Ecological Restoration: Principles, Practice & Local Action with Bill Young

Tuesday’s June 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 6:30 pm – 8 pm on Zoom

A Four Session Course for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey

Instructor: William E. Young


Format: 4 classes × 1.5 hours each


Audience: Enthusiastic amateurs, designers, landscape architects, Environmental Scientists, architects, engineers, and Conservation-minded people everywhere. 


Framework: Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Standards & Ten Step Process
This will be an NJ-Centric course, tailored for the Native Plant Society of NJ

Course Overview

This course introduces participants to the science, practice, and ethics of ecological restoration, with a focus on Northeastern ecosystems (mostly NJ)  and communityscale action. Students will learn how to read landscapes, diagnose degradation, design interventions, and evaluate outcomes using SER’s global standards—translated into practical tools for local stewardship.

Each session blends concepts, case studies, hands-on exercises, and NJ specific examples (urban forests, coastal dunes, wetlands, meadows, and postinvasive recovery).

Prerequisites:  students should have a basic understanding of botany, horticulture, and Conservation Biology

Session 1 — What Is Ecological Restoration? Foundations, Ethics & Reference Models

SER Standards 1–2: Stakeholders & Clear Goals

Learning Goals

• Understand what restoration is—and what it is not
• Explore the SER definition, principles, and ethical foundations
• Learn how reference ecosystems guide restoration targets
• Recognize the difference between gardening, landscaping, and restoration

Topics

• Why restore? Biodiversity loss, climate resilience, cultural values
• SER’s “International Principles & Standards” (overview)
• Reference ecosystems: historical, contemporary, and futureclimate models
• The role of Indigenous knowledge and community governance
• NJ case studies:
  • Oxford Wetlands Mitigation Bank, Oxford, NJ
  • NJ Meadowlands restoration
  • Teaneck Creek Park, Teaneck, NJ
  • Sylvan Lake, Avon, NJ
  • A raft of restored Superfunds in New Jersey

Activities

• Landscape Reading 101: Students analyze photos of degraded vs. recovering sites. We will use the Recovery Wheel of SER to track/steer progress
• MiniWorkshop: Define a restoration goal for a familiar local site. Put your design tools to work.

Homework

• Short reflection: Identify a site you care about and describe its “reference condition”

Session 2 — Diagnosing Degradation: Soils, Hydrology, Vegetation & Stressors

SER Standards 3–4: Assess Conditions & Design for Resilience

Learning Goals

• Learn how to assess ecological conditions using simple, defensible methods
• Understand drivers of degradation in ecosystems (and how to correct them)
• Explore how to design interventions that restore processes and functions, not just appearances

Topics

• Site assessment fundamentals:
  • Soils (compaction, contamination, structure)
  • Hydrology (drainage, flow paths, tidal influence)
  • Vegetation (native/invasive composition, structure, regeneration)
  • Wildlife indicators
• Disturbance regimes: fire, flooding, storm surge, human use
• Climatesmart restoration design

Activities

• Field Diagnostic Exercise: Students practice a rapid site assessment using a rubric (not sure if we can do that on-line but we will try)
• Design Challenge: Propose interventions for a hypothetical degraded site

Homework

• Conduct a simple site assessment of your chosen location

Session 3 — Implementing Restoration: Plants, Invasives, Installation & Stewardship

SER Standards 5–6: Mobilize Resources & Implement Interventions

Learning Goals

• Learn practical techniques for restoring plant communities
• Understand invasive species management strategies
• Explore how to source, install, and maintain native plants for ecological function
• Learn management strategies for best outcomes

Topics

• Choosing plant palettes based on reference models and site conditions
• Planting for structure: canopy, understory, shrub, herbaceous layers
• Seed mixes vs. plugs vs. container plants
• Invasive species management: prevention, removal, suppression, replacement
• Soil rebuilding and mycorrhizal considerations
• Stewardship as part of implementation
• NJ case studies:
  • Oxford Wetland Mitigation Bank, Oxford, NJ
  • Wetland restoration at Horseshoe Road Superfund, Sayreville, NJ
  • Green infrastructure at Sylvan Lake, Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ

Homework

• Draft a simple restoration plan for your chosen site

Session 4 — Monitoring, Adaptive Management & Community Engagement

SER Standards 7–8: Monitor, Adapt & Maintain Outcomes

Learning Goals

• Learn how to measure success using simple indicators
• Understand adaptive management and longterm maintenance
• Explore how community groups can sustain restoration over time

Monitoring and Management

• Monitoring methods: photo points, vegetation plots, wildlife indicators
• Setting measurable objectives and thresholds
• Adaptive management cycles
• Longterm maintenance: weeding, watering, disturbance regimes
• Community science and volunteer stewardship
• Communicating restoration stories to build support

Activities

• Monitoring Plan Workshop: Students design a monitoring protocol for their site
• Final Presentations: Share restoration plans and receive feedback

TakeHome Tools

• SER TenStep Process (simplified version)
• NJ native plant lists by habitat
• Rapid site assessment template
• Monitoring checklist