Restoration’s enduring product is the human-land relationship, not ecosystem state

Evidence

Like other mindful practices, ecological restoration can be viewed as an act of reciprocity in which humans exercise their caregiving responsibility for the ecosystems that sustain them. We restore the land, and the land restores us. … We may not be able to restore the Onondaga watershed to its preindustrial condition. The land, plants, animals, and their allies among the human people are making small steps, but ultimately it is the earth that will restore the structure and function, the ecosystem services. We might debate the authenticity of the desired reference ecosystem, but she will decide. We’re not in control. What we are in control of is our relationship to the earth. Nature herself is a moving target, especially in an era of rapid climate change. Species composition may change, but relationship endures. It is the most authentic facet of the restoration. — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 1233

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to ch29 (believing the earth loves us back would transform environmental ethics), ch47 (repairing human relationship with the world), and ch35 (reciprocity converts parts into a stable whole) — the hinge concept for all four courses. — connects to: Ecological restoration must also repair humanity’s relationship with the world — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 709; Ecological restoration fails when it excludes the spiritual dimension of relationship. — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 963; Restoration requires thinking like the whole ecosystem, not just the target species — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom,…, 1072 (+1 more)
• APHORISMS: We are not in control of the ecosystem, only of our relationship to it — durable guidance for land work and activism alike.