After two decades of large-scale thicket restoration projects in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the experienced team attributes their success to four foundational actions: (1) upscaling was underpinned by peer-reviewed science, (2) collaborative public sector engagement supported this research, (3) similar historical restoration efforts by farmers (1960s and 1970s) were scientifically characterised in parallel to the larger projects, and finally (4) diverse, short term scoping studies answered questions that emerged during the scaled restoration effort. Read this report for a detailed reflection on the scientific foundation to upscaling ecosystem restoration.
