Background
There is variable success in restoration outcomes which wastes critical time, money, and staffing. Therefore the field of restoration ecology requires a re-examination of principles and key knowledge levied in restoration practices. So, we have identified underutilized analytical approaches and often excluded perspectives to re-examine restoration practices, which have been largely performed using white and westernized principles in the United States.
Project Summary
Our two approaches make the rich sources of knowledge from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color) more visible and increase inclusion in the restoration field. We will also elucidate what contexts, and how, restoration sites can be restored to their reference targets.
We have created a collective, Black Earth Restoration Collective (BERC; aliciafoxx.github.io/berc/) is a collective that aims to uplift Black, Indigenous, Latine, and Other People of Color and welcomes and respects plant knowledge in the many forms it comes in, including personal, cultural, lived, and professional experience. BERC provides opportunities for connection and community and welcomes anyone who has experience living and working with plants (e.g., agriculture, plant-related research, sustainability). Our philosophies for this collective are here.
We will use machine learning methods, to identify key features in remnant and restored sites in global tallgrass ecosystems that can serve as next steps for management targets to better reach restoration goals
Dr. Alicia Foxx, Dr. Rebecca Barak, Regina Mae Francia, Sarah Hollis, Dr. Holly Jones, Amelia Renner, Samantha Rosa, Dr. Evelyn Williams, Dr. Nia Johnson
