Restoration in Action

EHN is building a global network of sites, hubs, and regional networks to advance the science and practice of ecological restoration and the closely related fields of conservation and sustainable development, as well as R&D at the interface of human health and restoration. This work is being pursued with site and hub representatives, partners, and allies from six continents (South America, especially Brazil, eastern North America, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Europe, and southern Africa).

In a hub, a single organization or institution coordinates and assists a number of interlinked and geographically grouped sites. For example, Gondwana Link is an EHN hub working to restore ecosystem health and connectivity across 1,000 km of land in South-Western Australia. It has several dozen restoration sites, several of which depend on the participation of Indigenous Aboriginal communities. Three of these sites have been identified as EHN sites (see below).

EHN sites may be independent sites or part of an EHN hub. They may include, for example, grasslands, forests, wetlands, estuaries and other kinds of marine ecosystems, farm holdings, urban areas, and protected lands or seascapes. Hubs or large sites may englobe a variety of ecosystems and/or land and waterbody uses.

Regional networks can be in one or more countries. For example, the Four Islands EcoHealth Network, founded in February 2020 at the EHN Hobart Workshop, is an example of a regional network collaborating among sites and hubs of the North and South Islands of Aotearoa New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Australian mainland.

In the northeastern United States including what are called the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, EHN is a co-founder and co-leader of the Northeast Seed Network and Restorative Landscape Coalition along with the Native Plant Trust and other organizations and institutions. Together we are engaged in strategic planning, network-building, and fundraising for research and network development. One example of this is the Seed & Plant Supply Chain Program which aims to strengthen the native seed supply and demand chain on the basis of strong social networks.

A second example is the work that we are pursuing in Brazil, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of conservation and restoration practitioners and researchers to establish to facilitate and help launch a new regional network in South and Central America. More news to follow soon.

Our long-term sites and hubs aim to:

  • Create opportunities to access additional financial, scientific, and organizational resources.
  • Integrate public health practice and research into the work and research at restoration sites.
  • Study and elucidate how human and population health is affected by ecosystem health and functionality.
  • Disseminate, share, and learn from research and narratives on the intersection of ecological restoration and environmental conservation on the one hand and human health on the other.
  • Implement and share research results and best practice methods with other EHN member sites and hubs as well as the general public.
  • Enable member sites and hubs and individuals working there to be part of a network of networks with shared values and aims and, in this context to share, develop, and discuss their knowledge, know-how, and experiences with their peers.
  • Coordinate restoration activities that link EHN sites and hubs for landscape-scale and regional approaches to ecological and health-related problems and opportunities.
  • Work collectively to raise essential funds to continue and expand our research, communications, and educational activities.
  • Work with Indigenous communities in all aspects of ecological restoration, environmental conservation, fire prevention, and other activities with direct impact on public or population health.
  • Work with population health practitioners and researchers to work directly with local communities on environmental health problems and issues.
  • Work with economists concerned with the economics of restoration and public health.
  • Provide evidence-based recommendations for policy makers to favor more effective prevention, conservation, and restoration policies and programs.

How does EHN engage with hubs, sites, and regional networks?

EHN's core team includes a Science Director to identify and address key knowledge gaps and advance scientific and less formal research efforts, fundraising, communication and outreach, capacity building, and collaboration across all sites and hubs. Regional Directors help plan, organize, and develop projects and programs, such as the Seed & Plant Supply Chain Program in the Northeast United States, that contribute to the organization's mission and support our member sites and hubs and allies at regional, national, and international levels. Regional Ambassadors seek and communicate with the leaders of sites and existing hubs that might be interested in joining regional networks in their region and thereby joining EHN as a whole. They can also advise on and facilitate research planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and other projects in which the sites and hubs are already engaged. Examples of note are the Nature and Health and Nature Art Programs at one of our new member sites in Brazil. Interns and Visiting Practitioners and Educators may be recruited to assist with and learn from ecological and social strategies at sites and hubs. We are actively exploring the possibility to hire a Communications Manager to facilitate communication among sites, hubs, and regional networks, manage our electronic communication tools, and help tell our stories. We have a Board of Directors engaged in dynamic strategic planning, relationship building, and oversight. Our President is also currently serving as interim Executive Director.

We have in-person meetings and workshops, write opinion pieces and scientific papers together with people affiliated with EHN sites and hubs, and use electronic communication tools to plan and share ideas. As we grow, so will the ways that collaborate across cultures and continents.

EHN Hubs

EHN Sites

EHN Regional Networks

The Four Islands Ecohealth Network (FIEN) is a network of organizations undertaking restoration and restorative activities within Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, aiming to improve human health through repairing native ecosystems. The initial concept for this regional network came out of the EHN's Hobart, Tasmania, workshop in 2020. Dr. Adam Cross, our Science Director, is based in Perth, Australia, and so has hands-on engagement with the Four Islands EcoHealth Network. 

A Latin American Regional Network (ARBEAL) is an Alliance centered in Brazil currently under development in collaboration with Matutu Reserve and other colleagues in Southeastern Brazil. We will provide more news on that and all other projects and programs in progress in the near future.