Bridging Education and Restoration

Abstract

Ecosystem degradation, driven by habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and land use changes, poses a critical global challenge by disrupting ecological processes and threatening biodiversity. Sustainable efforts to restore ecosystems are vital to address these issues, but require a multidimensional approach that integrates ecological, social, and economic considerations. Despite numerous advances in the field of ecological restoration, key challenges remain, including high operational costs, limited community engagement, and waning public support. Overcoming these challenges requires community involvement and stakeholder investment. Collaborations between schools and restoration practitioners represent a promising strategy to address these challenges because they engage youth in hands-on restoration work, foster community support, build future conservationists, and promote environmental stewardship among participants. We discuss the benefits of building such collaborations with schools, highlighting an ongoing example of a collaboration between a primary school and Brigham Young University–Hawaii. By providing structured recommendations, we demonstrate how similar partnerships can be powerful tools for enhancing restoration efforts and building lasting environmental connections within communities.