Let the Cranes Dance Again

Kees Bastmeijer is a Dutch scholar, photographer, and environmental advocate whose work connects legal research with visual storytelling. He is Director of the Arctic Centre and Professor of Arctic and Antarctic Studies at the University of Groningen. His research focuses on international governance of the Polar Regions, wilderness protection, and the role of law in conserving and restoring nature. He has written extensively on these themes, including the book Wilderness Protection in Europe: the Role of International, European and National Law, published by Cambridge University Press. Alongside his academic work, he uses photography to communicate the beauty and values of natural ecosystems.

His photograph “Let the Cranes Dance Again” captures cranes performing their courtship dance in a northern landscape. While the image was taken in Sweden, it reflects a broader European story: the gradual return of the Eurasian crane to areas where it had disappeared due to habitat fragmentation, hunting, and other human pressures. The photograph conveys both the grace of the species and the sense of possibility that accompanies ecological recovery.

Rewilding is at the heart of Bastmeijer’s perspective. He understands it as restoring the integrity and completeness of ecosystems, not only by protecting habitats but also by enabling species to return and ecological processes to recover. The returning cranes symbolize this process and highlight the beauty of nature and the importance of human acceptance of dynamic landscapes. Through this work, Bastmeijer invites viewers to imagine a future where wildlife thrives again and where people value and actively support the restoration of resilient, complete and self-sustaining ecosystems.