©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
Iraq: Reviving Eden – The Iraqi Marshlands
Country: Iraq
Abstract: The Iraqi Marshlands are one of the world's largest wetland ecosystems and constitute the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and Western Eurasia. The Iraqi Marshlands are a crucial part of intercontinental flyways for migratory birds, support endangered species, and sustain freshwater fisheries, as well as the marine ecosystem of the Persian Gulf. In addition to their ecological importance, these Marshlands are unique from the global perspective of human heritage. The area's natural...USA: New Jersey: The Restoration of an Urban Floodplain in Rahway
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The highly urbanized Rahway River watershed in New Jersey suffers from frequent flooding due to extensive development and destruction of riparian wetlands and floodplains. A diverse group of stakeholders worked together to restore a 1.8 ha site on the floodplain to riparian wetland with the goals of providing wildlife habitat, filtering pollutants from stormwater runoff, providing stormwater retention to minimize flooding, and providing public access for passive recreation as well as education...USA: Nevada: Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Desert Spring Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), established in June of 1984 with the assistance of The Nature Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management, is located approximately 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas in southern Nye County, Nevada. This distinct desert ecosystem supports hundreds of plant and animal species that are closely associated with, and often dependent upon, the area's unique wetland and aquatic habitats. Among these species, 24 are found only in Ash Meadows, constituting the...USA: Arizona: North Simpson Habitat Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The North Simpson Habitat Restoration Project is a project of Tucson Audubon Society on lands owned by the City of Tucson, Arizona. The project involves the planting of numerous native tree, shrub, grass, and forb species on the floodplains of a near-perennial riparian area that came into existence since the 1970s as a consequence of municipal effluent discharge. The project’s design is to use the newly available water resources to improve riparian habitat to offset riparian habitat elsewhere...Australia: Returning the Botanical Richness of the Jarrah Forest in Restored Bauxite Mines in Western Australia
Country: Australia
Abstract: Alcoa World Alumina Australia operates two bauxite mines at Willowdale and Huntly in the Darling Range of southwestern Australia, 80 - 140 kilometers south of Perth. The mine pits range in size from one hectare to tens of hectares. Alcoa has been rehabilitating its bauxite mines since 1966; today some 550 hectares are mined and rehabilitated annually. The technology of rehabilitation has been improved continuously over the years - from plantations of exotic pine trees to a sophisticated...USA: Arizona: Restoration of Ecosystem Health in Southwest Forests Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Restoration of Ecosystem Health in Southwest Forests project was initiated in 1995 to develop the scientific basis for ecological restoration of southwestern forests and woodlands at both operational and landscape scales. The majority of the work has been focused in the Greater Mount Trumbull Ecosystem within the Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument. This innovative collaboration between Department of Interior (BLM, NPS, BIA), state (Northern Arizona University, Game and Fish, State...USA: California: Revegetation Project at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms
Country: United States of America
Abstract: This project, which began in early 1995, was initiated by the National Resources and Environmental Affairs Directorate (NREA) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) as an effort to develop and test methods of native plant revegetation in disturbed areas while simultaneously controlling erosion and dust. The first effort was undertaken from February 1995 through June 1996, and involved the testing of restoration methods and procedures at the Vertical Short Takeoff and Landing...USA: Arizona: Gus Pearson Natural Area Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Initiated in 1992 with National Science Foundation funding, the Gus Pearson Natural Area Restoration was an experimental project of Nothern Arizona University's Ecological Restoration Institute and is located approximately 7 miles (20 km) northwest of Flagstaff, AZ. The original experiment's aim was to compare three treatments: 1) tree thinning to emulate predisruption forest structure, followed by fuel reduction and prescribed burning (composite); 2) tree thinning only, without fire...Jordan: Restoring the Azraq Oasis Wetlands
Country: Jordan
Abstract: The Azraq Oasis in Jordan's Badia region is a unique mosaic of wetland ecosystems set in the middle of an arid desert. As the only such source of permanent freshwater within some 12,000 km2, the oasis provides crucial habitat for a multitude of avifaunal species, and is an indispensable part of the local economy. Increasing populations in the nearby cities of Amman and Zarqa, along with growing demands from the agricultural sector, have resulted in the intensive exploitation of water from the...Burkina Faso: Using Termites to Rehabilitate Degraded Soil in the Sahel
Country: Burkina Faso
Abstract: Like many places in the Sahel, Bam Province in northern Burkina Faso has suffered severe soil degradation as a result of intensive agriculture and overgrazing. Degraded areas develop a hard crust on the soil's surface that reduces infiltration capacity and leads to increased runoff of rainfall. The soil's inability to absorb needed moisture precipitates nutrient imbalances that compromise productivity and ultimately decrease per capita food production. In order to address this growing concern...México: Restauración de los Matorrales Semiáridos en el Valle del Mezquital
Country: Mexico
Abstract: RESUMEN Esta investigación se realizó con el objetivo de inducir la restauración de los matorrales semiáridos del Valle del Mezquital en Hidalgo, México a través del uso de plantas silvestres inoculadas con hongos micorrizógenos arbusculares (HMA) provenientes del suelo de la zona. Se transplantaron en campo plantas inoculadas y no inoculadas de cinco especies xerófilas después de cuatro meses bajo condiciones de invernadero. Los resultados de evaluaciones realizadas en campo...México: Edo. de Jalisco: Restauración de Bosques Ribereños en los Márgenes del Río Ayuquila
Country: Mexico
Abstract: El Río Ayuquila en el occidente de México es una fuente imprescindible de viabilidad económica para los pobladores de la región. La dependencia en los recursos del río, y la explotación intensiva de los mismos, ha resultado en la degradación del ecosistema y la disminución de su capacidad productiva. Por consiguiente, se inició un programa de restauración implementado por investigadores del Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales de la Universidad de Guadalajara. Enfocado en...Canada: British Columbia: Restoration of Antelope-Brush Aridlands in the Southern Okanagan Valley
Country: Canada
Abstract: In British Columbia's Okanagan Valley lies a small pocket of desert constituting the northernmost extension of the Great Basin Desert and Canada's only such ecosystem. A mix of shrub-steppe and bungrass grassland habitats, this arid region is increasingly threatened by development in the valley and the resultant fragmentation of critical habitats. In 1998, the Osoyoos Desert Society acquired a 50-hectare site and began implementing restoration experiments aimed at evaluating different...Kenya: Rehabilitation of Semi-Arid Lands in the Ukambani Region
Country: Kenya
Abstract: Agroforestry for Integrated Development in Semi-arid Areas of Kenya (ARIDSAK) is a project charged with the development, implementation and promotion of appropriate agricultural and agroforestry technologies and policies to improve the livelihoods of poor farmers and pastoralists in the semi-arid areas of the Ukambani Region. Apart from conservation and management of the environment, the project promises to play a critical role in the creation of employment opportunities, poverty alleviation,...United Kingdom: Scotland: The River Ythan Restoration Project
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: Increasing eutrophication in the Ythan Estuary of northeast Scotland led to a river restoration project in 2001 in which planners worked closely with farmers in the catchment area to develop innovative ways of mitigating agricultural pollution. Demonstration farms were established to raise awareness about "cleaner" alternatives to existing practices, and a new software program was created to assist participating farmers with the completion of nutrient budgets for their farms. Furthermore,...Mexico: Wetland Restoration at Three Sites in the Colorado River Delta
Country: Mexico
Abstract: The Colorado River Delta, one of the largest desert estuaries in the world, has lost more than 80 percent of its wetlands over the last 80 years. Extensive damming and diversion of water for agriculture and development in the river basin have all but eliminated flow to the delta's wetlands, and the resulting habitat loss poses a serious threat to wildlife populations and human communities dependent upon wetland resources for their livelihoods. The imperative to restore and conserve these...United Kingdom: Wales: Restoration of the River Dulais
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: The River Dulais in Southwest Wales was the site of a restoration project implemented by the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) to increase bankside vegetation and curb extensive streamside erosion resulting from livestock grazing. Although conventional methodologies would require the use of stone revetments and other costly interventions for this type of restoration, EAW opted instead to utilize less-intrusive bioengineering techniques that would counter the erosion while encouraging natural...South Korea: Restoration of the Cheonggyecheon River in Downtown Seoul
Country: Korea
Abstract: Since the 1970s, the Cheonggyecheon River in downtown Seoul, South Korea was covered by a busy, multi-lane roadway and elevated highway. An engineering survey conducted in 2000 revealed structural weaknesses in these roads and indicated a need for a costly renovation project. In lieu of investing in this congested traffic infrastructure, the Seoul City Government opted to demolish the roads and restore flow to the river in order to improve the environmental and aesthetic state of the downtown...United Kingdom: England: The Rye Brook Restoration Project in Ashtead Common
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: Decades of development pressures and flood control measures had resulted in the channelization and degradation of Rye Brook in Ashtead Common National Nature Reserve southwest of London. Consequently, in 1999 the City of London, in collaboration with several stakeholder organizations, began planning a project to restore natural processes to the brook and improve riverine and wetland habitats in the Common. Construction activities focused on restoring meanders to the straightened channel and...Cameroon: Floodplain Rehabilitation through Prescribed Flooding of Waza-Logone
Country: Cameroon
Abstract: Managed flood releases are gaining acceptance in Africa as a strategy for ameliorating the ecological impacts of large dams and promoting integrated rural development. Prescribed flooding projects have been conducted in the Zambezi River Basin of Mozambique; Pongolo River Basin of South Africa; Komadugu Yobé River Basin of Nigeria; and Senegal River Basin between Senegal and Mauritania. This project, managed by the Government of Cameroon in cooperation with the IUCN and other international...USA: Florida: Kissimmee River Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Once completed, the Kissimmee River Restoration will be the largest river restoration project in the history of the world. All told, the project will restore over 40 square miles of river/floodplain ecosystem, including 43 miles of meandering river channel and 27,000 acres of wetlands. Jointly managed by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the project encompasses two primary components aimed at restoring natural hydroperiods and...USA: New Mexico: Restoration of Bluewater Creek
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Bluewater Creek, in the Cibola National Forest of northwestern New Mexico, is one of two primary drainages feeding Bluewater Lake. Extensive logging around the turn of the last century began a process of degradation that continued into the 1980s with intensive livestock grazing, uncontrolled fires and mining activity. In 1984, the USDA Forest Service began collecting and analyzing data about the creek's watershed in order to better understand its hydrologic functions and the variables driving...USA: Colorado: Little Snake River Restoration on Three Forks Ranch
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Three Forks Ranch in Routt County, Colorado was purchased by David Pratt in 1999. Upon acquiring possession of the property, Pratt hired Dave Rosgen of Wildland Hydrology to design and implement a restoration project aimed at improving the hydrology and habitat conditions of a 10.5-mile stretch of the Little Snake River flowing across his property. The largest privately funded river restoration ever undertaken in the U.S., the project included interventions to improve channel dynamics and...Denmark: Skjern River Restoration
Country: Denmark
Abstract: The Skjern River Nature Project is one of the largest restoration projects in northern Europe. This project, implemented through the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy, restored a river valley that was drastically altered in the 1960s by an ambitious drainage project designed to convert a boggy mosaic of meadows, lakes, and reedbeds into arable land for cultivation. The once-meandering river had been straightened and channelized, and the valley's rich diversity of habitats all but...USA: Arizona: Fossil Creek Watershed and Riparian Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Fossil Creek is a spring-fed, travertine-forming riparian area in northern Arizona that is home to several endangered species of native fish, as well as many important species of birds, mammals and herptofauna. A diversion dam built in the early 1900s to supply water to two hydroelectric stations diverted almost the entire flow of the creek and drastically altered the ecosystem. In 1999, Arizona Public Service (APS) signed an agreement to decommission its hydroelectric facilities along Fossil...Israel: Alexander River Restoration Project
Country: Israel
Abstract: The Alexander River Restoration Project is Israel's leading river restoration and was awarded the Thiess International Riverprize in 2003. Implemented by Israeli agencies, with cooperation and support from local Palestinian officials in an unprecedented show of solidarity, the project aims to restore a river severely degraded by untreated sewage and pollution from more than 70 sources--in both Palestinian and Israeli territory. Thus far, project activities have centered around creating water...USA: Idaho: Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project
Country: United States of America
Abstract: The Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project is a multi-phase ecosystem enhancement effort designed to restore a section of the river's natural channel design and revegetate adjacent riparian areas with native species in order to restore natural physical and biological functions and thereby create high quality habitats for fish and wildlife. The project, sponsored by the Idaho County Soil and Water Conservation District (ISWCD), began with an engineering component that reconnected historic...USA: Nebraska: Tallgrass Prairie Restoration at Homestead National Historical Park
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Homestead National Historical Park in southeastern Nebraska was established in 1936 at the site of Daniel Freeman's original homestead from 1863. Encompassing 100 acres of tallgrass prairie that had been converted into agricultural land and 60 acres of woodland fringing a creek, the monument underwent restoration by the National Park Service in 1939 in an attempt to restore the prairie that Freeman would have discovered upon his arrival at the site. Ongoing for more than 60 years, the Homestead...USA: Wisconsin: Curtis Prairie Restoration
Country: United States of America
Abstract: Curtis Prairie at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum is the site of the world's first ecological restoration project. Begun in 1936 by Dr. Theodore Sperry, with supervision and support from Aldo Leopold and William Longenecker, the project has been ongoing for more than seventy years and has yielded a wealth of research data about the dynamics of tallgrass prairie ecosystems and the practices most effective in their restoration and management. Indeed, investigations conducted at the...Thailand: Restoration of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
Country: Thailand
Abstract: The Forest Restoration Research Unit (FORRU), from northern Thailand's Chiang Mai University, is conducting an ongoing research and restoration project in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Researchers are working together with local villagers to transplant nursery-reared seedlings into a stand of severely degraded seasonally dry tropical forest and to conduct investigations aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of forest restoration techniques. FORRU's unique approach, called the...