1. Why People Matter in Ecological Restoration -- 2. Restoration and Stewardship Volunteerism -- 3. From Adversity to Diversity: The Cape Florida Project -- 4. Restoring Coasts and Connections on a Southern Australian Coastline -- 5. Inclusive Urban Ecological Restoration in Toronto, Canada -- 6. Public Participation and Socioecological Resilience -- 7. Collaboration: A Catalyst for Restoration -- 8. Community-Based Forest Management in Arcata, California -- 9. Ecological Restoration as the Zone of Agreement in Southeast Alaska -- 10. Toward a Political Ecology of Ecosystem Restoration -- 11. Ecological Restoration across Landscapes of Politics, Policy, and Property -- 12. The Policy Context of the White Mountain Stewardship Contract -- 13. Climate Change Implications for Ecological Restoration Planning -- 14. Merging Economics and Ecology in Ecological Restoration -- 15. The ARISE Project in South Africa -- 16. Jobs and Community in Humboldt County, California -- 17. Game Theory Tools for Improving Ecological Restoration Outcomes -- 18. Restoration and Reciprocity: The Contributions of Traditional Ecological Knowledge -- 19. Implications of Landscape History and Cultural Severance for Restoration in England -- 20. Eco-cultural Restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshes, Southern Iraq -- 21. Environmental Art as Eco-cultural Restoration -- 22. Restoration-Based Education: Teach the Children Well -- 23. Great Plains Environmental Education: A Personal Reflection -- 24. Realizing the Educational Potential of Ecological Restoration -- 25. Educating Teachers and Increasing Environmental Literacy -- 26. Synthesis: Participation, Power, Perspective. When it comes to implementing successful ecological restoration projects, the social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions are often as important as-and sometimes more important than-technical or biophysical knowledge. Human Dimensions of Ecological Restoration takes an interdisciplinary look at the myriad human aspects of ecological restoration. In twenty-six chapters written by experts from around the world, it provides practical and theoretical information, analysis, models, and guidelines for optimizing human involvement in restoration projects. Six categories of social activities are examined: collaboration between land manager and stakeholders ecological economics volunteerism and community-based restoration environmental education ecocultural and artistic practices policy and politics For each category, the book offers an introductory theoretical chapter followed by multiple case studies, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of the category and provides a perspective from within a unique social/political/cultural setting. Human Dimensions of Ecological Restoration delves into the often-neglected aspects of ecological restoration that ultimately make the difference between projects that are successfully executed and maintaned with the support of informed, engaged citizens, and those that are unable to advance past the conceptual stage due to misunderstandings or apathy. The lessons contained will be valuable to restoration veterans and greenhorns alike, scholars and students in a range of fields, and individuals who care about restoring their local lands and waters.