A woman working on a dune restoration in Australia. (Source: Raphael Ben-Ari)

Overview:

Natural habitats benefit the communities that surround them in a variety of ways. However, those surrounding communities are not always able to participate in habitat conservation or restoration. In the following resources, you will learn about the motivation behind small-scale restoration projects, primarily focusing on the capacity they have to foster community involvement and local stewardship.

Note: For more information about the importance of wetlands, please visit our Development and the Wetlands Professional Development collection.

Objective:

Define the purpose of small-scale restoration projects.

Read:

Article: “Habitat Restoration Isn't Just for Professionals”

This article published on Scientific American’s Observations Blog presents an argument for centering the community in restoration projects. Reflect on the following questions:

• What are some of the obstacles for major conservation efforts listed in this article? How does the author suggest community-based restoration can mitigate these issues?
• Why are the benefits of community-based restoration especially prevalent in small-scale restoration projects?

Reference Material: “Building Urban Resilience with Nature”

In this brief case study from Wetlands International, you will find information about urban wetlands, the services they provide, and the ways they can be incorporated into communities. Reflect on the following questions:

• How do urban wetlands encourage community involvement in restoration projects? How might this influence the purpose or direction of a project?
• The loss of small wetlands due to urbanization can cause a substantial amount of damage over time. How might small-scale restoration projects like wetland construction counteract these losses?

Watch:

Documentary (RT 33:56): “The Road Back Home: Environmental Justice and Wetland Restoration at the Lower 9th”

This documentary directed by Reynaldo Morales explores the perspectives of Lower 9th Ward residents and the scientists working with them on wetland restoration projects. More information about the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle can be found here. Reflect on the following questions:

• Natural disasters unequally impact communities that are at a socioeconomic disadvantage. Why is it important for those communities to have a voice in natural disaster response and mitigation?
• What were the environmental goals of the project highlighted at the end of the documentary? How does that work seek to address environmental justice issues?

Video (RT 3:41): “What is ecological restoration?”

In this video from Morton Arboretum, you will learn about the need for ecological restoration, as well as some examples of restoration projects. Reflect on the following questions:

• How do small-scale projects enable community involvement? How does this involvement, in turn, result in a stewardship for the habitat being restored?
• What are some examples of restoration work mentioned in the video?

Explore:

Online Search Tool: “NOAA’s Living Shorelines Projects”

This online tool catalogs the living shoreline projects supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Browse the points on the map and reflect on the following questions:

• What were the objectives and outcomes of some of the projects you viewed?
• Locate the three projects along Louisiana’s coast. Why were each of these projects developed? How might budget inluence the size and objectives of a restoration project?

Click here to complete the quiz for this module.

What questions do you still have?  Where could you find out more?

Volunteers build the marsh. (Source: PC)

Overview:

Though they cover a smaller area than major projects, small-scale restoration projects still require a great deal of planning and groundwork. Every habitat is unique, and every project manager will have different resources and objectives. No two restoration projects are likely to be the same. In the following resources, you will investigate the methods project managers use to develop restoration projects, as well as the techniques that can help expedite and optimize the process.

Objective:

Explore the methods used to design and implement a small-scale restoration project.

Read:

Project Summary: “Bayou St. John Urban Marsh”

This project summary from Pontchartrain Conservancy outlines the Bayou St. John Urban Marsh Creation Project and provides details on how that project was implemented. Reflect on the following questions:

• What steps did the project managers take in implementing this project?
• Now that the marsh is built, what work might Pontchartrain Conservancy still have left to do?

Reference Material: “Wetlands Project Guidance”

In this reference created by the Wetlands Habitat Council, you will find recommendations for restoration project development on corporate land. Reflect on the following questions:

• Review page 10. Why are partnerships recommended for corporate entities interested in restoration projects? How can partners contribute to the project goals?
• Review page 11. What forms of documentation are necessary for a Conservation Certification? What is the purpose of these documents?

Watch:

Video (RT 4:52): “Lobsterville Beach Grass Restoration Project”

In this short video from Martha's Vineyard Productions, members and employees of the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah provide an overview of the Lobsterville Beach Grass Restoration Project, which was developed in order to protect the wetlands and infrastructure of the area from erosion. Reflect on the following questions:

• After project design and planning, what was the first step of the project?
• How did community members contribute to this project? How did their volunteer efforts contribute to the overall progress of the restoration project?
• What role does monitoring play in this project? How will it help other agencies?

Deep Dive Webinar (RT 2:03:52): “Wetland Restoration Techniques”

In this webinar produced by BCWF Wetland Education Program, Thomas R. Biebighauser explains various techniques used in the past and currently to restore wetland habitats. Reflect on the following questions:

• What techniques does the speaker advise against when building a wetland? Why?
• How does funding availability impact the techniques and practices that are recommended for a wetland restoration project?

Explore:

Certification Document: California State Water Board Certification Order for Small Habitat Restoration Projects

This document created by the California State Water Resources Control Board lists the eligibility requirements for a project to qualify as a “small habitat restoration project.” Review the information on Page 1 and reflect on the following questions:

• What stakeholder groups might be interested in designing a project similar to the examples given on page 1?
• What are the limits for project size?

Click here to complete the quiz for this module.

What questions do you still have?  Where could you find out more?

A mangrove restoration site where most of the trees died. (Source: KAS Kodikara)

Overview:

There are a number of challenges that can arise when developing a restoration project. Even when a project is relatively small, there is the potential for any number of setbacks in the form of stakeholder disagreements, biological factors, and natural disasters. In the following resources, you will explore some of the obstacles project managers might encounter when planning, implementing, and monitoring small-scale restoration projects.

Objective:

Identify the challenges associated with small-scale restoration.

Read:

Report: “Bayou St. John Urban Marsh Monitoring Plan 2014 - 2019”

With this report from Pontchartrain Conservancy, you will revisit the Bayou St. John Urban Marsh Creation Project discussed in Module 2 to investigate the obstacles that have arisen since the project’s initial implementation. Reflect on the following questions:

• Review the section titled “Vegetation” beginning on Page 25. How does frequent flooding impact the vegetative cover of the constructed marsh?
• Refer to the sections titled “Other Activities” on Page 29. What is listed as another major consequence of frequent flooding in the marsh? What work has been done to address this issue?

Project Timeline: “Don’t mall our Princess: The story of the struggle to save Princess Vlei”

With this resource produced by Princess Vlei Forum, you will read about the steps the Forum took over several years to be able to restore and protect the vlei neighboring their community. Reflect on the following questions:

• Why did it take so long for the Princess Vlei Forum to be officially recognized by the city as a community partner?
• What environmental justice issues are apparent in this case study? How did the area’s history impact the health of the surrounding natural areas?
• Why are invasive species important to monitor when conducting or planning a restoration project?

Watch:

Video (RT 6:20): “Restoring San Francisco Bay’s wetlands one native plant at a time”

This news segment from PBS NewsHour covers the various perspectives on a proposed tax to fund wetland restoration efforts in San Francisco Bay. Reflect on the following questions:

• What complaints do some taxpayers have about the proposed tax?
• How can this disagreement among community members be compared to those surrounding other restoration projects?
• When might different stakeholder groups have conflicting ideas about a restoration project or technique?

Deep Dive Webinar (RT 2:00:00): “Managing Invasive Species in Wetland Restoration Projects: Considerations for Common Reed, Reed Canary Grass, Purple Loosestrife, Nutria and Feral Hogs”

In this webinar presented by The Association of State Wetland Managers, researchers representing a variety of organizations discuss the process of invasive species management in conjunction with wetland restoration projects. Reflect on the following questions:

• Use the arrows on the video viewer to navigate to Part 3. How do the behaviors of feral swine directly impact the water quality of wetlands? What other problems do feral swine cause?
• Navigate to Part 9. How can Reed Canarygrass invasions be reversed? Why is invasion reversal considered unrealistic according to scientific literature on the subject?

Explore:

Article: “How Hurricanes Shape Wetlands in Southern Louisiana”

In this article published by Smithsonian Ocean, Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoyl outlines an additional challenge for wetland restoration projects near Louisiana’s coast. Reflect on the following questions:

• The last paragraph of the article addresses the regrowth after Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent damage caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. What does this suggest about the damage a hurricane can do to a constructed wetland or an ongoing wetland restoration project?
• How might project managers anticipate and mitigate storm damage when designing a small-scale project?

Click here to complete the quiz for this module.

What questions do you still have?  Where could you find out more?

Monitoring the marsh (Source: PC)

Overview:

It is important to analyse the success or failure or a project in order to understand whether the methods and design were appropriate and what recommendations should be made for future projects. In the following resources, you will learn about the tools and methods used to evaluate restoration projects via reference materials and case studies.

Objective:

Learn about the tools and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration projects.

Read:

Q&A: “Ask a Scientist: How do You Know that a Wetland Restoration is Successful?”

This article published by The Wetlands Initiative, Iza Redlinski explains how researchers there measure the success of the wetland restoration projects they carry out. Reflect on the following questions:

• What are some of the metrics Redlinski suggests can be used to determine how close a habitat is to being properly restored?
• How did the researchers in the article use quadrants to conduct a plant survey?
• Will monitoring within the first 3-5 years of a project’s implementation give a holistic view of its success? Why or why not?

Reference Material: “Sri Lanka: Learning from Failure – Mixed Results of Post-tsunami Mangrove Restoration”

With this resource from The Society for Ecological Restoration, you will learn about mangrove restoration in multiple sites throughout Sri Lanka. Scroll down to use the web page’s accordion feature and access details about the project. Reflect on the following questions:

• Refer to the section titled “Project Outcomes.” Were these plantings able to recover ecosystem functionality? What information did you use to come to your conclusion?
• Refer to the section titled “Key Lessons Learned.” What lessons about partnerships and community involvement are listed? What lessons about monitoring before and after project implementation are listed?

Watch:

Video (RT 7:29): “The Restoration of Long Creek. An Urban Stream Gets New Life.”

This video from the US Ecological Protection Agency details a restoration initiative that brought together numerous stakeholders. Reflect on the following questions:

• Refer back to the first Reading Material in this module. What metrics might the EPA use to determine if the urban stream was restored effectively?
• What successes were there in terms of community involvement and outreach?

Webinar (RT 15:00): “Evaluating the Ecological Performance of Compensatory Mitigation”

In this webinar presented by the The Association of State Wetland Managers, you will learn about the principles of compensatory mitigation, as well as how researchers evaluate it in practice. This module will focus on Part 1, but you can access Parts 2-8 of the webinar using the links in the description below the video. Reflect on the following questions:

• In Part 1 of the webinar, what are some examples listed as the “Major Reasons for Failure” in wetland restoration?
• Have any of these examples been evident in the projects outlined in this Module? If so, where?

Explore:

Fact Sheet: "What is remote sensing?"

This resource from NOAA's National Ocean Service explains the science and uses of remote sensing. Reflect on the following questions:

• How can remote sensing be used to assess the success of a restoration project?
• When might project managers use remote sensing to analyze an area? When might other methods be more appropriate?

Book Excerpt: “Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act”

This excerpt available via the National Academies Press outlines factors that can impact the efficacy of mitigation projects on a given site. Reflect on the following questions:

• Scroll through the pages to find different factors that influence success. How do these factors complicate the process of evaluating a project for success? 
• How does wetland size (Pages 36-37) impact the rate at which a wetland removes pollutants from the water? What conclusion is drawn from this information at the end of the section?

Click here to complete the quiz for this module.

What questions do you still have?  Where could you find out more?