Natural Ecological Restoration Principles and Practices

Mastering Natural Ecological Restoration: Principles and Practices for Challenging Sites

Are you ready to move beyond basic ecological concepts and learn how to effectively restore the most challenging landscapes? This comprehensive online course, “Natural Ecological Restoration Principles and Practices,” dives deep into the science and art of assisting nature’s own recovery mechanisms, drawing directly from the field-proven methods pioneered by David Polster.

Discover why conventional approaches often fail on drastically disturbed sites like mines, landslides, industrial areas, and severely eroded slopes. Learn how ecosystems naturally assemble and repair themselves after disturbances, and crucially, how to identify and overcome the specific barriers – like compaction, erosion, toxicity, or invasive species – that prevent ecosystem recovery on your projects.

This course is far more than theory. You will gain practical, implementable skills in ecological restoration and learn to apply powerful, nature-based solutions for land reclamation and stabilization, including:

• Understanding Ecosystem Assembly & Function: Grasp the critical interplay of climate, geology, and biota in ecosystem development and recovery.
• Diagnosing Recovery Filters: Learn to pinpoint the exact abiotic (erosion, compaction, toxicity) and biotic (competition, herbivory) constraints hindering natural regeneration.
• Harnessing Natural Processes: Implement techniques like Rough & Loose surface configurations to control erosion and create resilient conditions for vegetation establishment.
• Mastering Soil Bioengineering Techniques: Get step-by-step guidance (illustrated with clear diagrams!) on a range of powerful methods:
• Wattle Fences: Constructing short retaining walls for steep slope stabilization.
• Live Pole Drains: Effectively managing excess soil moisture and stabilizing slumping soils.
• Modified Brush Layers: Catching debris and initiating vegetation on raveling slopes using logs/boards and cuttings.
• Brush Layers: Using horizontal cuttings for fill reinforcement and slope stability.
• Live Staking & Gravel Bar Staking: Simple, effective methods for stabilizing fine soils, initiating riparian recovery on gravel bars, and controlling erosion.
• Live Smiles: Innovative catenary structures using cuttings’ tensile strength to hold flowing silts.
• Live Reinforced Earth Walls (LAREWs): Combining wattle fences with long cuttings to stabilize undercut slopes and piping failures.
• Live Shade & Live Palisades: Establishing vital overhanging riparian cover and robust bank protection using tripod structures or large posts.
• Pocket & Joint Planting: Integrating vegetation directly into rip-rap for enhanced stability and habitat.
• Live Gully Breaks & Live Silt Fences: Controlling erosion and trapping sediment in channels and ditches.
• Ecological Invasive Species Management: Develop sustainable strategies using ecological principles (shade, competition, timing) that work with succession, not against it.
• Effective Restoration Monitoring: Learn practical methods to track successional trajectories, ecosystem function, soil development, and resiliency to ensure long-term site sustainability.

We understand restoration happens in the real world. Learn how to navigate the practical challenges, balancing powerful ecological strategies with the realities of project timelines and budgets.

Inspired by Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, this course also explores the vital connection between people and the land. Understand the importance of community involvement and the ethical dimensions that turn restoration projects into powerful acts of ecological stewardship and community building.

Who Should Enroll?

This course provides essential knowledge and practical skills for:

• Environmental Consultants
• Reclamation Specialists & Scientists
• Land Managers (Public & Private)
• Restoration Practitioners & Ecologists
• Biologists
• Mine Planners & Environmental Engineers
• Civil Engineers involved in land disturbance/remediation
• Landscape Architects focused on ecological design
• Stewardship Group Leaders & Volunteers
• Students in Environmental Science, Ecology, Forestry, or related fields

Transform your approach to ecological restoration. Move from simply understanding principles to confidently applying effective, nature-based practices learned from decades of experience. Enroll in “Natural Ecological Restoration Principles and Practices” today and gain the skills to bring even the most challenging disturbed sites back to life.