Here are some items to add this week’s restoration reading list. They cover United States and Midwestern US restorations from a variety of scales and points of view. Topics range from efforts across the United States to usher in a new era of urban river restoration; at a Midwestern U.S. regional watershed scale there is a recent US EPA map of Great Lakes restoration challenges; a story of ecological restoration and the hydrological cycle statewide in Wisconsin; an article about restoring Midwestern U.S. prairies, acre by acre and yard to yard; and finally a project profile of the Snail Lake Regional Park restoration in Minnesota.
A Watershed Era for Urban River Restoration
“Recent US population growth trends show many cities are growing faster than suburbs, reflecting shifting lifestyle choices that favor urban living. There is also a concurrent interest in restoring natural features of the urban landscape, particularly river corridors, as part of this urban living renaissance.”
Environmental Threat Map Highlights Great Lakes Restoration Challenges
“In an article published online Dec. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group led by researchers at the University of Michigan reports on an expansive and detailed effort to map and cross-compare environmental stresses and the ecological services provided by the five lakes.”
Ecological Restoration and the Hydrological Cycle
“A farmer, taking a break from heart-rending work tilling under a failed crop in the droughty backfield, is refreshing his spirit at what has become a favorite spot. The restored prairie is blooming even while his corn is dying.”
Restoring U.S. Prairies acre by acre and yard by yard
“Across the US Midwest, homeowners are restoring their yards and former farmland to the native prairie that existed in pre-settlement days.”
(Source: Weekly “Restore” e newsletter from SER.org)
Snail Lake Regional Park Restoration, Minnesota
“After seeing and learning more about the ongoing habitat restoration work at Snail Lake Regional Park just north of St. Paul, Minnesota, I want to tuck my thumbs under my suspenders, stick out my stomach, and beam with a little Minnesota pride. This is a place where a Minnesota Gopher can feel right at home.”
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