Nature's Restoration: People and Places on the Front Lines of Conservation

Across America and around the world, people are

working to help nature heal itself. In Bermuda, a man

single-handedly grows thousands of trees on a small

island to restore nesting habitat for a rare seabird. In

Illinois, legions of volunteers replant prairies in the

shadows of freeways. In Virginia, a farmer works to

bring back the mighty American chestnut.

What drives these individuals? How did their passions

come about, and what are the implications for

restoring the environment? Nature’s Restoration: People and Places on the

Front Lines of Conservation is a lyrical look at these and other examples

of ordinary citizens aiming to return sizable tracts of the American

landscape to nature, and to health. They’ve found success in preserving

rare species, reversing negative ecological trends, and promoting

greater intimacy with nature.

Yet the work is far from simple. Restoration projects are often in the

news not only because of the promise they hold, but also because of

the controversy they provoke. Based on detailed reporting and numerous

interviews, Nature’s Restoration puts us on the front lines of

restoration to learn how this burgeoning national movement shapes

both places and people.