What is Eco Restoration?

Eco Restoration:

Eco restoration, or ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Degradation refers to the long-term effects of human action that result in the loss of biodiversity and disruption of the ecosystem’s functionality. Damage refers to a direct, harmful impact such as road building and poaching. Destruction refers to the most severe impacts, resulting from land clearing, mining, urbanization, and more. 

Goals of Eco Restoration:

Eco restoration is a very important part of protecting the environment and reversing the damage that we as humans have already caused. It seeks to initiate or accelerate recovery in ecosystems. Ideally, these restoration actions will return the land to its historic trajectory. Most eco restoration practices take years to establish and even longer for partial or hopefully eventually full recovery. While eco restoration is used to help restore lost biodiversity and function to an ecosystem, it’s abilities shouldn’t be used to justify damage and unsustainable practices. It is just one aid in helping the climate change fight and cannot be a replacement for conservation. 

Eco Restoration Projects:

New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site – Marsh Island Restoration
The restoration project encompasses directly restoring 12 acres of filled tidal marshes on Marsh Island nearby New Bedford Harbor and Acushnet River in Fairhaven, MA. Those involved are restoring the marsh by removing the fill to reestablish the correct marsh elevations. The project also involves planting native marsh species and building a walking trail with spots to look out over the marsh. The first phase of the restoration project was completed in 2023, with about 7 acres of the salt marsh restored. They have 5 more acres of the tidal wetland habitat to restore for completion of the project.

Pakistan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami
The overall goal of this project was to revive Pakistan’s forest and wildlife resources and improve the overall conservation of existing protected areas. The project also involved encouraging eco-tourism, community engagement, and job creation. The project was launched in 2019 and in June 2021 it reach the milestone of planting the billionth tree. This is an example of a large scale initiative that is important in the fight against climate change and in bringing awareness to the issue. Over 24 percent of Pakistan’s population lives in poverty and have a higher dependency on natural resources making it ever so important to curb the effects of climate change. 

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
This eco restoration project at the Coastal Delaware National Wildlife Refuge Complex has already been completed. The coastal marsh habitats of the Prime Hook Refuge were rapidly declining due to a multitude of factors from the installation of tide gates in the 1980s to the effects of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The end goal of the project was to ‘restore the tidally influence hydrology and reestablish the salt marsh habitat.’ In 2015 more than one million cubic yards of dredged sediment was placed in various spots in the project area for the restoration of sand dunes, beaches, and back-barrier platforms. They also dredged more than 25 tidal channels within the marsh system following historic patterns to restore the flow of saltwater through the interior marsh complex. It is one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects on the east coast of the US and is proof of the positive impacts of these sorts of restorations.

Community Mangrove Restoration Project Madagascar
Mangroves are extremely important as the effects of climate change worsen. They protect and stabilize coastlines, and act as carbon sinks. In the Melaky region of Madagascar, locals are taking action to restore mangrove habitats that have been lost. Since 2015, men, women, and children of the village community, Manombo, have all been doing their part. During a reforestation campaign, the community planted around 9,000 mangrove seedlings to restore degraded forests around the village. These mangrove restoration efforts benefit local communities and help to build climate change resilience.

Broad Meadow Brook Stream Restoration Project
The Broad Meadow Brook wetland is located at the headwaters of the Blackstone River watershed in Worcester, MA. It has been degraded by poor water quality, invasive plants, and the alteration of natural water flows, and is unable to sustain the typical role of watersheds in preventing flooding. The damaged environment also harms the fish and wildlife in the area that need clean water.
The restoration project intends to improve water quality, flood storage capacity, and native wildlife habitat value, as well as to reduce flood risk in nearby neighborhoods. They want to restore the habitat so that it may return to the self-sustaining wetland ecosystem it once was. They also would like it to be accessible for residents and visitors to enjoy and learn from.

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