Habit Forming: Voices from the Field

We presented a series of habits that highly effective restorationists might follow (Handel 2016), and asked readers to help by adding to the original list of seven. The submitted contributions fell into the categories of social, technical, and motivational. We are grateful for the many efforts of our contributors and wish to share these exceptional ones in the journal.

—The Editors

Social Habits

Habit 8. Build connections with special interest groups

By connecting with special interest groups there are many new avenues that can be taken. Many times these groups may help with funding for the project or just help give ideas of what can be done. They also may have large followings so more information can be relayed to the general population on restoration projects. When this happens, other people consider opportunities to start their own projects.

Seth Lapp
Goshen College, Indiana

Habit 9. Consult with local indigenous communities

Listen to the voices of people with a true historic legacy of conservation. When it comes to a cultural connection with nature, European settler communities leave a lot to be desired. So our role is to collaborate and do so with humility (see Habits 1 and 5). Odds are, your restoration site is on land that was taken from native communities. Mine is. Learn whose land you occupy and what treaties were made on it. Connect with Native American communities and organizations in your region. Ask deep questions, and be prepared to be changed.

Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus
Goshen College, Indiana

Habit 10. Explore environmental justice implications

Remember that restoration can be a biased endeavor. We identify project sites, goals, and timelines based on our perceptions which may be plagued by racism and classism. So we must ask: How might this restoration be received by communities of color and local immigrant communities? Urban working class families? Is a rural site accessible and financially available to the poor urban public? Our work must inspire the next generation of culturally diverse restorationists.

Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus
Goshen College, Indiana

Habit 11. Identify value systems

From policy making in Washington DC to inspiring community involvement, social factors play a crucial role in restoration projects. However, differing values lead people to different ideas of what a restoration project should look like. Being mindful to identify the values from which people are basing their decisions will greatly aid effective communication and compromise in order to elicit restorative action.

Grant Flaming
Goshen College, Indiana

Habit 12. Listen, avoid talking

Spend 80% (or more) of your time listening to the concerns of others, so you can understand their concerns and issues that may affect your project. Careful listening will allow you to gather more information from others, so you will gain data to address their needs relative to the restoration project.

David Ross
NRDAR Restoration Support Unit
Dept. of Interior, Denver, Colorado

Technical Habits

Habit 13. Play detective. Dust off the childhood magnifying glass

Every place is full of secrets and mysteries. Hidden forces create every detail of landscapes. During restorations, every site has clues left by those forces to be uncovered, and there are endless mysteries to solve. When it comes to your land, always keep your eyes open for hints to new leads. By embracing the detective within and uncovering evidence for current conditions, we make positive decisions for restoration. However, just like narratives created by the criminal justice system, our narratives can never fully encompass reality.

Hannah Thill
Goshen College, Indiana

Habit 14. Acknowledge the adaptability of nature

Many of the most incredible aspects of the natural world come from organisms that survive in unlikely places and circumstances. Do everything you can to help these odds-defying populations and habitats persist into the future. Act with optimism and purpose when you discover these survivors in your projects—even if they are unexpected or within an environment that is not the first candidate for restoration work.

Isaac Godshalk
Goshen College, Indiana

Motivational Habits

Habit 15. Have patience

Ecological restoration is an ongoing process that truly never stops. One must have patience do deal with unexpected results, setbacks, and failures. Without patience, it would be very easy for someone...