Cultures and Worldviews

Introduction

Ecological restoration was defined historically as any endeavor to return a piece of land to a state perceived as “original”, “indigenous”, or “untouched by humans”. However, mounting evidence shows that there are very few lands that have not been altered in some way by human culture. The myth of pristine wilderness is falling by the wayside as ecologists come to understand the historic land management practices of indigenous and traditional cultures worldwide. Likewise, a growing body of research is beginning to look at the ways particular values influence the management decisions of State and National Parks systems. “Pristine” is no longer a realistic or useful term in the dialogue of restoration. More important is the interplay between the maximal state of health of an ecosystem (as we understand it) and the way ecosystems interact with various cultures and worldviews.
The following section looks at how worldview influences our ideas about what a healthy land should be, how it should function, and what role it should serve, both in terms of ecosystem dynamics and human resource use and appreciation. Some articles illustrate human severance from natural systems, some explore the many ways that human cultures have (and continue to have) a dynamic and reciprocal relationship with the natural world. As you read these articles, think about your own worldview and ask yourself what role contemporary human cultures have to play in the field of ecological restoration?


Article 1: Restoration in Mind: Placing Ecological Restoration in a Cultural Context.
Edgar, T. (2007). Restoration in mind: Placing ecological restoration in a cultural context. Environments, August Edition. Retrieved November 20, 2009, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/179269351_5.html
NOTE: Read pages 1, 2 and 5 only (unless your group chooses to read all 5 pages).

Article 2: Pledging Allegiance to All Sorts of Diversity
Nabhan G.P. (1997). Pledging allegiance to all sorts of diversity. In Cultures of habitat: On nature, culture, and story (pp.17-24).Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Article 3: All consuming Passion, Nature Connection & Worldview
from Suzuki, D. and McConnell, A. (1997). In The sacred balance: Rediscovering our place in nature, (pp.24). St. Leonards, NSW, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Article 4: Conceiving the Need for Ecological Restoration
Long, J., A. Tecle, and B. Burnette. 2003. Cultural foundations for ecological restoration on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Conservation Ecology 8(1): 4. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol8/iss1/art4/

Diversity and Inclusivity: Commentary, issues, and questions for dialogue
Observations, issues, and suggestions offered by the Fall 2009 "Ecological Restoration" class at Naropa University, after a semester of working on WRV projects. Questions included to spark a dialogue towards potentially creating an official WRV Diversity Statement.

Conclusion

Our particular worldview influences the way we perceive and engage with nature. According to author William Cronon, “we too easily imagine that what we behold is Nature when in fact we see the reflection of our own unexamined longings and desires.” Nature is to some degree a cultural product, generated by our system of values and beliefs. As such, there is no one single capital “N” Nature, but a multiplicity of natures, as varied and diverse as our planet’s many cultural perspectives. The challenge of the future is not simply to “get back to nature”, but to get back to culture. This means to explore the ways in which a culture already deals in the capital of the natural world, and to foster a nature relationship where it may not. Culture is as fluid and shifting as nature. This is because culture is a product of nature, and like any thing produced by an ecosystem, it subsequently changes that ecosystem. The task now is to ensure that nature and culture have a loving, reciprocal relationship which mutually benefits both.

Questions

1. In what ways do you feel connected to or separate from the natural world? If we are separate, then how can we become reconnected? If connected, is there any distinctions we can make between human civilization and the natural world?

2.Can modern populations live in harmony with our surrounding natural systems? What creative approaches could help transition human dominated areas into a more harmonious balance?

3. How does cultural knowledge contribute to ecological restoration? What is the value of cultural knowledge, history, etc?

4. What does it mean to be native to a place? How does one become native? How long does it take, and does it take time or not?

5. How does one's relationship to the land influence the success of a restoration project?

6. What does biodiversity mean to you?

Bioremediation

Introduction

Progress around the world is generally measured by growth, and as economies grow, consumption of natural resources increases. The consumption of natural resources has dire effects on ecosystems through the impacts of extraction, pollution, deforestation, development, habitat destruction and the release of greenhouse gases that aggravate climate change. Today, the scale of environmental degradation through these means has become catastrophic. The UN estimates that fifteen of twenty four global ecosystems have either been destroyed or are in serious decline and that this could become much worse in the next fifty years. They warn that we have catastrophically undermined our ability to address hunger, poverty and healthcare and that the emergence of new diseases, the destruction of water quality and watersheds, the collapse of fisheries and food webs are imminent as well as shifts in regional and global climate (CBC, 2005). Only ten percent of large fish remain in the oceans, and thirty one percent of terrestrial species have become extinct (BBC, 2006).

This global ecosystem collapse has serious implications for the sustainability of the current global population. The destruction of ecosystems also seriously undermines the ability of nature to defend itself and human populations from the affects of natural disasters and climate instability. For instance the tsunami that hit South Asia in 2004 was caused by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean yet the tsunami was as severe as it was due to the significant destruction of coastal mangrove forests that would have mitigated its effect by absorbing some of the wave’s energy much as trees provide an important windbreak by absorbing the wind’s energy (Padma, 2004). Another example is in the Mississippi River Delta which was built up over seven thousand years of silt deposits from the Mississippi River watershed which constitutes about forty percent of the water in the mainland United States. Before the area was developed by humans there were 3.6 million acres of wetlands and an extensive community of sandy islands that surrounded the Delta, protecting the mainland from the severity of storm surges, waves and hurricanes.

Through the draining of wetlands and the building of levees and other development, more than a million acres of wetland have been destroyed since 1930, seriously impeding the Delta’s ability to absorb floodwaters and to slow the strength of approaching hurricanes. Hurricanes gather their strength over warm oceans and lose their wind strength and storm surge through friction over land, therefore the destruction of the wetlands that buffered New Orleans caused Hurricane Katrina of 2005 and its subsequent flooding to be significantly more severe (Martin, 2005). These are clear examples of how ecosystem destruction contributes to the severity of natural disasters.

by Isabel Ribe

BBC. (2006, October 24). Global Ecosystems Face Collapse. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6077798.stm CBC. (2005, March 31).

Martin, G. Two-thirds of Earth’s ecosystems at risk: UN. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from CanadianBroadcastingCorporation: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/03/30/UNEnvironment0330.html (2005, September 5).

Padma, T. Wetland Restoration seen as Crucial. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from San Francisco Chronical: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ (2004, December 30).

Mangrove Forests can Reduce Impact of Tsunamis. Retrieved May 3, 2008, from Science and Development Network: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/mangrove-forests-can-reduce-impact-of-tsunamis.html

Article 1: Bioremediation and Biotechnologies

Chaney, R. L. (2004). Heavy Metal Blues: Botanical Detox Centers. In K. Ausubel, Nature’s Operating Instructions: The True Biotechnologies (pp. 50-56).San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Kepler, D. (2004). Nature’s Filters; From Cattails to Bureaucrats. In K. Ausubel, Nature’s Operating Instructions (pp. 57-65). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Stamets, P. (2005). Mycelium Running. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Wedel, R. v. (2004). Bioremediation. In K. Ausubel, Nature’s Operating Instructions;

The True Bio-technologies (pp. 42-49). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Article 2: Mycoremediation

Stamets, P. (2005). Mycoremediation. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from

Article 3: Case Study-The New Toxic-Site Cleanup. Agent: A Bacterium That Gobbles Up Poison

Miller, J. (2003, October 19). The New Toxic- Site Cleanup Agent: A Bacteria that Gobbles up Poison, New York Times.

Conclusion

By Isabel Ribe

The severity and scale of the ecological crisis means that the conservation of existing ecosystems and the cleaning and restoration of damaged and failed ecosystems is absolutely essential for the survival of life on earth. Without such efforts, food webs, fisheries and watersheds will fail or become unusable, the earth will not be able to respond to the destabilization of climates and the effects of natural disasters will be much more severe. The current rate of ecosystem collapse has already demonstrated these effects. The importance of remediation and restoration is in slowing and possibly reversing these effects, not in preventing them. The application of biotechnologies described in this paper are the important first steps to rebuilding ecosystems. They are crucial in cleaning watersheds, oceans and soil so that life can thrive there and so that the products of these ecosystems are safe for humans and other animals. Once contaminants have been removed, further work can be done to facilitate ecological succession in reforesting and revegetating land.

Discussion Questions

1. Due to the low cost and apparent effectiveness of bioremediation technology, why do you think this technology is not being more widely used?

2. In your area what potential applications for these remediation techniques seem realistic and applicable ?

3. What are some potential problems you see with widespread use of biotechnologies?

4. What are some strategies to facilitate the use of bioremediation technology?

Further Reading

Nature’s Operating Instructions; The True Biotechnologies Edited By Kenny Ausubel

Mycelium Running; How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World By Paul Stamets

Mycoremediation: Fungal Bioremediation By Harbhajan Singh.

Bioremediation: Principles and Applications by Ronald L. Crawford and Don L. Crawford

Bioremediation: Applied Microbial Solutions for Real World Environment Cleanup by Ronald M. Atlas and Jim Philp

Scientific Techniques and Ecosystems

Scientific Techniques and Ecosystems

Introduction
By Kellie Anderson

Earth is a network of many complex factors that all feed into one giant system. Each ecosystem plays an integral role in the ecologic health of the rest. In this chapter we offer articles on just a few of our planet’s ecosystems in order to encourage a brief but well rounded understanding of some of the complexities facing restoration projects. Our hopes are that the reader will come away with a more holistic understanding of the factors affecting the restoration of a variety of ecosystems. In this chapter we will review some restoration techniques, constructed ecosystems, and some of the actions the United States government has taken to encourage restoration. These articles were chosen to promote a systemic approach to the considerations and implications of restoration.

Article #1 The Forest Restoration Act of 2008

Article # 2 Guidelines for Native Grassland Restoration

Article #3 Wetland Restoration by Kelly Anderson

Article # 4 IETC Homepage

Conclusion

By Kellie Anderson

The ecological and environmental aspects of restoration are as dynamic as they are complex. These complicated factors are the responsibility allotted to humanity at this time. There are endless considerations that have put our ecosystems at risk, and enormous energy has been spent to destroy them. We must now apply the same amount of energy towards rehabilitating our natural systems. As this chapter illustrates, creativity and technical thought is required to make a positive difference. If humanity is ever to adapt to the world we inhabit, the massive job of righting our wrongs must be undertaken. The wisdom of natural systems may not ever be understood, but with thoughtful science and careful intuition, we can overcome our
roles as destroyers of life and come into a new portrayal as creators of life.

Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the Forest Restoration Act focused so greatly on the structural aspects of forest restoration? How would an approach look that was more inclusive of the entire forest ecosystem?
2. What are some other ways of increasing governmental funding for restoration that would more preserve the interest of these ecosystems?
3. What are the evolved factors of grassland ecosystem that make restoration such a slow and challenging process.
4. What role does water play in ecosystem degradation? How can this element be used in the restorative process?
5. What are some important factors in choosing plants species? What are factors to consider in planting location?
6. How could the concept of constructed wetland for grey or waste water be sold to mitigating forces? Where could constructed wetlands fit into your life or community?
7. What other potentials do you see within the wisdom of ecosystems, and the mitigation of human systems?

Additional Reading

Ecological Restoration and Fuels Management, Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership Roundtable, findings of the Ecology Workgroup

Urban Restoration and Community

Introduction
By Vanessa Saccone and Annie Hoffman

“Sometime during this decade, a child will be born
who will mark humanity’s transformation into an
urban species—for the first time, more people will live
in cities than in rural areas of the earth”
-The Center for Urban Restoration Ecology.

I invite you to set aside any thoughts that nature is just ‘out there’ in the hills and grasslands. In fact nature is also in here, in this building, in this city, in this body, in relationships of every kind. From an integrative perspective, in which humans and human activity are part of nature, we can begin to explore the notion of urban ecological restoration and find ways in which we can creatively and effectively transform our cities into greener, more efficient, more sustainable, and more integral parts of our world.

The following pieces explore what restoration looks like in the urban setting and what cities can look to achieve in the near future:

Articles
Edited by Daralee Fallin

Article I
Natural Cities: Urban Ecology and the Restoration of Urban Ecosystems
Lord, C; Strauss, E; Toffler, A. (2001). Urban Ecology and the Restoration of Urban Ecosystems. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Article II
Please read Abstract and Introduction
Evaluating Urban Wetland Restorations: Case Studies for Assessing Connectivity and Function
by Lisamarie Windham,¹ Mark S. Laska,² and Jennifer Wollenberg¹

Article III
PARK(ing) Day 2009 Transforms Parking Spaces into Public Parks
from http://www.inhabitat.com/

Article IV
Edible Cities
Pgs. 10-15, Milwaukee City Visit
From http://www.sustainweb.org/urbanagriculture/edible_cities/
London, UK

Image: From Mikey Tomkins's series of Edible Maps, this guide represents the area around Surrey Street car park, site of Croydon Roof Divercity, in terms of inventory and potential yield.



Organizations that Represent and Utilize Urban Restoration

Here are some examples of how urban ecology and restoration are being utilized. These organizations are changing the way we look at cities and they are changing the lives of many people.

Boulder Community Roots Farm
Community Roots Vision

We co-create models of neighborhood based food production and distribution systems and educate and train future farmers in these models through workshops, hands on training and consulting.

Community Roots is founded upon the need for:

• Local, sustainable models of food production
• Creating and strengthening community cooperation
• Utilizing valuable resources within our urban environment

Center For Urban Restoration Ecology
http://www.i-cure.org/
Mission: To restore and enhance the ecological integrity of degraded public lands by doing the following: Engaging in research on the ecological threats to habitats from urbanization and the specific challenges involved in the restoration of these sites; Advancing the science of ecological restoration in areas of changing land use, such as abandoned farm-lands or landfills, contaminated lands, and former industrial sites; Studying the interactions between living organisms and the physical environment of restoration sites; Examining the effectiveness of the techniques and procedures used by restoration ecologists; Monitoring the fate of restored habitats to increase knowledge of how and where ecological restoration is most likely to succeed; and Teaching students and professionals about the science of restoration ecology to provide the local, regional, national, and international communities with trained individuals who can design and implement restoration projects.

Community Crops in Lincoln, NE
www.communitycrops.org/about
Combining Resources, Opportunities, and People for Sustainability increases food security for refugee, immigrant and low-income people in Nebraska through asset-based community development that provides resources and technical assistance to grow, market and add value to locally-grown agricultural products.

Majora Carter Group LLC
www.majoracartergroup.com/
In the late 1990’s Majora Carter took a bold step into the world of urban planning - simultaneously working to shift a Giuliani administration plan from additional waste handling for the South Bronx to positive green development, while scoring a $1.25M Federal Transportation planning grant to design the South Bronx Greenway. This 11 mile network of bike and pedestrian paths connects neighborhoods to the river front and each other with low impact storm water management features, local entrepreneurship opportunities that economically encourage active living and reduce traffic congestion.

Growing Gardens
www.growinggardens.org/
We envision inspired people joining together to actively replenish their environment, their community and themselves. We believe in the power of people to co-create harmony between land, water and all living things for generations to come. Growing Gardens’ mission is to enrich the lives of Boulder County residents through environmentally sustainable gardening programs that empower people to experience a direct and deep connection with plants, the land and each other.



Conclusion
By Vanessa Saccone and Annie Hoffman
Urban ecological restoration projects become increasingly important as people move into cities. As of now, most of us are disconnected from the natural world. If we take steps toward creating natural spaces in cities that involve native landscapes, humans may begin to realize once again our connection to nature rather then seeing it as an outside entity. Let us make it a policy that as the population of a city grows, so does the ecology within that city. This will impact not only every person, but the richness and diversity of our beautiful planet.



Discussion Questions
1. Why is urban restoration important? Who benefits from it?
2. There are a lot of abandoned parking lots and spaces in urban towns and cities. What would be the best use for these spaces? Would you try to restore them to their original habitat or turn them into gardens? Be creative and think about what would best suit the urban community.
3. How do you think consciously bringing nature into our cities with urban ecology and restoration work would begin to bridge the gap between social and economical differences and bring people from all walks of life together?
4. Discuss the concept of, “city as an ecosystem.” Do you think this is a good idea? If people and scientist were to view cities in this way what changes might we see?
5. Many people who live in urban areas cannot afford to take vacations into “nature.” How would urban restoration bring back to life the connection between humans and the natural world?
6. If we changed our perspective from nature is outside of cities to cities are inside of nature, would that effect how people who live in cities manage their green spaces? Would that encourage them to make more green spaces? Why or why not?

Restoration Theory and History

That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology,
but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.
- Aldo Leopold

Introduction

By Alexandra Lukens
Edited by Kristy Butts and Ellen McWade

In 1935, Leopold and his family initiated what is considered the first conscious ecological restoration experiment. It took place on a washed-out sand farm of 120 acres along the Wisconsin River near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Planting thousands of pine trees, restoring prairies, and documenting the ensuing changes in the flora and fauna inspired Leopold to write A Sand Country Almanac. This collection of essays is considered to be a landmark book in the American conservation movement. It has had over two million copies printed and has been translated into nine languages. Ecological Restoration is the study and action of renewing a degraded, damaged and or destroyed ecosystem through human intervention. The scientific field of restoration ecology was first identified and coined in the late 1980s by John Aber and William Jordan. The study of restoration ecology has become a robust and independent scientific discipline only over the last two decades. This chapter contains articles that introduce readers to the theories and practices of ecological restoration founded on the principles of Aldo Leopold. The following articles and chapters will outline what defines the practice of restoration ecology, and what it takes to successfully restore an ecosystem. These articles will also give readers a better understanding of the concepts of restoration theory and how they can be involved, as well as lay out examples of successful case studies that will highlight the positive and profound, effects of restoration work.
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Articles

Article 1: World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century

Article 2: Ecological Restoration: Guidance from Theory

Article 3: Restoration Ecology: Theory and Practice

Article 4: Towards an Ecological Restoration Network: Reversing Land Degradation in Latin America

Article 5: Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects


__________________________________________________________________

Conclusion

By Alexandra Lukens
Edited by Kristy Butts and Ellen McWade

Anyone can be involved and experience inspiring transformations through ecological restoration. Now that you have an understanding of the history, theory, and practice of restoration ecology, you can now continue on to the next chapters for a more detailed explanation of the many aspects that go into the processes of ecological restoration.

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Discussion Questions

1. What challenges will be faced in restoration projects?
2.Who is already engaged in restoration projects and how can we involve more people?
3.How does ecological restoration relate to other aspects of environmentalism?
4.What if a restoration project fails to meet the goals?
5.How can restoration projects be made accessible to everyone (special needs, etc.)?
6.Are we really responsible for the damage of these ecosystems?
7.Why should we restore sites if they are just going to get trampled on again?
8.How can we be sure to care for our own selves, while also repairing damaged land, without burning out?
9. How do we bridge the gulf between ecological restoration theory and practice?
10. What are the major challenges behind ecological restoration?

Who we are, what we do and why we care!

“I know of no restorative of heart, body, and soul

more effective against hopelessness than the restoration of the Earth.”

Barry Lopez - ‘Helping Nature Heal’

By Darla Tiernan

Revised and updated by Jennifer Bohn

This discussion course was conceived in a small classroom at Naropa University in a class entitled “Environmental Service Learning: Ecological Restoration,” with Professor Amy Atkins.

In the Fall of 2008, students created a discussion course about ecological restoration with aim to add it to the Northwest Earth Institute’s series of discussion courses. Along with completing relevant readings and research for class, and participating in several hands-on restoration projects, they succeeded in putting together a six chapter dialogue course on the most current restoration theory, techniques and resources. By December they had a solid manuscript, bound and ready for use, however it was not passed on to NWEI due to semester's end.

A year later, in Fall of 2009, Professor Atkins's "Ecological Restoration" students chose to pick up the project and take the steps necessary to make it available to the public in some way. It was discovered that NWEI publish only the courses that their staff creates, so we decided to offer it to Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) for the purposes of education and community building in the off-season. After reviewing and editing the content and crafting the six chapters into five, the second class reformatted the course book into a blog website that can be accessed through the WRV website. In response to a request from WRV that we look at how they might work with and expand cultural diversity within the organization, an additional commentary on diversity and inclusiveness is attached within the Cultures and Worldviews chapter. There is an opportunity to dialogue around the issues presented with potential to focus the content of those discussions into an official WRV diversity statement.

Both semester's classes worked closely with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) doing our hands-on restoration projects. Aside from the outstanding before/after results of WRV projects, what keeps so many people coming back is the sense of community that is created at these events. Restoration work is fulfilling in so many ways. Aside from the human satisfaction of feeling great about volunteer work, a sense of healing and forgiveness is felt. There is no doubt that humans are responsible for the degradation of the land in most places. Now humans have a chance to bring back a bit of life where it was once taken away. This work provides a sense of satisfaction to the people, the plants, the animals, the rivers, the oceans, the soil, and the air. Harmonious relationships are re-established. There is only one way to fully experience this, and that is to get out there and try it for yourself. You can rest assured that you will find yourself going back for more. Projects range in various levels of difficulty, making it possible for people of all ages to participate.

Our goal is to provide you with some background of why restoration work is so important. We cover theory and historical content; explain how cultures and world views play an important role in restoration and have a significant impact on ecosystems; show you what is possible in urban restoration; reveal the methods of bioremediation; and expound upon the ecosystems and science techniques involved. We further provide you with an extensive list of national and international restoration groups and give you a brief introduction to some tools used in restoration field work. We hope that you find this course as fascinating in practice as we did as we in putting it together. We envision an environment where people regard themselves as a living part of nature, no matter where they live --where the belief is upheld that when someone harms the earth, they harm themselves. When they heal the earth, they heal themselves.