Extensive agricultural drainage drove Swedens white storks to local extinction in 1954. To bring them back, Naturskyddsföreningen Skåne launched Storkprojektet in 1989 alongside regional bird conservationists. By restoring wet meadows and releasing captive-reared chicks each summer, the project encourages natural migration to Africa. Conservationists now focus on sustaining over 100 wild breeding pairs across Southern Sweden, proving that thoughtful habitat restoration can revive a lost species.