WILDCARD: The Forest Game Podcast
A scientific adventure across Europe’s hidden forests
What if rewilding Europe were a strategic board game where every forest hides a secret, and every move shapes the future of our ecosystems?
Welcome to an extraordinary audio journey that transforms the complex world of ecological restoration into an immersive, continent-spanning adventure.
In each episode, listeners make a “strategic move” through Europe’s diverse forest landscapes, uncovering how damaged ecosystems can recover and flourish. Guided by expert researchers and scientists, the podcast dives into the investigative work of identifying true wilderness, explores the delicate balance between conservation and human needs, and highlights innovative strategies that restore ecosystems to their full complexity.
Using the metaphor of a “game board”, complex scientific ideas become accessible, engaging stories, where every dice roll reveals new ecological mysteries and every square tells a tale about our evolving relationship with the natural world.
«WILDCARD. The Forest Game» is a podcast production written by Silvia Giralucci for the WILDCARD project and Starter.
Scientific Supervisor: Giorgio Alberti, University of Udine
Editorial Supervisor: Gesche Schifferdecker, European Forest Institute
Voice-over: Rahel Könen, European Forest Institute
Post-production: Santiago Alarcón, European Forest Institute
Graphic design and visuals: Gabriela Rueda, European Forest Institute
New Season Available!
Our gameboard continues! Season 2 brings four new episodes, released from June 2026, exploring the inspiring stories, and surprising discoveries of rewilding across Europe.
In this occasion our rewilding stories are taking you to land abandoned areas in Trás-os-montes (Portugal), explore the unique ecology of a steppe ecosystem that has remained treeless over time in Bohemian Karst (Czech Republic), a charred forest teeming with life in Mount Vesuvio (Italy) and the return of wolves in North Rhine Westfalia in Germany.
⬇️ Read or download the transcript of Episode 5 here
⬇️ Read or download the transcript of Episode 6 here
