The Ecological Benefits of Positive Public Perception on Public Access Ecological Restorations

Restoration ecologists focus primarily on formulating and implementing actions that enhance the ecological health of the areas where they work. A project begins by closely analyzing the area’s flora, fauna, biota, and physical environment. Then a set of actions is prescribed based on that analysis and the stated goals of the project. As it is not considered relevant to the primary scientific goal of ecological enhancement, how that work is perceived by visitors or passersby is often not prioritized or even considered at all. This can be a missed opportunity.

Support and funding for post-planting management of a restoration project are more likely to be sustained where public perception of that project, including aesthetics and visitor experience, is generally positive. Given that landscape management is commonly underfunded or omitted during the planning stage, a positive public perception after planting can indirectly increase post-planting support for this crucial aspect of restoration.

In addition, projects that have been implemented and/or managed with an eye towards beauty and experiential richness can help generate enthusiasm, and eventual funding for future projects in the municipality or region. If this occurs, the ecological influence of the original project will be expanded well beyond its own borders.

This influence can extend into numerous landscape environments. Much of the current movement towards naturalizing corporate campuses is driven by a desire to improve public relations. While the companies that finance these projects generally have little ability to determine whether the ecological goals have been achieved, they are certainly aware of how their employees and visitors react to what they see. Public relations efforts work best when the public appreciates the results of that effort.

Colleges and universities vie to burnish their ecological credentials. They also need to attract students who may consider the campus’ landscape a factor when considering where to apply. When the decision makers of these and other institutions are considering a landscape restoration project on their properties, what they have seen elsewhere could easily influence their decision. Encountering restorations that combine beauty and ecology in their travels or investigations can contribute to a positive feedback loop. Now, ecological restoration is not a bitter pill for them to swallow to do the right thing but an asset that will be appreciated on multiple levels.

It is certainly true that obtaining funds for ecological restoration is highly competitive. When funds are secured, they are often limited and need to be husbanded wisely. This would seem to make specifying additional plantings purely to enhance public perception an unaffordable luxury. Fortunately, by simply arranging the same species and quantities that have been selected solely on ecological considerations in a manner that is visually and experientially agreeable to visitors, a positive public reaction can be attained at little or no additional cost. In addition, management practices that are primarily formulated to push the vegetative trajectory towards project goals can be tweaked in a manner that enhances user perceptions. In both cases, ‘visitor experience’ is subservient to ‘ecological enhancement.’ Consequently, it need not water down the ecological value of the project or add significant costs.

Planting Methodology

Before we can restore landscapes in a manner that is appreciated by the public, we need to understand what the public appreciates. There have been numerous studies that identify a series of landscape characteristics that commonly elicit favorable human reactions. Psychologists Stephen and Rachel Kaplan of the University of Michigan performed extensive research on this topic (1989) and published numerous papers. The Kaplans’s Theory of Visual Perception points to two common landscape preferences: ‘the Need to Understand’ and ‘the Need to Explore.’ Their Preference Matrix Theory further defines four specific visual cues that tend to satisfy these predilections. The visual cues that tend to provide understanding are ‘coherence’ and ‘legibility.’ Those that foster the need to explore are ‘complexity’ and ‘mystery.’

Figure 1.

Differentiated drifts associated with specific hydrologic conditions and topographical aspect provides ‘legibility’ to this overall scene.

Coherence and Legibility

While the plants that are installed on a particular restoration may be...