Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Initiative

Ecological restoration, the process of assisting the recovery of damaged ecosystems, is central to the vision of a sustainable global future. Restoration has immense potential to mitigate climate change, prevent mass extinction, and provide the ecosystem services that societies require, but to realize its full potential restoration must also engage and elevate human communities. Biocultural restoration is an approach that seeks to integrate the recovery of ecological integrity with the revitalization of cultural practices, knowledge systems, and human relationships with the landscape. No form of restoration is an adequate substitute for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and halting the destruction of intact habitats. Delivering on restoration's promise and avoiding perverse outcomes requires critical thinking and training across disciplinary silos.

The Biocultural and Ecological Restoration Initiative is an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students reading, thinking, teaching, and researching about the most effective and equitable strategies for restoring biodiversity and culture locally, regionally, and globally.

Reading and discussion group focusing on new restoration research, interdisciplinary perspectives on restoration, and research proposal development (every other week).