Ecosystem Restoration + Mending Our Relationship with Nature
On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and its importance in protecting and providing for people + balancing the earth’s natural resource cycles. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect people and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate.
Episode Transcript
“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”
Episode Agenda
In this episode, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and it’s role in protecting and providing for people and planet.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate – yes the one in the yellow can & bottle! Guayaki is more than just a yerba mate brand - they're focused on personal, social, ecological and cultural regeneration through their commitment to regenerative practices, such as partnerships with Indigenous South American communities to grow yerba mate and steward rainforests. Yerba mate is a naturally caffeinated drink that comes in a variety of formats from loose leaf to cans to bottles. Guayaki’s mate is all organic, non-GMO and sure to make you come to life with all the goodness packed inside. Visit their website linked in this episode's show notes to learn more and find it near you.
Topic Background Info
There has never been a more crucial time to restore our ecosystems. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. We are seeing this first hand all over the world, and those who have contributed least to the degradation— namely BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities— are experiencing the impacts first and worst.
Ecologists in the early 20th century believed that ecological harm could be reversed if harmful practices ended. However, by the 1960s, ecologists were beginning to write about the idea that an ecosystem can be so damaged that it loses the ability to repair itself. Decades later, the news and IPCC reports are making it very clear that we are very close to reaching that point, and with recent discoveries that rainwater is now unsafe to drink due to forever chemicals like PFAS, some might argue that we’re already there. That’s why we must prioritize the preservation and restoration of ecosystems that have been destroyed and can no longer regenerate themselves.
So what is ecosystem restoration?
Ecosystem restoration is the act of giving nature the ability to replenish the Earth. Our planet has the ability to heal itself and restore balance through the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles which distribute and balance essential nutrients to all living organisms. These complex, yet perfectly working cycles create the well-balanced ecosystems we live and thrive in. Native plants and animals, clean air, water, soil, and human respect for nature are all necessary components of a healthy ecosystem. Restoration aims to reintroduce these natural properties to ecosystems in order for the cycles to renew and self-regulate the environment. Human-caused environmental degradation in tandem with the removal of indigenous people upsets this balance to such a severe degree that ecosystems cannot restore equilibrium by themselves. The responsibility falls on humans to rectify the harm we’ve caused to nature and ultimately ourselves. The importance of ecosystem restoration not only amounts to beauty, it purifies the air we breath, the water we drink, the soil we grow our food from, and the relationship we have with nature.
Those were the words of one of IE’s research fellows, Ramsey Elshiwick (rum-zee el-shu-wick).
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ecosystem degradation can lead to more frequent and dramatic weather events, drinking water contamination, decreases in water availability and air quality, ocean pollution, an increase of disease in humans and animals, and loss in land productivity.
In 2020, Project Drawdown released a report outlining actions that should be taken to effectively address climate change. Ecosystem restoration and preservation projects— like coastal wetland and tropical forest restoration, peatland protection, and restoring abandoned farmland— were very well represented on this list due to their ability to sequester carbon. But even without the current state of climate catastrophe we’re experiencing right now, there will always be a need for ecosystem restoration. Restoring our ecosystems can reverse air and water pollution, recover native biodiversity, preserve plant and animal species, balance the carbon cycle, increase access to green spaces, in addition to mitigating some of the impacts of climate change. Ecosystem restoration also gives us an opportunity to mend and deepen our relationship with the planet.
Robin Wall Kimmerer once said, “repair of ecosystem structure and function alone is insufficient— restoration of a respectful, reciprocal relationship to the natural world is also essential for long term success. In many cases, it is not only the land that has been broken, it’s our relationship to the land that has been broken. So our work in restoration needs to heal that relationship, as well as the land.”
California State University East Bay Associate Professor, Enrique Salmon explains it this way: [0:07- 0:57, https://youtu.be/8SFzfBgJOi8]. Professor Salmon has coined the term “kincentric ecology” [0:1:19-1:58, https://youtu.be/8SFzfBgJOi8]
This concept emphasizes the fact that we as humans are keystone species to our environments. Our presence in nature significantly impacts the ecosystems of this world. Kincentric ecology can be a useful framework to understand our interconnected relationship to nature while highlighting the importance of climate justice and ecosystem restoration. To destroy nature is to destroy humanity. To restore it is to restore ourselves.
Ecosystem restoration is more than just planting hundreds of trees and hoping that will save the world alone. We’ve tried that. Most tree planting efforts prioritize the number of seedlings planted over tree maintenance, biodiversity, and working with local communities.
For example, in 1978 officials in China began a tree planting campaign to stop the rapid expansion of the Gobi Desert, which has become the fastest growing desert on Earth due to mass deforestation, overgrazing, and high winds that speed up erosion. The program, nicknamed the Great Green Wall, [aimed at planting trees along a 4,500 kilometer stretch](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/planting-trees-climate-change-carbon-capture-deforestation#:~:text=The concerns are myriad%3A There's,very different amounts of carbon.), has now involved millions of seedlings being hand planted and dropped from airplanes. A 2011 analysis showed that up to 85% of the plantings failed because the species of tree chosen were nonnative and couldn’t survive such an arid environment.
This isn’t to deter people from planting trees, but to encourage that those who do, ensure the trees planted can thrive and contribute positively to the ecosystems they will now inhabit.
Proper ecosystem restoration requires understanding the historical context of the landscape, knowing what plants and animals will thrive there, and engaging the people who live in the area.
Restoration efforts that don’t incorporate community input have an increased likelihood of failure. That’s why organizations are beginning to take on restoration projects that actively engage local communities in all parts of the process. Community-based solutions not only produce the traditional benefits of ecosystem restoration projects, but also offer the ability to center indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, address economic wellbeing within the community, prioritize individual and community wellbeing, and contribute to community autonomy, stewardship, and self-determination.
In Uganda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is working in the eastern part of the country to enhance the resiliency of the lands and communities that depend on the lands for their livelihoods. This initiative is supporting farmer managed natural regeneration to implement forest landscape restoration. The program has trained local farmers and technical personnel in 3 districts to promote the regeneration of lands that had once been cleared for farming. Not only does this project help increase tree cover and biodiversity, but it allows residents to become active contributors to the ecosystem restoration.
Author of Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Williams College, Dr. Laura J. Martin explains that knowing the history of ecological restoration, its pitfalls and predecessors and how the past has led to where we are today, is powerful knowledge to have in order to empower people to become, what Martin calls, “agents of political change.”
Ecosystem restoration brings back biodiversity and, if done right, has the potential to increase and evolve environmentalism to become more inclusive and intersectional.
The future needs of ecological restoration work is not simply about a shift in technological measures and applications—it also calls for a necessary cultural shift. A shift in mindset and upliftment of women, LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC, youth, and ancestral/elder voices, needs, political power, and knowledge. Embedded within the need to restore ecosystems is the need to also address and rectify social imbalances and create a more equitable future for all. Currently, only about 30 percent of jobs in the restoration ecology field are held by women, and within that 30% women of color make up less than 25% of the workforce.
As Indian scientist and ecological activist Vandana Shiva once said: [43:14-44:54, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soBLeuRGnSQ
Ecosystem restoration must include all perspectives in order to be successful. As Indigi-queer land steward Tiffany Joseph explains: [4:55-5:35, https://youtu.be/iYUo2er-jdw ]
Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.
In doing restoration work it is important to understand a project holistically— understanding the historical, social, and economic impacts in addition to the environmental benefits.
Featured Story
Deep underwater you can find a plethora of animals and plants like king ragworms, kelp forests, and sea anemones living on the ocean’s floor. In the swath of ocean connecting the United Kingdom, Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean, and the western part of Africa, the sea floor is also home to ruins from the traumatic, gruesome journeys of the Atlantic slave trade. According to the trans-atlantic slave trade database, approximately 35,000 ships were used to bring over 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic between the 15th and 19th centuries. During this time, an estimated 500 to 1,000 ships wrecked before reaching their final destination, but only five have been found and two have been adequately documented.
Diving with a Purpose is one of the many organizations working to bring this history to the surface and honor the nearly 2 million Africans who lost their lives during these voyages. Diving to bring life to these stories has also opened the door for opportunities for crucial underwater ecosystem restoration work within the organization.
[0:01-1:32, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/09/17/cfc-whitfield.cnn ]
The organization provides educational and training programs to youth and adults in coral reef ecosystem restoration and maritime archaeology, with a mission to research and restore the coral ecosystem and to educate and empower traditionally disenfranchised people and coastal communities. The organization’s work with both African American youth and adults across the U.S and the Caribbean is not just about their maritime archaeology and ecological restoration work. The purpose of **the organization includes inner work. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/us/cnn-films-shorts-diving-with-a-purpose-charles-todd/index.html
In 2021, a documentary called “Lessons from the Water: Diving with a Purpose” was created in partnership with CNN Films. The opening of the documentary addresses the stereotype that Black Americans are afraid of the water. In an interview with the documentary’s director and filmmaker, Charles Todd, he shared: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/us/cnn-films-shorts-diving-with-a-purpose-charles-todd/index.html
[9:44-10:28, https://youtu.be/tUnxBQzzPCA ]
Using outreach, data collection, and scientific study, Diving with a Purpose is reconnecting links to historical events and restoring crucial underwater ecosystems. The organization also helps young people develop tangible skills and a hands on understanding of why restoring our marine ecosystems is essential:
[ 3:36-3:56, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/09/17/cfc-whitfield.cnn ]
Topic Related Calls To Action
How can you get involved in ecosystem restoration?
While it’s important to ensure that our elected officials are advancing ecosystem restoration, there are ways we can all get involved as individuals.
Volunteer on a restoration project. Tons of projects are already underway. Find one near you and get involved. The Society for Ecological Restoration has a great database of restoration projects happening all over the world.
Support the cultivation of native species in whatever space you have to do so— whether that be a backyard or a balcony. Just imagine how beautiful it would be to look outside your window and see butterflies.
Remember, ecosystem restoration starts with ecosystem preservation and protection. Join a neighborhood cleanup or start your own! Follow Tuesdays for Trash (@tuesdaysfortrash) on Instagram created by Sharona Snyder to get inspired to make an impact wherever you go.
Conclusion
Positive News Stories
Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:
Oakland, CA will become one of the first cities in the US to return land to indigenous groups. In early September the city council approved 5 acres of a city-owned park land be returned to select local indigenous organizations
Chicago, Illinois just announced that it will become the sixth city in the US [committed to powering](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/chicago-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-at-city-facilities-by-2025/629614/#:~:text=Chicago will become the sixth,using renewables to some extent.) 100% of its municipal buildings with renewables or zero-emissions power by 2025.
The Bureau of Land Management recently announced project allocations for $26 million received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to begin the work of ecosystem restoration following the Department of the Interior’s allocation of more than $68 million for 125 ecosystem restoration projects in over 20 states, Tribes and territories. The BLM expects to fund dozens of projects across the country in 2022 from the additional dollars.
Returning for the 2022 season, The Fort Belknap Indian Community and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Grassland Restoration Project features trainings for Native youth from the Aaniiih and Nakoda tribes to collect data and seeds that can be used to restore prairie grasslands. The training also aims to empower young tribal members by teaching them how to heal the land.
IE + Community Updates
And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:
A friendly reminder to follow our events page on Instagram at Earthsessions dot IE (earthsessions.ie) to keep up to date on upcoming in-person events if you haven’t done so already. A huge thank you to everyone who has come to one of our Earth Sessions shows so far! We have lots of exciting activities in the works so stay tuned :)
This is the final episode of season 1 of The Joy Report, and we just want to say thank you! The goal of this podcast is to share positive climate news and solutions so listeners can feel inspired to learn more and get involved in the fight to preserve our planet. I sincerely hope we’ve been able to do just that. I hope you’ve felt inspired by to learn more about new topics, and encouraged to continue contributing to the creation of a better world. Together we’ve explored joy in movements and radical imagination; learned more about the Landback movement and the need for cannabis justice as an essential part of environmental justice and liberation; we spoke to experts about making the outdoors more inclusive and about energy justice; we explained the importance of regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and acknowledging the rich history and relationships cultures all over the world have had with plant-based diets for centuries, and we shared some lessons learned from the resurgence of the labor movement.
We quoted one of IE’s favorite authors, Robin Wall Kimmerer, often, specifically writings from her 2015 book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, because there seemed to be a perfect quote to pull for nearly every topic we discussed this season. If you haven’t done so already, the team at IE strongly encourages you to read this book.
Through it all, you have listened with open hearts and minds and provided us with helpful feedback so that we can continue to learn and grow together. For that, and so much more, I want to again say thank you. If you haven’t done so already, please make sure to leave us a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Tell a friend how much you’ve enjoyed listening to the podcast, and let us know on social media what topics you hope we explore next season.
Thank you to all the contributors of this season— the land stewards, activists, and revolutionaries whose stories we had the privilege of spotlighting during this first season. Your work inspires us to stay involved and reminds us that we belong in this space.
Finally I personally want to thank the incredible team at IE for bringing this podcast to life. Special shoutouts to IE’s Co-Founder, Media Lead, and The Joy Report producer, Phil Aiken, who asked if I could be a part of this beautiful project and makes sure everything runs smoothly; our incredible researchers Jarre Hamilton and Ramsey Elshiwick; Eileen Tran, our Creative Director behind our website, episode teaser reels, and the beautiful graphics associated with the podcast; Mikayla Byfield and Amira Chandi Dhanoa for their support on script editing throughout the season; and the reason all of our transitions flow and we have good music for the podcast, our audio Engineer Kayin Malcom.
Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action
As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.
I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Joy Report. See you next season!
