©Stephen Glass
The RRC provides a searchable database of restoration projects from around the world intended to serve as a resource for practitioners, researchers, educators, students, and the general public. Projects have been freely contributed by users of the SER website, or have been compiled from publicly available information by SER staff or other designees of SER. Expand the filter tool below to search for projects by country, region, biome, ecosystem, cause of degradation, or any combination of these factors.
Although SER does review all submissions for relevance, quality, and completeness before approving them for inclusion in the database, they are not subjected to peer review nor has project information been independently verified in the field. SER therefore makes no claim as to the accuracy of the information presented here or the degree to which the methods, techniques, and strategies used for a particular project adhere to generally accepted standards for ecological restoration practice. Anyone interested in learning more about a particular project is encouraged to contact the project lead or the responsible organization directly for further information.
If you have field experiences you’d like to share, we encourage you to submit your own project to the database!
The Project Database is generously supported by Stantec
USA: Chicago: The Wild Mile Urban River Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Wild Mile is an on-going project to restore a mile-long stretch of the Chicago River on the urbanized North Branch Canal in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Wild Mile will be a floating ecopark - an innovative solution to enhance ecology along concrete-channelized river in a heavily industrialized area. Unique from previous park installations focused on recreation, the main objective is to reintroduce riparian and emergent landscapes, encouraging wildlife to return to the city. The park will...Mexico: Participatory approaches to ecological restoration in Hildago
Country: Mexico
Abstract: In the State of Hidalgo (Mexico), a participatory approach to forest restoration was launched with the objective of recovering the productive capacity of forests, which is essential for biodiversity conservation and for the economic well-being of local communities. Hidalgo, with a population of 2,354,885 inhabitants, covers an area of 20,987 km2 in the center of the country. It has a wide variety of ecosystems in tropical, temperate and semi-arid climates. Poor management of natural resources...Madagascar: The Fandriana Marolambo Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) Project
Country: Madagascar
Abstract: In 2005, WWF began a Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) project Madagascar’s Fandriana-Marolambo region. Forest landscape restoration aims to restore forest functions in deforested and degraded landscapes through explicitly recognizing the human and ecological benefits of restoration. Fandriana-Marolambo is home to 150,000 people from three ethnic groups, situated in a moist tropical forest ecosystem consisting of fragmented forests interspersed with savannah, exotic plantations, and fields....México: Applying traditional ecological knowledge to forest restoration in Lacandon forest
Country: Mexico
Abstract: The Lacadon forest is one of the most biologically diverse regions of Central America, located within the UNESCO Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in Southern Chiapas, México, but it is under imminent threat from human disturbance. The Lacadon Maya people lived in harmony with the forest, farming and preserving it through traditional land use systems. Beginning in the 1970s, globalization and displacement increased the migration of people unfamiliar with traditional Lacadon agriculture into the...Sri Lanka: Learning from Failure – Mixed Results of Post-tsunami Mangrove Restoration
Country: Sri Lanka
Abstract: In 2004, the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami invigorated the Sri Lankan government and people to turn their attention to restoring the country’s mangrove stands to prevent such catastrophic damage from future disasters. It has an area of approximately square 65,610km with a coastline of about 1,620km on the Indian Ocean. Mangrove restoration projects were launched in Sri Lanka covering over 2,000 hectares. However, over 80% of these projects failed. Kondikara et al. 2017 conducted an...The Blaauwberg large-scale Sand Fynbos restoration project, Cape Town
Country: South Africa
Abstract: The project addresses restoration of critically endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos in Cape Town. In 2012 funding was sourced to clear 96 ha of dense Acacia saligna stands and to investigate optimal restoration approaches while promoting co-learning among stakeholders. 32 ha were cleared using “Fell & Burn” and the remainder by “Fell & Stack” methods. Follow-up control was done annually. Native seed was collected from nearby remnants and some propagation done to reintroduce...Nusa Islands Coral Reef Restoration Project – Bali, Indonesia
Country: Indonesia
Abstract: The Nusa Islands Restoration Project was started in 2018 as an attempt to reverse the degradation of reef areas along the northern coastline of Nusa Penida Island, Bali, Indonesia. The reef is an important source of income from tourism activities (diving & snorkeling), but has been subjected to a variety of impacts resulting in mechanical damage and unstable rubble. Impacted areas are not recovering naturally, but are rather increasing in size. Therefore, restoration is needed in an area of...Harbor Brook Daylighting Project, Meriden, Connecticut
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Central Meriden, located in New Haven County, Connecticut, is continuously devastated by flooding. Centuries of urbanization and loss of wetland habitats have led to these ruinous disturbances. Local resident taxes, along with resources provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, furnished the rehabilitation project of the main “Hub” of Meriden. Milone & MacBroom, Inc. were called upon to analyze and develop a plan for reform. Economic development and reduction of flooding hazards...Hydrology LIFE – Restoration of peatlands, small water bodies and bird lakes in Finland
Country: Finland
Abstract: The Hydrology LIFE project safeguards peatlands, small water bodies and important bird lakes in 103 Finnish Natura 2000 areas. During the last few decades, these environments have undergone major changes, including the drainage of more than 60% of Finland’s original peatland area for large-scale forestry. Drainage and alterations in hydrology have also resulted in the loss of open water areas and the habitat they provide for birds. The restoration measures being undertaken as part of the...Ecohydrological restoration of Burns Bog, British Columbia, Canada
Country: Canada
Abstract: Burns Bog is a 3,000 ha raised bog located in southwest British Columbia, Canada. Beginning in the 1930s, the bog underwent 50 years of industrial peat extraction, resulting in an extensive network of drainage ditches that lowered the water table and allowed the establishment of trees and other non-bog plant species. Much of the original margin of the bog has been converted to other land uses, such as industrial operations and agriculture. In 2004, Burns Bog was purchased by four levels of...Healthy Forest, Healthy Wildlife: The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Wilds is a non-profit center dedicated to environmental conservation through science, education, and visitor personal experience. While The Wilds is most well-known for its exotic animals, most of The Wilds' land is actually devoted to native conservation and restoration after agriculture and surface mining for coal in the late 20th century removed most of the region's forests. Sections mined before 1976 tended to be reclaimed as forest and often have poorly developed soils with...USA: New Jersey: Mount Rose Preserve Forest Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Mount Rose Preserve Forest Restoration Project is sited within an area of the Mount Rose Preserve in Hopewell, NJ, comprised of forests over a hundred years old but with a very limited forest understory due to deer overbrowse. The primary restoration goal is to re-establish a diverse, structurally complex understory such as found within the target reference ecosystem. A secondary goal is to innovate and communicate locally appropriate forest restoration practices. Additional goals include...USA: Vermont: EDRR Management of Japanese knotweed following extreme flooding
Country: United States of America
Abstract: In response to the floods following tropical storm Irene, and the potential for a significant increase in the Japanese knotweed popuation, the state of Vermont hired a coordinator to develop and carry out an early detection & rapid response (EDRR) work plan to eliminate as many of these new plants as possible, using only manual labor. Removal work was carried out eleven to thirteen months after Irene, along four river systems. During removal work, morphological data was collected from...Madagascar: Restoration initiatives of degraded humid forests in the World Heritage site “Rainforests of the Atsinanana”
Country: Madagascar
Abstract: In collaboration with local communities, the project aims to assess the state of degradation and start restoration activities in three national parks that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Rainforests of the Atsinanana”, one of the most important and representative habitats of Madagascar humid forests with exceptional levels of biodiversity. These rainforests are currently placed in the World Heritage in Danger list, and projected restoration activities respond to the correctives...Perú: Scalable strategies for landscape ecological restoration: models in San Martín, Perú, buffer zone of the National Park Cordillera Azul
Country: Peru
Abstract: In partnership with local stakeholders, CIMA, a Peruvian conservation organization is implementing restoration strategies for the recovery and reconnection of degraded and deforested areas, and strengthening the knowledge and capacity of local farmers to ensure ecosystem benefits in their localities. They will build two plant nurseries to be managed by the local community; and together with nearby universities they will develop robust capacity building and academic training programs based on...Kenya: Ecological restoration in the sub-afromontane region of Kenya
Country: Kenya
Abstract: The project aims to maintain the largest collection of cultivated native plant species in East Africa and to be a source of both restoration expertise and propagative material for other reforestation projects in the sub-afromontane region of Kenya. Plants for Life International is aiming to create a unique example of a model indigenous forest for the region with increased plant biodiversity. The project will support replanting of new areas of forest with native trees, clearing of invasive...Lebanon: Identifying biodiversity-related success factors of ecological restoration projects
Country: Lebanon
Abstract: The project focuses on determining biodiversity-related success factors of ecological restoration projects in a biodiversity hotspot of Lebanon, Mount Lebanon. It will consider the role of wildlife in ecological restoration processes, by studying what different animals disperse, in relation to different plant species over different time frames. Diverse plants that can sustain wildlife year round will be identified to promote the sustainability of the restored ecosystem and its natural...USA: Colorado: Big Thompson Stream Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: After experiencing devastating floods in northern Colorado in 2013, the Front Range watersheds were in desperate need of repair. To help restore the Big Thompson River and prepare for future flooding events, the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition hired Stantec to perform stream restoration design and implementation. Stantec worked on the assessment and design documents to guide rehabilitation and resilience efforts for the Big Thompson River, its floodplain, and its riparian...USA: Ohio: Fifth Avenue Dam Evaluation and Removal
Country: United States of America
Abstract: When the 5th Avenue Dam was built on the Olentangy River in 1935, it served a useful purpose – providing cooling water for a power plant on The Ohio State University campus. Decades later, with the power plant long gone, the dam was not necessary. Dams often impair the health of the rivers by disrupting natural flow patterns and creating lake-like conditions that trap pollutants, sediment and obstruct the migration of aquatic species. That’s exactly what was happening behind this dam,...USA: Florida: Unagrelli Preserve Habitat Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Manatee County engaged Stantec ecologists to help establish project goals and strategies for enhancing an awkwardly shaped, overgrown 31.3-acre site into a passive, recreation area that would benefit the local community. Stantec created a restoration plan that converted highly degraded uplands on the site to coastal hammock and removed spoil from wetland areas to improve hydrology. This plan included the placement of fill on an upland island and required a temporary wetland impact to...USA: Kentucky: Hatchery Creek Stream Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Hatchery Creek is the outlet for the Wolf Creek Trout Hatchery located immediately downstream of the Wolf Creek dam, which forms Lake Cumberland. Water level fluctuations below the dam impaired trout spawning. Using in-lieu fee funding, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources hired the Design-Build team of EcoGro/Ridgewater/Stantec to design and build a one-mile extension downstream to create one of Kentucky’s first self-sustaining trout stream capable of supporting...USA: Illinois: Deer Grove Forest Preserve Mitigation Planning and Implementation
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Stantec is conducting ecological restoration and maintenance to carry out two Management and Monitoring Plans – a 185-acre portion of Deer Grove East and 240- acre portion of Deer Grove West. These habitat enhancement projects are sponsored by Openlands (a conservation group in the greater Chicago region) to mitigate off-site impacts to wetlands associated with the O’Hare International Airport expansion. The preserve, located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, is surrounded...Spain: Tools for integrating ecological restoration into land planning in the Region of Valencia (TERECOVA)
Country: Spain
Abstract: Efficient ecological restoration must assess ecological and socio-economic costs and benefits of these actions, valorize and harmonize them, and define priorities to maximize their positive outcomes. TERECOVA will create tools to prioritize restoration actions in heterogeneous Mediterranean landscapes by means of participative processes that integrate society visions and aspirations. We have established stakeholder platforms in two Mediterranean regions. Hundred of participants have...Colombia: Reforestation in the Serranía De Los Yariguíes of the Colombian Andes
Country: Colombia
Abstract: The Yariguíes ridge, which reaches an elevation of 3200m and forms part of the central Andes range in the department of Santander, is a transitional climatic zone and includes oak-dominated forest, moist forest and Páramo habitats. Whereas the southern portion of the Yariguíes range was declared a national park in 2005, protecting more than 70,000 ha of the large watershed, the northern half has remained vulnerable to exploitation and is the principal source of water for Zapatoca, San...USA: Ten Mile River Aquatic Habitat Restoration of Anadromous Fish Run in East Providence, Rhode Island
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Ten Mile River restoration project restores diadromous fish migration to the lower part of the Ten Mile River in East Providence, RI. This project’s main goal is to provide fish passage over the first three downstream dams on the river: Omega Pond Dam, Hunts Mill Dam and Turner Reservoir Dam. A feasibility study was first conducted between 2001 and 2002 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Fish passage facilities were constructed at these dams to provide upstream migration of adult...Brazil: Save the Good Water of Xingu – Y Ikatu Xingu
Country: Brazil
Abstract: Xingu is a famous name due to to the cultural richness of its original inhabitants where the Amazon forest and Cerrado merge in Brazil. There dwell 24 indigenous groups who live, drink, bathe and fish in Xingu river and tributaries. Pollution, silting and deregulation of water flow due to deforestation around Indigenous Territories and conversion to agricultural use, threaten the survival of this people and the sustainability of modern agriculture itself in the region (Figure 1). The Campaign...USA: Ka Ike O Ka Aina: Knowledge of the land, Hawai’i
Country: Hawaii
Abstract: Ka Ike O Ka Aina (KOA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the Hawaiian culture and education of our youth. The vision and kuleana (responsibility) of KOA is to mālama 'āina (care for the land) and malama lāhui (care for its people) through our valued academic partnerships and community outreach efforts. KOA is located on a 40 acre coastal property - what is known to being a culturally iconic makahiki (festival) site for King Kamehameha I. After nearly two centuries or...USA: Richmond Heritage Trail “Hike Through History,” Rhode Island
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Country Acres Road- Richmond, Rhode Island, was once home to mixed temperate forest with seasonal freshwater wetlands. Now, the bulk of the 47 acres consists of heavily degraded sand and gravel pits. Since extraction has ceased, uneven topography invaded predominantly by Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Common Ragweed) remains. The existing forested wetlands are dominated by an Acer rubrum (Red Maple) canopy and a Clethra alnifolia (Coastal Pepperbush) shrub layer with invasive species including...USA: New England Cottontail Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The New England Cottontail Project is a restoration effort with the objective to restore the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) to their native habitats through the creation of young forest and captive breeding programs. A young forest is an early successional forest that is created through managing and maintaining techniques such as clear cutting and prescribed burn. Contributing factors to the decline of the New England Cottontail populations are habitat loss due to...South Africa: Buffelsdraai Reforestation Project, Iqadi
Country: South Africa
Abstract: The Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project was established in 2008 by eThekwini Municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department. The aim was to alleviate climate change impacts associated with Durban hosting several 2010 FIFATM World Cup matches. A carbon footprint of 307 208 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) was declared for the event, and this reforestation project seeks to offset approximately 42 214 tonnes of carbon over a 20-year...