Rewilding Sweden

Rewilding Sweden, part of the Rewilding Europe initiative, is working to safeguard and restore the vast wilderness of Swedish Lapland (Sápmi). This region combines old-growth forests, mountains, glaciers, free-flowing rivers, and extensive wetlands with the cultural heritage of the indigenous Sami people, whose traditions and reindeer migrations have shaped the land for millennia. The project seeks to protect this unique landscape while reintroducing missing ecological components and strengthening natural processes. 

Swedish Lapland is one of Europe’s last great wilderness areas, spanning more than 3 million hectares across northern Sweden and Norway. It stretches from the Atlantic fjords through mountains, taiga forests, and marshlands, linking to the Baltic Sea through some of the continent’s most pristine river systems. With fewer than 1,000 permanent residents, the region is defined by exceptional natural beauty and rich wildlife, yet even here, threats to ecosystems and biodiversity highlight the need for proactive conservation and rewilding. 

With ERF support, Rewilding Sweden can scale up efforts to restore natural processes, protect critical habitats, and re-establish lost species. The funding ensures this landscape remains intact while creating opportunities for local communities to benefit from nature-based economies that align with its unique cultural and ecological heritage.