Could AI Help Us Rewild Land and Sea? 🌱🌊

Hi there, welcome to Superfli.

I’ve started this newsletter to explore ‘AI for good.’ How far (and fast) can this super technology help us solve our biggest challenges? Which people and projects are leading the charge? What are the risks? What are the opportunities?

This week I took a wild walk through a corner of Dorset, England, that’s handing over 1,000 acres of marginal farm and woodland back to nature and promoting regenerative agriculture, including the reintroduction of beavers and large grazing herbivores, specifically cattle, ponies and pigs.

My guide around Mapperton Wildlands was Ecologi’s co-founder Elliot Coad, and, after a muddy stumble through several heavily truffled valleys, we sat down with warm tea and explored a big question: How can we use technology to join up all the brilliant rewilding projects happening on land and sea? Could AI become the missing link in accelerating rewilding our planet - connecting more of us with the natural world, reducing emissions, capturing carbon and increasing biodiversity.

Read on for examples and ideas…

Rewilding Startup Spotlight:

Wildsense is harnessing AI and drone technology to identify degraded landscapes and match them with native species for rewilding.

Why It Matters:

• Land degradation affects over 20% of Earth’s ecosystems.

• Wildsense’s algorithms speed up restoration efforts by 40%, enabling communities to rewild areas in months, not years.

Example Success: Their recent project in the Scottish Highlands restored 1,200 acres of moorland, increasing biodiversity by 30% within three years.

How AI Is Transforming Rewilding…

• Mapping Biodiversity: AI analyses satellite and drone imagery to identify where interventions are needed. This has been a game-changer for projects like rewilding kelp forests along California’s coastline.

• Predictive Analytics: AI predicts how rewilding efforts will impact local ecosystems, helping planners make smarter decisions.

• Species Monitoring: Tools like bioacoustic sensors powered by AI monitor animal populations in real time, tracking the return of species to rewilded habitats.

NatureMetrics: Revolutionising Environmental DNA
NatureMetrics is a global leader in biodiversity monitoring, using eDNA to detect species from soil, water, and air samples. Recently, they secured $25M in Series B funding to scale their efforts, demonstrating the potential of tech-driven rewilding solutions.

• What They Do: Their AI-powered analysis of eDNA samples identifies species present in rewilding zones, helping track biodiversity recovery.

• Impact: Used in marine and terrestrial projects worldwide, they provide accurate, scalable data to guide rewilding strategies.

• Example: Collaborating with rewilding networks in the UK, NatureMetrics supports data-driven planning for ecosystem restoration.

Why This Matters: By understanding what species are already present—and what’s missing—projects can be tailored for maximum impact, saving time and resources.

How to Get Involved:

• Volunteer: Join rewilding projects near you, like the Rewilding Britain Network or community-led efforts listed on Rewild Europe.

• Learn: Check out tools like Restor, a global database for rewilding projects.

Build or Fund: Explore NatureMetrics’ citizen science initiatives or look into climate startup incubators and examples of great climate startups on Raaise.

From Mapperton Estate to NatureMetrics, AI is proving it can be a powerful ally in rewilding our planet.

How can we connect these projects together and get more people involved?

Ben Keene

♻️ Share if you found this valuable and connect with me if you’re interested in AI for Good, impact startups, and community building.