Exploring Restoration Across Boundaries: Highlights from the 2025 Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Symposium
April 14, 2025
The Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Symposium brought together over 60 participants, including students, faculty, staff, and community members, for an afternoon of conversation, research, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Held in Steger Hall on April 4, and hosted by the Global Change Center’s Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Initiative (BERI), this event provided an engaging forum to explore how restoration science, policy, and practice intersect across ecological, geological, and social boundaries. The summit opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Leighton Reid, who framed the afternoon as an opportunity to listen, learn, and build bridges between disciplines and communities.
A Global Voice in Biocultural Restoration: Keynote by Dr. James Aronson
The event opened with a keynote address by Dr. James Aronson, an internationally recognized restoration ecologist and founder of the Ecological Health Network. In his keynote, Dr. Aronson set the stage for the day, underscoring that definitions and intention matter, and the process of preservation and restoration must involve honoring the voices and histories rooted in each landscape.
Poster Presentations: Restoration Research in Action
After the keynote, attendees explored an engaging poster session where undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers presented their work. The room was lively with conversations as research topics ranged from forest-grassland dynamics in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to the responses of macroinvertebrates in stream restoration.
The posters not only showcased scientific rigor but also highlighted the importance of applying research in ways that are deeply rooted in place, community, and ecological context, sparking rich conversations and collaborative energy among participants.
Presenters and attendees gathered in Steger 118 to view posters about ecological restoration research
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Assay of Native Chocoan Trees for their Capacity to Regenerate from Large Cuttings - Sebastián Aparicio Vera
Assessing Quality and Quantity of Headwater Stream Food Resources Across a Mining-Induced Salinity Gradient in the Central Appalachian Coalfield - Lisa Tabor
Building Bridges between Restoration Ecology and the Economy - Ale Aguirre Bustos
Can Sediment Carbon Isotopes Detect Long-Term Changes in Forest-Grassland Dynamics of the Shenandoah Valley, Central Virginia? - Maureen Agada
Development of Conservation and Management Procedures for Critically Endangered Peter’s Mountain Mallow (Iliamna corei) - Quinlan Campbell & Ben Sapperstein
Magnificent Mussels: Investigating the Potential of Mussels as a Tool for Restoration using Macroinvertebrate Community Change over Time - Rowan Scott
Geospatial Analysis of Red Spruce Restoration Potential in the Mount Rogers Highlands of Southwest Virginia - Alexander Dyer, Brycen Lynch & Calvin Tankersley
Optimization of Chesapeake Bay Stream Bioassessment Protocols Using Updated Habitat-Specific Quantitative Structural and Functional Metrics. - Brice C. Crum
Shenandoah Springs as Refuge for Rare and Threatened Macroinvertebrates - Megan Underwood
Southside Native Seed Project: Improving Restoration Outcomes and Economic Resilience in the Virginia Piedmont - Phoebe Judge
The Guyana Marine Conservation Society and their Work to Support Indigenous Environmental Monitoring and Research Capacity - Gavriel Cambridge
The Impact of Sodium Chloride on Freshwater Mussels: Consequences for Urban Stream Restoration - Donya Mohamed
The Making of a Meadow: An Experiment in Grassland Restoration - Jordan Coscia
- Threatened Orchid Isotria Medeoloides Fire Response - Pika M.
Flashtalks: Voices from the Field
The summit continued with a compelling series of flashtalks from invited faculty and researchers actively shaping restoration science and practice in Virginia and beyond. Each talk highlighted a different facet of restoration, reminding attendees that solutions must be both innovative and inclusive.
Flashtalk presenters included:
Jennifer Gagnon, Extension Specialist with Virginia Tech’s Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 'Family Woodland Owners: The Key to Healthy Forests.'
- Dr. Ryan Klopf, Natural Areas Science Manager for the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Research across the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System.
- Dr. John Munsell, Professor in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 'Restoration through Creative Perennial Design.'
- Desiree Shelley, Citizen of the Monacan Indian Nation and PhD student at Virginia Tech, 'Exploring historical Indigenous managed plant communities and land use practices to support ecological restoration and Indigenous Guardian Initiatives in Virginia.'
Community and Conversation: Concluding with a Reception
The event concluded with a reception, where attendees gathered in a relaxed setting to continue conversations sparked throughout the day. The atmosphere was welcoming and informal, providing an opportunity for students, faculty, and community members to connect, share ideas, and discuss potential collaborations.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Symposium showcased what’s possible when scientists and communities come together in service of the land. By creating space for listening, learning, and connection, BERI continues to foster the interdisciplinary collaboration needed to meet the ecological challenges of our time.
Whether you're a researcher, land steward, student, or policymaker, the message was clear: restoration is everyone’s work and we’re stronger when we do it together.
Stay connected with the Global Change Center for future events, initiatives, and opportunities to engage in restoration science that makes a difference.
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