As exemplified by the Bear-Smart Community approach, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and opinions can help to build mutual understanding and trust.

As you have learned, coexistence issues are often caused by a lack of information and different human perspectives of the value of wild nature. Enhancing understanding through engagement can help to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife.

This dialogue is not a one-off at the beginning of a rewilding initiative. Rewilding aims for wilder nature and a change in how wilder nature is understood and appreciated. As the relationship between people and nature changes over time, new ideas, opportunities, and challenges will emerge over time as well. Genuine partnerships, trust, collaboration, knowledge exchange, dialogue, and celebration of success should continue over time too.

When there are knowledgeable and skilled people present in a rewilding area, ready to respond and provide a helping hand in relation to coexistence issues, this can go a long way to building and maintaining trust and generating acceptance.