Adaptive restoration: A recipe for making a difference

Combine two essential ingredients: research and restoration. Test alternative approaches while restoring land as field experiments, and use the findings in subsequent projects. Simmer, but don’t boil over, about unwise practices. Instead, tell activists how to use science to protect wetlands, and advise agencies how to improve regulations and plans, e.g., use a watershed approach to restore wetland ecosystem services. Serve the public with stories of science informing restoration. Savor the positive outcomes, e.g., a restored endangered plant, a new National Wildlife Refuge, and urban reserves undergoing restoration instead of development.