Ecosystem Restoration Design
Type: e-Learning
Module 2 Start Date: April 13, 2024
Next Project Module 5: January 10, 2024
Study Time: 7 hours/ week
Facilitation:
- Modules 1, 2, 3 and 4 have live Q&A with facilitators at the end of each lesson
- Live Q&A ‘ask the experts’ with course presenters/teachers at end of each module
Certificate: Yes
Certified by:
In Partnership with:
As we consider the state of the world’s ecosystems today, we are encouraged and motivated to continue working towards their regeneration, knowing that you and others are taking part in this great work of our time.
It is our pleasure to introduce you to some key ecosystem restoration concepts and approaches, learning from some of the most prominent actors and projects around the world.
We hope they give you the encouragement and valuable knowledge that you need to develop your own restoration plans, helping you to become an ecosystem restoration practitioner.
Increase your awareness, knowledge and skills in ecosystem restoration as a practice and feel empowered to create a basic restoration plan for an ecosystem close to your heart and home.
Our vision for this course is to help create a new tribe of ecosystem restoration practitioners and a catalogue of restoration plans to restore patches of land all over the world.
Course Objectives
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List several causes of degradation (social, political, economic, ecological) to various ecosystems in multiple biomes around the world
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Describe specifically how these causes of degradation arise
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Explain techniques for restoring different ecosystems in different biomes
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Analyse why the restoration of ecosystems is not happening at the speed and scale needed, relative to their context
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Evaluate ideas for how to overcome these barriers
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Develop a basic restoration plan to restore an ecosystem close to your heart/home and understand environmental sustainability management
- Design with Nature!
Methodology
This learning experience is a blend of online content provided by international experts in the field, additional reading & video resources, online facilitation (Design integration module only), and team-design practice where participants apply learnings to a project of their choosing, either individually or collaboratively, with support of the course facilitator, partners, and peers. A commitment of 5 – 10 hours per week of self-directed learning and engagement is recommended.
There are five modules organised as follows:
- Each lesson in modules 1-4 includes 4 presentations from a prominent practitioner in the field. They discuss the causes of degradation (socio-economic-political), techniques for restoration, the challenges/barriers to restoration, and solutions to overcome them.
- Facilitators will hold live sessions twice a month for modules 1-4, and you have full access to our online community and forum - enabling you to connect and share insights with fellow students.
- Module 5 is the Design Integration module. This is a practical module where you will be submitting a proposal for restoration and will work through a process along with a team and a facilitator.
- You must complete module 5 in order to receive your certificate!
The learning time is estimated to be about 5 – 10 hours per week. This includes study time (about three hours/week) and participation in optional collaborative activities (about two hours/week).
Module 5 (Integration Design module) may require extra hours for meetings and attending Q&As.
Assessment Activities
The assessment activities are organised as follows:
- Shared reflections and conversations in the forum (optional)
- Quizzes to reflect on your learning journey (up to 10 attempts)
- Overall assessment for the course is the final project with facilitators' feedback and peer review
Modules
Modules can be taken individually or as a bundle. To be part of Module 5 (Design Integration) and receive a certificate, you must take a combination of any modules from 1-3, plus module 4 and then module 5.
Modules dates:
- Module 1: February 10, 2024
- Module 2: April 13, 2024
- Module 3: August 26th, 2023
- Module 4: October 28th, 2023
- Module 5: January 10, 2024
Examples of combinations for certification:
- Modules 1, 4 and 5 (specializes in natural zones)
- Modules 2, 4 and 5 (specializes in agricultural zones)
- Modules 3, 4 and 5 (specializes in urban ecosystems)
- Modules 1,2,3.4 and 5 (full certificate for all the zones)
Available bundles:
- Any module from 1, 2 or 3 plus modules 4 and 5: £570
- Any two modules from modules 1, 2 or 3: £320
- Three first modules together: £480
- All modules from 1-5: £865
Module 1 - Restoring Natural Zones
Starts: February 10, 2024
The first module of this course focuses on the restoration of natural ecosystems, meaning, ecosystems that are predominantly reserved for more than human life.
Over the month, you will learn about the causes of degradation (social, political, economic, ecological) to different natural ecosystems (ecosystems that are predominantly for non-human use) around the world. You will then be able to describe specifically how these causes of degradation arise.
You will be able to explain techniques used for restoring natural ecosystems such as temperate forests, tropical forests, deserts and oceans, by learning from practitioners that have been involved in the restoration of these ecosystem using specific case studies. You will also be able to analyse why the restoration of these ecosystems are not happening at the speed and scale needed. In addition, you will be able to evaluate ideas for how to overcome these barriers and start gathering information on how to create your own basic restoration plan.
The four teachers for this module are Alan Watson Featherstone from Trees for Life, who will be teaching you about his work of restoring the ancient Caledonian Forest in Scotland. John Button will teach you about his work to restore a tropical rainforest in India. Neal Spackman will walk you through how to restore deserts, with an example from Saudi Arabia, and Celia Gregory will share her work on restoring coral reefs. Each teacher teaches one lesson, with one lesson per week for the month.
Module 2 - Restoring Agricultural Zones
Sarts: April 13, 2024
Module two focuses on the restoration of agricultural ecosystems. After taking this module, you will be able to explain the techniques used in four different agricultural ecosystem restoration projects and methods from around the world.
You will be able to list several causes of land degradation (social, political, economic, ecological reasons), experienced by practitioners who have worked on these projects and with these methods. You will learn about the techniques they used to restore these agri-ecosystems, such as agroforestry, holistic grazing, regenerative ocean agriculture and permaculture solutions.
After taking this module you will be able to explain the basics of these techniques for restoring land, discussing specific case studies. You will be able to compare the differences between agroforestry and other techniques used.
You will be able to analyse why restoration of agricultural land is not happening at the speed and scale needed, and what can be done to overcome these barriers.
You should then be able to take these learnings and apply them to your own restoration design.
The four teachers in this module are Patrick Worms from the World Agroforestry Centre, who will be teaching you about how agroforestry can be used to restore degraded landscapes and economies around the world. Rhamis Kent from the Permaculture Research Institute, will be sharing his story about how permaculture principles are being used to revive arid landscapes in Jordan. Precious Phiri from the Savoury Institute will be teaching you about how to restore landscapes using holistic grazing, and Joost Wouters from the Seaweed Company will be teaching you about powers of regenerative ocean agriculture. Each teacher teaches one lesson, with one lesson per week for the month.
Module 3 - Restoring Urban Ecosystems
Starts: August 26th, 2023
Module three focuses on restoring landscapes within urban environments. After this module you will be able to list the reasons why urbanisation is problematic for landscape health, and some of the reasons why ecosystems in cities are often degraded. You will learn directly from restoration designers who have restored urban landscapes themselves, using a range of techniques.
After taking this module you will be able to explain the basics of these techniques for restoring ecosystems in urban areas, discussing specific case studies.
You will be able to analyse why restoration of urban land is not happening at the speed and scale needed, and what can be done to overcome these barriers.
You will be able to take these learnings and apply them to your own restoration design.
The four teachers in this module are Lisa Shaw from Biomatrix Water, who will be teaching you about how to restore urban waterways with floating gardens and wildlife habitats. She is then followed by Daan Bleichrocht from IVN who started the Tiny Forest movement in the Netherlands.
Rishi Kumar who is the Executive Director of Sarvodaya Institute will then take you through urban garden design, how to transform suburban gardens into thriving edible ecosystems.
And lastly, Daniel Valdiviezo from Navi Village will teach you about how to build sustainable homes that regenerate the land around them, using resources in a circular way.
Each teacher teaches one lesson, with one lesson per week for the month.
Module 4 - Business Models
Starts: October 28th, 2023
Module four focuses on business models that financially support and sustain the restoration of ecosystems. In this module, you will learn about why regenerative business models are needed, how they work, how to create a business model canvas, and learn directly from several regenerative businesses through examples. From these businesses you will learn what they do, how their business models work, what has been challenging for them when running their business, and how their businesses have been trying to overcome these challenges.
After taking this module you should be able to explain why our current mode of business is unsustainable, what the 4 returns framework means, what a business model canvas is and how to create your own. You should be able to create some income generating ideas for your own ecosystem restoration project that you will conduct as part of module 5.
The teachers for this module are Simon Moolenaar from Commonland, who will teach you about Commonland’s 4 returns framework, Thomas Daneill from Old Tree, a fermented drinks business that creates diverse botanical ecosystems and sources his ingredients from them, Wil Crombie from Tree Range Chicken, a chicken company that creates agri forests to return chickens to the woods, and Ashleigh Brown from Ecosystem Restoration Camps, who will teach you about the income models the camps movement uses. Each teacher teaches one lesson, with one lesson per week for the month.
Module 5 - Practical Project
Next Project Module: January 10, 2024
In this practical section, you will choose an ecosystem that is close to your heart and your home. Somewhere you really care about, that is damaged, and that you would like to restore. The task in module 5 is to create a basic ecological restoration plan, that includes a design, a budget, and a plan for how the work is going to be funded.
Full of new inspiration and information from modules 1-4, you will feel empowered to create a basic restoration design for your chosen ecosystem. This practical coursework should include a list of reasons as to why this ecosystem is degraded, taking the socio-economic, political, and ecological aspects into consideration. Tell us what that degradation looks like, then a list of techniques for how to improve ecosystem function at this site, and some income generating ideas to make the project happen.
You can also team up with fellow course participants in the same region or wishing to work on the same ecosystem as you, and do the coursework together.
You have a total of 2 months to complete module 5.
Presenters

John Liu

Alan Watson
Featherstone

John Button

Neal Spackman

Celia Gregory

Patrick Worms

Rhamis Kent

Joost Wouters

Lisa Shaw

Daan Bleichrodt

Rishi Kumar

Daniel Valdiviezo

Simon Moolenaar

Thomas Daniel

Will Crombie

Oliver Goshey

Ashleigh Brown
