Course attendees will learn fundamental principles that guide the field of ecosystem restoration as well as best practices in site assessment, project design, plant selection, and project implementation. Participants will also be provided with planning and implementation strategies that address macro and microclimate changes; budget restrictions; dramatic increases in open space use; species diversity, habitat, ethnobotanical, and cultural goals; best practices in trail management and crime prevention through environmental design; opportunities to engage in local food systems; and aesthetic considerations. These principles and best practices will be demonstrated and deconstructed in a case study of a decades’ long community-driven restoration program, the Green Kirkland Partnership, in Kirkland, WA.

This class is part I of a two-part series, Community Driven Ecological Restoration: Implementation Essentials for Resilient, Inclusive Landscapes, covering the fundamental principles of ecological restoration and best practices for applying those principles in our increasingly dynamic world. The series is grounded in case studies of ongoing wetland, forest, and prairie restoration projects at Juanita Bay, Juanita Beach, Totem Lake and South Norway Hill parks in Kirkland.