Rewilding as cultural revitalisation

This research examines the intersection of cultural revitalisation and ecological restoration in a post-socialist rural region of Hungary, focusing on the rewilding of edible wild plants – particularly nettles (Urtica dioica) – as a lens to explore local transformation. Using a multilayered, evolving and experimental living lab methodology, we investigate how various stakeholders – long-term residents, neo-rural newcomers, policymakers, and administrative elites – engage with the cultural memory and ecological potential of wild edibles. We present findings from six preparatory workshops conducted with design professionals, and non-residents designed to help shaping the living lab. These workshops, using stakeholder scenarios, revealed the challenges of reconnecting fragmented food identities and degraded ecosystems. By drawing parallels with global re-indigenisation efforts, we underscore the complex and often contested nature of cultural regeneration in landscapes shaped by modern-ist and socialist legacies. Through the lens of wild plant use, this initiative fosters not only a revival of traditional food practices but also a deeper ecological awareness, encouraging habitat restoration and more sustainable land use.