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Alan
Watson Featherstone
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Rewilding Scotland –
from restored forests to the return of predators such as the lynx –
was in the spotlight at a topical lecture by leading conservationist
Alan Watson Featherstone, founder and Executive Director of
award-winning charity Trees for Life, at Edinburgh Zoo today (24
March).
The event highlighted
the benefits of rewilding – the restoration of damaged natural
ecosystems – for Scotland. This includes putting Scotland on the
map as a wildlife tourism global hotspot and as a world leader in the
international drive to tackle global forest loss.
The lecture was the
final one in a special eight-week series that has been running at
Edinburgh Zoo this year, focussing on Scottish
species diversity and conservation.
Mr. Watson Featherstone
said: “In the Highlands we have an opportunity to reverse
environmental degradation and create a world-class wilderness region
– offering a lifeline to wildlife including beavers, capercaillie,
wood ants and pine martens, and restoring natural forests and wild
spaces for our
