restoration standards

The Society for Ecological Restoration has released the Third Edition of the International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration, and this episode is less of a book review than a reflection on what these new Standards reveal about our profession.

In this conversation I explore how ecological restoration has evolved over the past two decades through the lenses of justice, human health and livelihoods, climate readiness, accountability, and communities of practice. I also share why I think the first four principles form the philosophical heart of the new edition, where I'm still wrestling with the Restorative Continuum, and what I hope future editions might look like.

A few hot takes...

• Ecological restoration has grown from a conversation among ecologists into a global movement involving Indigenous Nations, communities, governments, planners, policymakers, and funders.

• The addition of the word "native" isn't just a definition change - it helps clarify ecological restoration's identity within the much broader ecosystem restoration movement.

• The Third Edition reflects a profession becoming more people-centered, climate-ready, accountable, and connected to public policy.

• Standards don't just describe good practice - they reveal what a profession values, who is participating in the conversation, and where it may be headed next.

• The future of restoration won't be shaped only by better science, but by welcoming new voices, new perspectives, and new ways of knowing.

Read them critically. Celebrate what resonates. Challenge what doesn't. The best standards aren't static documents sitting on a shelf... idling in the nether regions of our computer networks... or chilling five clicks into the SER website. They're invitations into an ongoing conversation.

Read the Grove & Grit Substack essay

Society for Ecological Restoration — International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration (Third Edition)

 Gann, G.D., McDonald, T., Walder, B., Aronson, J., Nelson, C.R., Hallett, J.G., Guariguata, M.R., Gonzales, E.K., Hua, F., Echeverría, C., Eisenberg, C., Liu, J., Decleer, K., Barr, Z.E., Bartholomew, D.C., Best, M., Chazdon, R., Cliquet, A., Cortina-Segarra, J., Kalirai, H., MacCallum, K., Mosyaftiani, A., Pedrini, S., Young, R. and Dixon, K.W. (2026), International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration. Third edition. Restor Ecol, 34: e70441. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70441

A special thank you to Madrone Grove Adaptation & Restoration for supporting this episode and for advancing climate-ready ecological restoration throughout the Pacific Northwest. Want to work with me?

Opening and closing music by: Jessie Villa & The Parrisian