Southern Sweden’s wetland revival aims to support 100 breeding pairs of white storks

White storks once formed a familiar part of the landscape in southern Sweden, but by 1954 the species had disappeared as a breeding bird from the country. Their decline was closely linked to dramatic changes in the countryside, where wetlands were drained and other habitats altered over generations. In response, ‘Naturskyddsföreningen Skåne’(Swedish Society for Nature Conservation Skåne) and its partners began a long-running effort to bring the birds back while also drawing attention to the damaged wetlands they depend on. The work has grown into more than a programme to increase stork numbers. It has become a wider restoration effort built around the idea that recovering the bird and recovering its habitat should go together.