Why People Matter in Ecological Restoration [chapter]

Dave Egan, Evan E. Hjerpe, Jesse Abrams
2011 Human Dimensions of Ecological Restoration  
Ecological restoration is a practice of hope; hope because restorationists envision a better future as a result of their efforts. Ecological restoration is a practice of faith; faith because restorationists work in a world of uncertainty. Finally, ecological restoration is a practice of love; love because restorationists care about, and give their lives to, efforts that protect and enhance the lives of humans and other-than-human beings alike. Ecological restoration is a human practice, and
more » ... use it is, people matter. In this book we endorse the idea that humans are an integral part of nature and that they play a key role in determining, either consciously or otherwise, the condition of the environment in which they live. We also support the idea that the practice of ecological restoration is one of the more positive ways that humans can interact with the rest of the natural world. Moreover, we seek to show why recognizing and understanding the human dimensions of ecological restoration are critical to the success and longevity of all ecological restoration efforts, especially those undertaken at large scales, on public lands, and/or within urban/suburban settings. These are situations where restoration activities move beyond the vision and control of an individual landowner or small group of like-minded people; these activities are community-based efforts that involve the ideas and concerns of many people. A fundamental assumption underlying the concept of ecological restoration is that humans are responsible for degrading the natural environment and, therefore, humans have a responsibility to repair it. At the heart of ecological restoration is a vision of a better relationship between humans and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, there is no unified vision of who we are as people, how the world around us operates, and what this better relationship should look like. We believe, however, that ecological restoration provides a forum within which we can study the dialogue between humans and nature, and between various human stakeholders. In this book, we do so by studying the human aspects of collaboration and community-based ecological restoration, restoration economics, volunteerism, environmental education, eco-cultural practices, and politics, governance, and planning. One of the first things we observe when studying ecological restoration is that, because humans are intimately involved, the practice is inherently (1) value laden, (2)
doi:10.5822/978-1-61091-039-2_1 fatcat:kdsy6pca4fgy7icwmeqz7zditq