Frans Schepers stood beneath the golden cliffs of the Côa Valley, watching a griffon vulture ride the warm air currents above—just one sign of a wilder Europe returning. Thanks to the Dutch Postcode Lottery, that return will keep gaining ground. Starting in 2027, the lottery will send one million euros every year to Rewilding Europe for five more years, giving the organization flexible funding to act where nature needs it most. This isn’t just charity—it’s trust in action.
The Dutch Postcode Lottery has backed Rewilding Europe since 2014, and this renewal reflects deep confidence in the team’s long-term vision. Unlike many grants tied to specific projects, this funding is unrestricted, meaning Rewilding Europe can shift resources quickly—whether to protect wolves in Portugal, restore rivers in Romania, or help communities benefit from wildlife tourism. That flexibility has helped rewilding grow across 10 major landscapes, from the Danube Delta to the Velebit Mountains.
In Portugal’s Greater Côa Valley, that support is turning vision into reality. Free-roaming horses and Tauros—the modern descendants of the extinct aurochs—graze the hillsides, shaping diverse habitats and reducing wildfire fuel. Guardian dogs protect sheep from Iberian wolves, once nearly gone but now returning. Vultures, once on the brink, are rebounding thanks to restored food chains. And in 2025, over 83,000 people visited the region, spending money in local guesthouses, tour companies, and restaurants—all part of the Wild Côa Network, a growing community of nature-positive businesses.
"Realising nature recovery at scale is a long-term endeavour," says Schepers, "so having partners who share our ambition and trust us to use their support where it can have the greatest impact is hugely important." That trust is paying off. Across Europe, Rewilding Europe’s efforts are helping reverse biodiversity loss, store carbon in recovering forests and grasslands, reduce wildfire risk, and create jobs in places long shaped by rural decline.
The next five years could see even more change. With steady funding secured, Rewilding Europe plans to expand its model—proving that when nature is given space, both wildlife and people can thrive. From wolves to vultures, from farmers to tourists, a wilder Europe is no longer a dream. It’s already taking flight.