Have you read "Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration", by Laura J. Martin?
This is a great book that talks about the difference between Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration.
"Conservation" tries to maximize the production of useful species such as trees for lumber or animals to hunt. It centers on the relationship between humans and only these species.
"Preservation" tries to protect an area from any human incursion, with the idea to keep it as it was before 1492. It ignores the relationship between us and the area, and also ignores the damage we are causing to the rest of the world that isn't protected.
"Restoration" is all about bringing back a sustainable world, whatever we have to do. It is about our relationship to the entire world. It recognizes that things like climate change and invasive species probably can't be reversed, so what can we do to help nature adapt to it.
I love these kinds of questions... I actually wrote about the problem a while back: https://medium.com/the-new-climate/restore-nature-to-what-260687cf9ba3?sk=5418b9b731180d5e28cf0f8147320369
Love your mention of shifting baseline syndrome!
Have you read "Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration", by Laura J. Martin?
This is a great book that talks about the difference between Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration.
"Conservation" tries to maximize the production of useful species such as trees for lumber or animals to hunt. It centers on the relationship between humans and only these species.
"Preservation" tries to protect an area from any human incursion, with the idea to keep it as it was before 1492. It ignores the relationship between us and the area, and also ignores the damage we are causing to the rest of the world that isn't protected.
"Restoration" is all about bringing back a sustainable world, whatever we have to do. It is about our relationship to the entire world. It recognizes that things like climate change and invasive species probably can't be reversed, so what can we do to help nature adapt to it.
I sure have! It should be listed in the resources of my book (I think....ok maybe not I couldn't fit them all).