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“Everyone has to get out of bed in the morning and do something that has absolutely nothing to do with themselves, to protect those things you love”
Kris Tompkins Conservationist
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The European Nature Trust
TENT strives for a healthier planet, building a deeper affinity with the nature that sustains us. We fund critical work to conserve the natural landscapes that remain, and help restore those that we’ve lost. We support a network of agile NGOs across Europe and Belize, helping them to grow and deepen their impact. We love nothing more than making ‘noise for nature’ and ‘connecting people to nature’; our media trips, documentary films, events, education programs and conscious travel opportunities directly benefit the foundations we support. Yet to ensure that wild areas have a future, vital work is needed. We face extreme challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, a ‘consumption crisis’ – the problems are manifold but the projects featured herein show what can be achieved when we unite under a shared objective. There has never been a more pressing time, to connect with, cherish and conserve the natural world on which we depend.
Paul Lister Founder & Trustee
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OUR THREE MANTRAS
CONNECT PEOPLE TO NATURE
PROTECT WILDLIFE, RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS We fund critical conservation work, supporting a network of pioneering, agile and impactful NGOs. Together, our partners form a collective of ambitious projects each restoring ecosystems for climate, biodiversity and people. We build long-term partnerships with proven conservation groups, enabling them to grow. We select projects with big visions – those rejuvenating natural processes at ‘landscape-scale’ to restore the ecosystems all life depends upon.
We spotlight the value of wildlife and wilderness, helping people to build lasting connections with the nature that sustains us. We encourage ‘slow, soft, green’ travel, which tangibly benefits conservation - a critical part of transitioning economies through nature-based enterprises. Through education programmes, we facilitate impactful outdoor experiences to nurture the next generation of environmental stewards.
CREATE ‘NOISE FOR NATURE’
To raise awareness of environmental issues and the vital projects making a difference, TENT makes what we call ‘noise for nature’. To do this, we fund and co-produce documentary films; premieres are a valuable platform for awareness and fundraising for our partner projects. We facilitate media trips for journalists and storytellers to spend time in wild areas with conservationists and communities, encouraging a positive and informed media ecosystem.
CONSERVATION
We support a network of conservation projects. From restoring lost forests in the Highlands of Scotland; establishing a new National Park in the Făgăraș Mountains of Romania; saving the Iberian lynx from extinction; to the ‘blueprint conservation model of Belize’, TENT lifts organisations driving the recovery of nature.
RIVERWOODS RZSS/SAVING WILDCATS SCOTLAND: THE BIG PICTURE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION ROY DENNIS WILDLIFE FOUNDATION 1 2 3 4 5
6 ALLADALE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE BEAVER TRUST FOUNDATION CONSERVATION CARPATHIA SALVIAMO L’ORSO IO NON HO PAURA DEL LUPO 9 7 8
11 CBD-HÁBITAT FUNDACIÓN OSO PARDO REWILDING PORTUGAL FRIENDS FOR CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, BELIZE TURNEFFE ATOLL SUSTAINABILITY ASSOCIATION BFREE 16 12 14 15 13
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BELIZE
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Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Sutherland
RIVERWOODS: CATCHMENT RESTORATION
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We are working to restore critical rivers in the Scottish Highlands, boosting biodiversity and carbon storage, while rejuvenating the ecosystems salmon are a part of. Riverwoods: Catchment Restoration aims to mitigate the impact of climate change and reverse the loss of biodiversity across Northern Scotland. We are working with a range of stakeholders and landowners to reinstate a mosaic of habitats that will sequester carbon, increase biodiversity, and benefit communities.
Over the centuries, Scotland has lost 97% of its native woodland. As a result, river catchments are less resilient to the impacts of climate change. Today, we are witnessing the very real possibility of a local extinction of wild Atlantic salmon, which has now become an endangered species in UK waters. If we’re to ensure Scotland still has salmon in the future, we have to look beyond the rivers’ edge, and ensure our river catchments are healthy.
WATCH RIVERWOODS: AN UNTOLD STORY
Salmon fishing is a pillar of Highland culture.
Restoring woodland and peatlands will improve the health of Scotland’s rivers.
Wild Atlantic salmon are a marvel of nature, connecting land and seas.
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SECURING A FUTURE FOR THE SCOTTISH WILDCAT
WWW.SAVINGWILDCATS.ORG.UK
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TENT is an active supporter of Saving Wildcats, an ambitious recovery project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), in collaboration with national and international partners. Through a captive breeding programme, the work aims to establish a network of free-living, genetically resilient wild populations of cats across Scotland. In 2023, the first wildcats from the programme were released into the Cairngorms Connect landscape, with ongoing releases planned into the future.
The UK’s last remaining felid, the Scottish Wildcat, is clinging by a claw to the brink of extinction. The species was once common across Britain, but through persecution, habitat loss, disease and hybridisation with domestic cats, their numbers have plummeted – Scottish wildcats have been declared ‘functionally extinct’ in the wild, meaning their population is too low and too dispersed for a viable future.
Monitoring the behaviour and movement of released cats is critical for the broader recovery programme.
Kincraig Breeding and Release Facility – where cats are reared for the wild.
A Scottish wildcat kitten, bred at Alladale Wilderness Reserve.
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Glen Feshie, Cairngorms
REWILDING FOR NATURE, CLIMATE AND PEOPLE
WWW.SCOTLANDBIGPICTURE.COM
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The restoration of natural ecosystems, driven by communities living alongside nature, can benefit biodiversity, climate and communities. SCOTLAND: The Big Picture is driving support for rewilding, helping to meaningfully engage more people with nature restoration. The future of Scotland’s ecological recovery rests with a change in mindsets; TENT is supporting SBP through direct funding, and in the creation of films which help raise awareness of the benefits of rewilding.
Despite its beauty and drama, Scotland has become a nature-depleted nation. Many species that were once prolific now teeter on the edge; others, such as wolves, lynx and elk, have been hunted to extinction. Centuries of ecological decline have led the complex living systems, upon which we all depend, to falter.
Red squirrels being translocated to more regions of their historic range.
The restoration of native woodlands is a critical pillar of rewilding in Scotland.
The reintroduction of missing native species can kickstart natural processes.
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Loch Hourn, West Scotland
COMMUNITY-LED NATURE RESTORATION IN SCOTLAND
WWW.HIEF.SCOT
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HIEF funds projects that fall into four key areas: montane, fresh water, marine & coastal, and forest & woodland. From supporting the reintroduction of cranes to the Cairngorms, regenerating Scotland’s temperate rainforests, to restoring critical native oyster beds, HIEF is enabling communities to drive projects and benefit from nature restoration. We believe that nature restoration benefits all, and we champion community-led conservation.
The European Nature Trust supports the work of the Highlands & Islands Environment Foundation – a grant-making organisation supporting projects aiming to protect and restore ecosystems. Across Scotland, there are passionate communities working to reverse environmental damage, and supercharge restoration. TENT supports HIEF’s mission to reinvigorate vibrant natural environments where people and nature thrive together.
Lichens are an indicator species of a healthy forest ecosystem.
Native oyster beds clean water while providing nursery ground for juvenile fish.
Seagrass beds sequester more carbon more rapidly than tropical rainforests.
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Golden Eagle, Alladale Wilderness Reserve
REVIVING SCOTLAND’S NATIVE SPECIES
WWW.ROYDENNIS.ORG
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Through our partnership with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, TENT supports a variety of programmes aimed to recover the range and health of key native species. A golden eagle monitoring programme has been established, which will provide critical data to determine whether Scotland’s golden eagles are making ecological adaptations to keep pace with climate change. Red squirrels have already been successfully translocated to Alladale Wilderness Reserve. TENT is now implementing outreach and communication campaigns to advocate for a revival of Scotland’s natural abundance.
The European Nature Trust is committed to protecting and restoring vulnerable native species in the UK. As an apex predator, the golden eagle has a key role in mountainous and moorland regions, predating on smaller mammals and birds. But golden eagles have a checkered history; once widespread, they have faced illegal persecution, habitat loss and a diminished prey base.
Legendary conservationist Roy Dennis at Alladale.
Red squirrels aid native woodland regeneration, dispersing seeds and mycorrhizal fungi.
Golden eagles help to regulate trophic cascades, balancing the food web.
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REINTRODUCING THE BEAVER TO BRITAIN
WWW.BEAVERTRUST.ORG
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TENT supports Beaver Trust, an organisation working on the nationwide management strategy of the species. Reintroduction across Scotland, England and Wales is a crucial part of the movement to restore watercourses, improve climate resilience, and invigorate biodiversity. Beaver Trust is also working holistically on river catchment restoration in the UK. In partnership, TENT and Beaver Trust have created films, awareness campaigns and media exposure that communicate ‘beaver benefits’ to a wider audience.
Beavers are ecosystem engineers. By building dams, they create diverse wetland habitats that supercharge biodiversity. They are ‘climate allies’, increasing the amount of carbon stored in our water systems. But over the centuries, through loss of habitat, the drainage of waterways and killings for the fur and cosmetics trade, beavers were extirpated from Britain.
WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY ‘BEAVERS WITHOUT BORDERS’
Beavers create biodiverse wetland environments, allowing birds, mammals, insects and plants to flourish.
Beavers build dams that redistribute water, mitigating climate change impacts.
Beavers, when reintroduced to suitable watercourses, quickly improve biodiversity and regulate water flows.
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Făgăraș Mountains, Carpathians
CREATING A NEW NATIONAL PARK IN ROMANIA
WWW.CARPATHIA.ORG
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TENT has been supporting FCC’s work since the organisation’s inception. The plan is to protect up to 250,000 hectares of wild lands large enough to allow natural processes to govern the landscape, enabling wildlife to prosper within a rich and diverse mosaic of habitats, sequestering vast amounts of carbon. Critical swathes of forest have been restored; beavers and European bison returned to the landscape; more than 4 million native saplings replanted; with employment and enterprise generated for the local community. The new National Park will become a model for protected areas management in Europe.
Romania has the most extensive old growth forests in Europe, providing a sanctuary for keystone species from bison and bears to wolves and lynx. Foundation Conservation Carpathia is a Romanian charitable foundation established in 2009 aiming to create a ‘European Yellowstone’ in the spectacular Făgăraș Mountains, between the cities of Sibiu and Brasov.
The restoration of clear cuts allows mixed native forests to bounce back from exploitation.
Spectacular opportunities to see native wildlife await in the Făgăraș Mountains.
Community is at the forefront of the vision to create a new National Park.
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Marsican brown bear, Abruzzo National Park
CONSERVING THE MARSICAN BROWN BEAR
WWW.SALVIAMOLORSO.IT
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Salviamo L’Orso is a grassroots organisation working to increase the size of the Marsican brown bear population by creating functional wildlife corridors between protected areas. SLO work in partnership with public and private organisations, creating the ecological and social conditions for Marsican bears to safely disperse into other protected areas within the Apennines mountain range.
The endemic Marsican brown bear can be found in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy, just two hour’s drive from Rome. This genetically unique subspecies is the world’s most threatened bear with an isolated population of just 60 individuals, most of which live within the boundaries of the 500 square kilometer Lazio, Molise and Abruzzo National Park. Bears play a crucial role in Italian ecosystems, dispersing seeds and regulating the food web.
In Abruzzo, wildlife and spectacular landscapes have become iconic ecotourism attractions.
Through the LIFE Bear Smart Communities project, SLO are preventing bear damages and improving coexistence.
Conservationists from SLO are delivering education and engagement programmes with local communities.
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Lessinia Plateau, Italy
HUMAN-WOLF COEXISTENCE
WWW.IONONHOPAURADELLUPO.IT
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We support the NGO Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo (I Am Not Afraid of the Wolf) to improve human-wildlife coexistence. By controlling ungulate numbers and behaviours, wolves allow forests to regenerate, benefitting biodiversity and the natural ability of landscapes to sequester carbon. Moreover, their impact on human activities can be mitigated. Through communications, INHPDL are fostering greater understanding between wolves and humans, promoting the dissemination and adoption of preventative wolf-damage measures in farms and livestock-rearing activities, and engaging the community with education and citizen science programmes.
No animal in the world has been more vilified and misunderstood than the Grey wolf. In the last few decades, wolves have recolonised much of their former European range, due to a combination of rural-urban migration, land abandonment, increased prey densities and legal protection. Italy is thought to have one of the largest wolf populations in Europe, but their natural recolonization from a historic low of less than 200 individuals in the 1970s has sparked misinformation and reawakened a centuries-old conflict.
Wolves are a ‘keystone’ species in Europe, maintaining a ‘trophic cascade’.
When managed sustainably, wolf-related tourism can diversify and enrich rural economies.
Coexistence with wolves is achievable with traditional and modern preventative measures.
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CONSERVING THE IBERIAN LYNX
WWW.CBD-HABITAT.COM
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Thanks to the extensive efforts of CBD-Hábitat, in partnership with public and non-profit organisations, a breeding programme across Spain and Portugal has enabled lynx numbers to exceed 1,600 today across a growing number of connected subpopulations. TENT supports CBD-Hábitat in their work to conserve the Iberian lynx, improving their genetic diversity, mitigating threats such as habitat loss and road collisions, while raising national and international awareness of the role and iconic value of the species to rural Spain.
Twenty years ago the Iberian lynx was the world’s most endangered felid with less than 100 animals remaining in the Sierra Morena and Doñana National Park. Two outbreaks of rabbit disease had decimated their natural prey, while habitat loss and fragmentation had caused populations of lynx to become isolated, leading to a decline in their genetic health. The Spanish foundation CBD-Hábitat focuses on conserving iconic species such as the Iberian lynx, imperial eagle and black vulture.
The translocation of lynxes is helping to form functional populations across their historic Iberian range.
Dehesa landscapes – wild grassland dotted with trees – is now the lynx’s ideal habitat.
With the return of lynx, ecotourism has flourished in southern Spain.
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Fuentes del Narcea, Asturias
A FUTURE FOR SPAIN’S BROWN BEARS
WWW.FUNDACIONOSOPARDO.ORG
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The brown bear has now become the charismatic icon of wild Spain. FOP are restoring critical habitat corridors, which improves the population’s genetic health, by encouraging connectivity between bear subpopulations. They are fostering coexistence with local communities through communication and damage prevention techniques. Data-driven methodologies allow FOP to monitor bear ecology and understand their needs in a changing climate.
Since 1992, the Spanish foundation FOP has worked tirelessly to help save the Cantabrian brown bear from extinction. Living in the Cantabrian Mountains of Northern Spain, with a small population in the Pyrenees, bear numbers have now reached more than 400 animals, from a historic low of less than 50.
Monitoring bear behaviour and range during climate change is a critical pillar of FOP’s work.
FOP are working to reforest corridor areas to support bear dispersal.
The Cantabrian brown bear has been legally protected since 1973, but coexistence is a critical challenge.
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Faia Brava, Côa Valley, Staffan Widstrand
REWILDING PORTUGAL’S CÔA VALLEY
WWW.REWILDING-PORTUGAL.COM
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Rewilding Portugal is working with local partners to develop a 120,000 hectare wildlife corridor that connects the Malcata mountain range in the south to the Douro Valley in the north. Within the corridor, natural processes will be allowed to shape the land, reinstating a mosaic of vegetation structures diversified by herbivores that serve as natural fire breaks. As critical species return, ecotourism in the area will flourish, supporting a network of local nature-based enterprises.
Over the years, many agricultural landholdings in rural Portugal have been abandoned. Together with the decline of wild herbivores, this has reduced the level of grazing on the landscape, allowing fire-prone vegetation to extend across the land, with wildfires posing an ongoing danger to human life amidst a changing climate. In the Greater Côa Valley to the north of Portugal, lies an opportunity to recover natural processes and biodiversity, while building climate and community resilience.
Leica ambassador Pedro Prata, Team Leader of Rewilding Portugal.
Wild and semi-wild herbivores can help create natural, resilient vegetation structures. Image: Cláudio Noy.
Critical species such as the vulture, ibex and wolves will help to regulate the Côa Valley ecosystem.
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Maya Mountain Massif, Southern Belize
BELIZE: A BLUEPRINT FOR CONSERVATION
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TENT is working with a network of NGOs across Belize, supporting forest and ocean protection, while raising engagement with Belize’s integral network of conservation projects. We directly support the country’s NGOs, strengthening the network through symposiums, communication, and PR. To raise awareness, we worked with a local film crew to produce a 4-part docuseries, Unknown Belize, which features the work of numerous local and international foundations.
A country the size of Wales or Vermont, adjacent to Mexico and Guatemala, Belize has retained more than 60% of its land surface as intact forest. With a nationally prized system of protected areas across marine, coastal and inland habitats, Belize is providing a blueprint model for conservation.
WATCH THE UNKNOWN BELIZE DOCUSERIES
Blancaneaux Lodge hosts the 2022 Celebrate, Collaborate and Conserve symposium.
Belize has one of the best preserved populations of jaguars in Central America.
Turneffe Atoll is the largest coral atoll in the Mesoamerican barrier reef.
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EDUCATION
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Since 2007, thousands of students have disconnected from the modern world, experiencing the rhythms of nature through the Reserve’s rewilding work. The teenagers enjoy a variety of activities including hiking, mountain-biking, bushcraft, campfire cooking, tree planting and much more. All the while they improve their understanding of the natural world, ecology and conservation - and take home key life skills. The students connect to nature, igniting their passion to protect their local wild places.
We believe education is a fundamental building block of conservation and consciousness. An integral part of this vision is the professionally managed five-day school residential programme at Alladale WIlderness Reserve, supported by The European Nature Trust. This initiative is run in partnership with Inverness-based outdoor charity Àban, and offers local children a chance to immerse in the wild, building new experiences, friendships and inspiration.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Local children enjoy the chance to wild camp in a remote location on the Reserve.
Outdoor experiences help to nurture confidence and key skills that last a lifetime.
Led by ecologists, our education experience fosters a deeper connection with nature.
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“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect”
Aldo Leopold Conservationist
FILM AND EVENTS
We believe in the power of documentaries to inspire protection for the natural world. TENT funds and co-produces media projects that spotlight conservation, opening eyes to the wonder of nature and efforts underway to restore it. In partnership with sponsors, TENT hosts regular screenings and premieres at prestigious cinematic venues, including BAFTA, Ham Yard, BFI, and the Marylebone Theatre. Screenings provide a valuable platform, enabling us to create new audiences for nature conservation, while raising funds for our partners.
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NOISE FOR NATURE
In partnership with the NGOs we support, TENT hosts regular press trips to the wild landscapes of Europe and Belize. On our trips, journalists spend time immersing in wild environments, understanding the vital contributions NGOs are making. Trips facilitate real experiences between storytellers, wildlife and conservation professionals, generating high-impact, positive articles that raise engagement with nature.
AS SEEN IN...
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CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE
At The European Nature Trust we are convinced in the positive outcome of “connecting people to nature”. In addition to our education programmes, we connect people to impactful travel opportunities for curious, conscious travellers to experience wild areas. Sustainable, slow tourism to inspiring landscapes - where wildlife is observed respectfully - plays a vital role in fostering nature-based economies. We select in-country partners working closely with NGOs, enabling guests to make a direct contribution to conservation efforts.
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Cantabrian Mountains, Spain
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CALL TO ACTION
The European Nature Trust creates impactful collaborations with major donors, family offices, philanthropic organisations, government programmes and the corporate sector. Our comprehensive network of projects helps donors achieve maximum impact, igniting grassroots conservation and empowering our partners on a journey towards a wilder world. We facilitate visits, monitor progress, and build lasting relationships with the conservation heroes making a difference on the ground. Together, we can ensure the preservation of nature for future generations.
If you’re interested in building a partnership with TENT, please contact Paul Lister – paul@theeuropeannaturetrust.com
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“There’s important, significant work to be done. To change everything, we all must play a part”
Douglas Tompkins, Founder of Tompkins Conservation, The North Face and Esprit
“A true conservationist knows that the world is not inherited from their father, but borrowed from their children”
John James Audubon Naturalist
If you are curious to discover more about the projects we support, or would like to contribute, please reach out via hq@theeuropeannaturetrust.com To stay connected to nature, you can also subscribe to our mailing list via the QR code.
FSC Paper Accreditation: This brochure has been produced using 100% reclaimed FSC certified fibre.
Produced by our official design partner, Shine Creative shinecreative.co.uk
“Dedicated to the protection and restoration of wild areas”
UK Registered Charity: 1091283 The European Nature Trust, 45 Welbeck Street, London, W1G 8DZ, UK www.theeuropeannaturetrust.com
Apennine brown bear – Photo, © Bruno D’Amicis
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