Rewilding
Illinois becomes the first US state to make rewilding the law
In January, Illinois did something no American state had done before: it wrote rewilding into law. The idea, letting damaged land return to its natural self, has long been a grassroots dream, and now the state's conservation teams have a formal green light to pursue it, from restoring wetlands to welcoming back the native plants and animals that once belonged there.
The hoped for rewards read like a list of quiet gifts: fewer floods, more resilience against wildfire, richer habitat for pollinators, and a broader web of life across the prairie state. Championed by state lawmakers Anna Moeller and Rachael Ventura, it is the kind of change that works slowly and lasts. Other states, it is said, are already watching to see how it grows.
Our short take: reported by the Illinois Environmental Council. Read more →
← Back to all good news