mountains) and Bulgaria (Rodo Mountains). Everyone has a different career path and personal story, thanks to their passion for nature, dedication and the motivation to accelerate barbaric action in ways that benefit nature and people.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Calling out of the wild
Stephanie Kiel has been the head of the Affric Highlands team since November 2021 and became the executive director of Rewilding Affric Highlands in Scotland in January this year.
“My passion and love for ecology and all the natural wonders around us drove me throughout my life, but when I borrowed this book, I fell in love with the savages.Wild“George Monbiot's George Monbiot,” she explained. “Reading it, I feel like there's something in my mind. I've already appreciated everything he's writing, but I can't connect these dots.
“The main thing that motivates me to work is that what we are doing is important – for us and the planet we live in. I find that we inspire others very meaningfully through our work.”
James Shooter
Ady Trifonova has always been Re-wild animals Team leader for three years. She has always had a close connection with the local rewild landscape located in southern Bulgaria.
“I grew up here and always knew I wanted to live a life in harmony with the wildness,” she explained. “For me, barbarism is not only a profession, but a way of life. Witnessing the positive effects of our interventions in the landscape – seeing the grazing of nature and clearing out all the species that are described by nature and clearing out wildlife – will never energize me.”
Staffan Widstrand / Rewilding Europe
Make protection more successful
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day’s “Accelerating Action” campaign has resonated highly with the role women have already played in changing the trajectory of protection and barbarism. From contributing groundbreaking research to maintaining traditional local knowledge to driving efforts with reasons to achieve tangible results, Research It shows that better results can be achieved when conservation programs involve women in decision-making processes.
“I think women have incredible leadership and natural skills that can gain the trust of their people and build strong teams.” Re-Bronco Romania. “For me, leadership is about being confident in your team, the responsibilities you choose to take and accept that failures are your failures as a team leader, but the achievements belong to your team.”
Emmanuel Rondeau
Women often have unique insights into community dynamics, social challenges, and transparent, equitable and collaborative approaches, which are essential for effective protection.
“Identification and adoption of conservation programs often requires creativity and adaptability,” said Ioana-Cătălina Petrencu, who is responsible for the Danube Delta regeneration wildlife team in Romania. “I strongly believe that leadership diversity increases the likelihood of conservation outcomes to be overall and successful.”
Staffan Widstrand / Rewilding Europe
Overcome the challenge
Although each country and protection plan is different, protecting women often faces additional barriers and challenges compared to men. They often encounter obstacles such as gender bias, discrimination, harassment, compensation inequality, cultural restrictions, and sometimes violence.
“In dusk, in Bulgaria, the conservation and forestry sectors are often considered a world of one person,” said Ady Trifonova. “In some cases, especially when potential partnerships begin, female leaders are ignored. However, attitudes tend to change after they engage in discussions and decision-making, and these women gain support, respect and admiration.”
Anastas Tarpanov
“Many women, including me, are not strong and competitive than their peers,” said Stephanie Kiel. “That means we are not as aggressive in driving promotions and higher salaries. And if we do decide to have families, it can be very challenging to raise children and engage in conservation work, especially in leadership roles. That being said, I’ve worked with a handful of women in northern Scotland and I hope it will be easier for women to be mothers and leaders if they want to, rather than feel like they have to choose one or the other.”
Marija Krnjajić, Team Leader Shimono Vilibi In Croatia, she said the challenges she faced helped her grow into a person.
Emmanuel Rondeau
“My involvement in re-wildlife has made it easier for me to deal with strange and intimidating situations and strengthened my belief that hard work will always lead to success. These days, I understand the value of collaboration. I recommend all to protect women's natural authenticity and believe that thinking outside the box will help them find creative ways to solve problems. There are some things in life that are worth taking risks, and for me, one of them is reviewing.”
Advocates of change
While many of the recreation of European female landscape leaders list iconic women such as British primitive scientists Jane Gudor and American protectionists Kris Tompkins As a personal hero,
Ioana-Cătălina Petrencu draws inspiration from every woman who works in the field of conservation.
Alex Ifim
“They show that passion, perseverance and dedication to the environment can bring real changes even when faced with personal, political or social barriers. Their work shows that protecting leadership is not just about sitting down at a table. Sometimes that means changing the table itself.
“My advice to women who want to play a role in protection and rejuvenation is passionate, patient, lasting and confident. Women have the potential to contribute in unique and powerful ways, and there are endless opportunities to make meaningful impacts. Just engage and keep moving forward!”
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