O CTO B E R 2 9 T H 2 0 2 1 These teaching resources

are supported by:

ABOUT THIS SESSION

Objective: to understand the importance of rewilding by discussing how different countries are
protecting, restoring and creating habitats, supporting species and exploring natural solutions to
climate change.
The Economist Educational Foundation
maintained full editorial control Key questions: what rewilding projects are already happening around the world? How can people
spread the word about rewilding to help scale rewilding efforts?

REWILDING
DEEP DIVE INTO REWILDING: go to www.hoganlovells.com/rewilding to listen to a podcast
series about some of the pioneering organisations that are using this nature based solution to
tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis. You’ll also be able to read more about the rewilding
projects mentioned in this session by Rewilding Hogan Lovells' partners: Snowchange
Cooperative, The Wildlife Trusts, Rewilding Europe and Rewilding Britain.

Before the session you will need to:

• Print the TEACHER Instructions
• Have the Video ready to play (bit.ly/RewildingTT)
• Print and copy the Cards, enough for one each
• Print the Posters and display them around the room

THIS SESSION DEVELOPS

Sustainable Development Goals
For more information, look here:
sdgs.un.org/goals

Skills

SHARE YOUR
THOUGHTS
@Econ_Foundation
#TopicalTalkHeadlines
STEP 14 STEP 14 STEP 7 STEP 10
I speak influentially by I listen critically and use I explore complex I develop ideas
changing the examples questioning to evaluate problems by building by considering
and facts I use to best different perspectives my understanding different
1 - HOUR LESSON persuade the listeners through research perspectives

To learn more about the Topical Talk skills, look here: bit.ly/TopicalTalkSkills
TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS Don’t forget to empower
students by sharing their work
foundationteam@economist.org
ACTIVITY ONE ACTIVITY THREE
@Econ_Foundation
#TopicalTalkHeadlines
Read the first question below and take Play the Video until it says “PAUSE”. Give teams
a class vote on whether students would five minutes to prepare their pitches using the
choose A or B. Students with different instructions on the screen. Teams should take it in
opinions should share their reasons. turns to pitch. Choose two winning teams.

Would you rather... ACTIVITY FOUR

A. Destroy a habitat for fuel to produce
Ask students to make new
electricity OR
groups with the people who
B. Protect a habitat and live without
have the same Card as them.
electricity?
Play the Video until it says
“PAUSE”. Students should
A. Help your country pay for better
answer the question that is
healthcare OR
relevant to their group from
B. Help your country pay for solutions
their own perspective. Give
to climate change?
time to share ideas.
A. Control the population of a
predatory animal to protect a rare
species OR
B. Let nature take its course?
SPEEDY SKILLS REVIEW

ACTIVITY TWO How are each of these

skills important for
Hand out the Cards. Students should rewilding projects?
spend ACTIVITIES TWO and THREE
thinking and answering the questions
Challenge: after the session,
from this perspective. Play the Video
give students time to turn
until it says “PAUSE”. Split the class
their discussions into actions.
into four groups and ask each group to
For example, they could write
move to a different Poster. Make sure
a letter about rewilding to
there is a mix of perspectives at each.
their local politician, make a
Groups should read the information
video about how people could
and discuss the answers from the
support it or design a poster
perspective on their Card.
to share their learning.
 YOU ARE A YOU ARE A
FISH FISH
CARDS

YOU ARE A YOU ARE A

CARNIVORE CARNIVORE
(animal that only eats meat) (animal that only eats meat)

YOU ARE A YOU ARE A

HERBIVORE HERBIVORE
(animal that only eats plants) (animal that only eats plants)

YOU ARE A YOU ARE A

CLIMATE ACTIVIST CLIMATE ACTIVIST

YOU ARE A YOU ARE A

LOCAL PERSON LOCAL PERSON

YOU ARE A YOU ARE A

BIRD BIRD
 Protecting
Some natural areas, such as peatlands, are
important for animals, people and the climate.
Habitats
Peatlands help to slow climate change by storing
greenhouse gases and capturing carbon. They are
full of wildlife. These areas might also provide food
for local people because they help maintain healthy
waterways for fishing.

Are peatlands important for you? Why / why not?

Sometimes people damage habitats like these if they

contain a useful resource. For example, people drain
the water and remove the peat (a type of soil) from
peatlands because it can be used as fuel.

How do you feel about this?

Communities in Finland have begun to recognise the

importance of areas like peatlands and have started
projects to protect them. For example, by stopping the
removal of peat for fuel and restoring these habitats.

How might projects like this affect your future?

This example of rewilding is based on a project by Snowchange Cooperative.

Supporting
Species
Some species of animal rely on others to survive. For
example, vultures scavenge for their food by eating
the carcasses of other wild animals, like deer.

How important are other animals for your survival?

Sometimes people cause problems for animals –

either by hunting or damaging habitats. When one
species is in trouble, this affects the other animals
that rely on it. For example, when there are fewer
deer, vultures have less food.

How do you feel about this?

In Bulgaria people have started projects to support

rare species by controlling the other animals that are
in their habitats. For example, one project helped an
endangered type of vulture by releasing more of the
deer, that they rely on for food, into the mountains
where the birds live. Some of the predators that
threaten the vultures were also removed. Local people
hope the area will attract more tourists because of
the unique wildlife.

How might projects like this affect your future?

This example of rewilding is based on a project by Rewilding Europe.

 Natural
Solutions
Some plants capture a lot of carbon and so can be used
as a natural solution to climate change. For example,
seagrass captures carbon at a rate up to 35 times faster
than tropical rainforests.

Why are solutions for climate change important for you?

These plants are important for the climate but

there are not enough of them and sometimes
they get damaged by people, bad weather or
disease. For example, the UK has lost 92% of
its seagrass in the last 100 years.

How do you feel about this?

In the UK, projects have begun to protect its

seagrass meadows and plant more. People are
also being educated about the importance of
natural solutions to climate change.

How might projects like this affect your future?

This example of rewilding is based on a project by The Wildlife Trusts.

New
Habitats
Creating new habitats will attract wildlife, support
local people and, with the right plants, slow climate
change.

What do you need in your habitat in order

to survive?

Climate change is damaging habitats, causing the

extinction of some animals and threatening to push
more people into poverty.

How might you be affected by climate change?

In Africa, a 8,000km line of forest is being planted

across some of the poorest regions on the planet.
It is already creating habitats for wildlife, providing
food and jobs for people and helping the climate by
capturing carbon.

How might projects like this affect your future?

This example of rewilding is based on The Great Green Wall.

REWILDING

VIDEO
SCRIPT

Hello. I am the mayor of an island. People used to live here happily with nature, but now
humans have taken too much. The wildlife is suffering because people have damaged
habitats, the natural environments where they live. People are suffering because we are
running out of natural resources. And climate change is causing big problems.

I have heard that some countries are doing different things to support rewilding – when
people help to rebuild nature and support wildlife. And I’m sure it will be a hot topic of
conversation when world leaders meet at COP26, the world’s biggest climate conference,
in November. So I need you to help me with my research to figure out what my island
should do next.

Before now, I’m sorry to say we only thought about what humans needed – but now
we’ve learnt our lesson. I need you to think about rewilding from different perspectives,
then advise me on what to do.

Thank you for your help!

PAUSE

Your challenge is to think about different rewilding projects and decide which is
the most important for your character.
REWILDING

VIDEO
SCRIPT

So, you’ve done the research and chosen the rewilding project that’s most important to
you. Now, I want to hear why your project is the one I should introduce to my island. We
only have the funding to choose TWO. So you’ll need to explain why yours is better than
the others. I’ll let your teacher choose the winners. Good luck!

PAUSE

Your challenge is to explain why your rewilding project is the one that the island
should introduce. Prepare a short pitch for the mayor. Everyone should say some-
thing. Use these sentence starters to help you:

This project would help…

The other rewilding
project that would
work well with this
one is…

This project is better than

the others because…
because…

World leaders at COP26 would If you don’t choose

be impressed if you chose this this project, then...
project because…
REWILDING

VIDEO
SCRIPT

Well done to the winning teams! I’m looking forward to seeing how these approaches
to rewilding can make a difference on my island. However, it’s not just me who needs
to start thinking about it. We are all facing a global climate and biodiversity crisis. What
could other people do? And how can we spread awareness about this issue to encourage
more rewilding projects? Answer the question that matches your Card.

PAUSE

What could young people like you do to support rewilding?

What could be done to support rewilding in your community?

How could leaders at COP26 support rewilding?

Why is it important to talk about rewilding?

How could people raise awareness about rewilding?

What’s the most important message to share about rewilding?