Deep History

Abstract

Although the idea of ecocentric restoration is a recent one, having taken shape in the early decades of the past century, it has deep roots. Searching through history we do not find full-blown precedents for ecocentric restoration projects, such as the UW–Madison Arboretum’s Curtis Prairie, which most would accept as a classic example of this form of land management. But we do find many of the elements—what we might call partial precedents—of this idea. And we find them not only in practices related to the care and management of land or ecosystems but also in ideas and practices arising from relationships people have formed with other humans and with their gods.