Example of a remnant approach: the Curtis Prairie restoration project, on an abandoned farm that is now part of the Arboretum of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Restoration began in 1936 and is the oldest documented prairie restoration project in North America. Photo by John Rieger. The Curtis Prairie restoration project, on an abandoned farm that is now part of the Arboretum of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, began in 1936 and is the oldest documented prairie restoration project in North America. Photo by John Rieger.

Restoration is an important part of the puzzle as we look to create a world that can be sustained into the future. But restoration requires more than just an understanding of the ecology of a system. In order for a restoration project to be successful, it has to be designed with an eye to finance and politics. In Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration, experts John Rieger, John Stanley, and Ray Traynor draw on their decades of experience conducting restoration projects in the real world to offer a framework for making restoration successful, which they introduce in this excerpt. Remember, if you'd like to learn more, you can enter to win a copy of the book below.