Ecological Restoration

When you're asked to think of the state of the world, you don't really think it's all that bad. I mean, we're breathing air, the world is still turning, and I can still go to McDonald's and order my McNuggets without questioning if I'm eating the very last chicken on the planet. But, when we got to Glacial Park, I was able to see what kind of affect Ecological Restoration is really having out our world. Over thirty-five hundred acres of purely restored earth lies in Glacial Park. It's hard to imagine that about 20 years ago, all that vegetation we got to see was just grazing land. This is what makes Ecological Restoration necessary. To be able to breathe in the life and hear all the wildlife throughout a forest. Hundreds of years ago our ancestors tore apart this land and brought with them bacteria and disease that have been slowly but surely killing the nature around us. 

Restoration ecologists are looking to speed up the process of the recovery of our degraded ecosystems. They identify the problems in an ecosystem and work to resolve the disturbances within it. During our visit, we planted seeds, which helped to speed up the growth process rather than the seeds naturally being planted into the earth. The ecologists will then do burning to help spread nutrients and help the earth to grow. 

The only downside would be that it takes a lot of work to restore even an acre of land, let alone thousands. But, the hard work pays off in the long run when we are able to bring life back to the earth and give it the nutrients it needs. 

A great and fulfilling day!