The Rewilding Europe Award recognizes outstanding rewilding-related photography from across Europe. This year’s award-winning image, captured by Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand, highlights the significance of restoring natural processes and the dynamics between predators and prey.
Staffan Widstrand
The Winning Entry 
Rewilding Europe is thrilled to announce that the winner of this year’s Rewilding Europe Award from the prestigious European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has been chosen. The breathtaking winning image, titled “Iberian lynx,” was taken by Swedish photographer Staffan Widstrand. It showcases the revival of one of Europe’s most noteworthy predators in its natural environment, underscoring the crucial role of restoring natural processes and predator-prey relationships within the rewilding movement.
The Rewilding Europe Award, established in 2022, celebrates powerful imagery that illustrates the recovery of Europe’s wild nature through rewilding. This award serves as a valuable means of connecting people with nature while promoting the accomplishments and diverse benefits of the growing rewilding movement across Europe.
The Perfect Rewilding Snapshot
The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is organized by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT). Staffan Widstrand’s award-winning photograph was selected from a multitude of entries by a jury that included Laurien Holtjer, Rewilding Europe’s Director of Engagement and Public Relations, along with renowned wildlife photographer Neil Aldridge. The jury also comprised members of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year panel, including National Geographic’s Senior Photo Editor Alexa Keefe, wildlife photographer and podcaster Matt Maran, marine photographer Rachael Talibart, GDT President Stephan Fürnrohr, and conservation photojournalist Marcus Westberg.
“Staffan’s photograph perfectly captures the magic of rewilding,” says Laurien Holtjer. “His image highlights not just the beauty of the lynx, but the restoration of nature’s health and functionality, as well as the wide-reaching benefits of reintroducing a species that has the power to shape its environment.”
Healing Waters
This year’s Rewilding Europe Award also emphasized the significance of healthy river systems and marine restoration. The second prize was awarded to Austrian photographer Bernhard Schubert for his image titled “Huchen habitat,” which vividly illustrates how rewilding initiatives can revitalize river ecosystems. Healthy, free-flowing rivers act as vibrant life corridors, demonstrating the essential role that natural processes play in shaping our landscapes.
Bernhard Schubert
The highly commended image “Seeds of Hope” by British photographer Lewis Jefferies illustrates efforts to regenerate seagrass meadows. His photograph highlights the role of seagrass beds as essential habitats for marine biodiversity, carbon capture and storage, and water quality enhancement. Although rewilding typically emphasizes natural regeneration, Lewis’s image demonstrates that sometimes initial interventions are necessary to spur the recovery of vital ecosystems, laying the groundwork for nature to thrive independently.
Lewis Jefferies
The highly commended image “Hope for the Future of Our Rivers,” captured by Dutch photographer Arthur de Bruin, depicts the release of juvenile European sturgeon into the River Rhine. Several sturgeon species once thrived in European rivers, contributing to the health of aquatic ecosystems. The reintroduction of sturgeon into European waterways symbolizes the broader revival of these rivers across the continent.
Arthur de Bruin
Boosting Natural Grazing
The restoration of natural processes is also illustrated in the highly commended photograph “King of the East,” captured by German photographer Florian Smit. His image, featuring a majestic European bison in Poland’s Białowieża National Park, celebrates the remarkable resurgence of this iconic keystone species in Europe, supported by ongoing rewilding initiatives in various countries, including some of Rewilding Europe’s landscapes. The reintroduction of these large grazers promotes essential ecological processes and fosters the development of nature-based economies.
Florian Smit
Connecting People with a Wilder Europe
The annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition showcases top nature photography from Europe and beyond. Now a key part of the competition, the Rewilding Europe Award promotes images that tell stories beyond mere aesthetics, embodying the vision of a Europe where humans and nature coexist harmoniously. It celebrates photographers who not only capture stunning wildlife images but also the underlying rewilding narratives associated with them. As individuals and organizations unite to create a wilder Europe, sharing these stories of recovery, resilience, and reconnection can inspire further efforts.
“The Rewilding Europe Award is more than just a photography contest,” explains Laurien Holtjer. “It’s a means to connect people with the rewilding movement and to encourage the expansion of practical rewilding approaches. These images showcase what is achievable when we take action to restore nature and allow nature to manage itself. They are a testament to the resilience of our wild areas and a call to action for a healthier and wilder future.”
Promoting Rewilding to a Wider Audience
The top entries in this year’s Rewilding Europe Award will be celebrated at the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 awards ceremony, taking place during the GDT International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen, Germany, from October 25 to 27. First and second prize winners will receive 1,000 euros and 500 euros, respectively, and their work will be featured in an exhibition that tours Germany and Europe over the next three years.
