“A fascinating book―far-reaching, deeply researched, and probing.” ―Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky “Outstandingly well-researched and deeply thoughtful . . . An essential read.” ―John Dupré, Los Angeles Review of Books “Makes a strong case for restoration’s enduring value.” ―Michelle Nijhuis, New York Review of Books Today environmental restoration is a global pursuit. Governments, nonprofits, and corporations spend billions of dollars each year to remove invasive species, build wetlands, and reintroduce species driven from their habitats. In Wild by Design, historian Laura J. Martin uncovers the origins of restoration science and policy. She explores how restorationists struggled with the problem of caring for biodiversity without romanticizing nature as an untouched Eden. Could humans intervene in nature for nature’s own sake? What natural baselines should be restored? Was it possible to design nature without destroying wildness? In illuminating restoration’s past, Wild by Design not only provides vital lessons for our future in a changing climate―it makes an urgent call for environmental restoration that is socially just. “An outstandingly well-researched and deeply thoughtful account of the way that the United States has attempted to negotiate its relationship to wild plants and animals…an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the implications of our interventions.” ― John Dupré , Los Angeles Review of Books “Can we repair the ecological damage that we’ve done? As Laura Martin observes, no question today could be more pressing, or more uncertain. Wild by Design is a fascinating book―far-reaching, deeply researched, and probing.” ― Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future “Reaching back over a century in this intricate, revelatory book, Martin shows that just as we have to reckon with the physical legacy of past ecological degradation, we must also face the social, cultural, and political legacy of past ecological restoration… Wild by Design will be a foundational work for scholars of restoration history or politics. Like ecological restoration as a field, this book is valuable both to its disciplines and to the public―it is timely, engaging, and entertaining.” ― Peter Kimball Brewitt , Ecological Restoration “Examines how the practice and philosophy of restoration has evolved since the early twentieth century…[Martin] makes a strong case for restoration’s enduring value.” ― Michelle Nijhuis , New York Review of Books “[A] compelling and meticulously researched history of ecological restoration…[this book] serves as both a cautionary tale and an inspiring call to action―to ensure that restoration efforts prioritize ecological justice, community involvement, and a deeper understanding of nature as a dynamic and evolving system…Martin compels us to rethink how we restore landscapes: for whom, by whom, and to what end ? These are the very questions that will shape the future of ecological restoration―and the future of our relationship with the natural world.” ― Mairéad O'Donnell , Public Seminar “A comprehensive history of the practice of ‘ecological restoration,’ or human assistance in recovering a damaged world. Martin both eschews blanket optimism and refuses to fall victim to doomsday cynicism around climate change. By examining the precedents for restorative ecology, she illuminates how the development of the field influences contemporary practices, and how ghosts from the historical record haunt our ecological future…Its historical contributions alone…mark Wild by Design as a major achievement.” ― Celeste Pepitone-Nahas , Ancillary Review of Books “With astute and thought-provoking insights and graceful prose, this book arrives at a timely moment, as the twentieth century’s two dominant modes of environmental management, conservation and preservation, are being supplemented by techniques of ecological restoration…The book stands out as a portrayal of ecological restoration as an active scientific and social pursuit that offers a meaningful and needed sense of hope.” ― Jeffrey K. Stine , H-Net Reviews “ Wild by Design deserves a wide readership. It not only complements the foundational analyses of influential historians of extinction and ecology, it also contributes in vital ways to the ongoing work that all ecologists and environmentalists need to do―confronting the problematic social assumptions that still pervade many aspects of ecological science and environmental management.” ― Christine Keiner , Journal of the History of Biology “Essential reading…certain to engender heated discussions about ecology in an increasingly industrialized world, as well as raising questions about if, when, and how humans should intervene to save endangered species.” ― Caitlin Cacciatore , Foreword Reviews “ Wild by Design ’s biggest gift is to ‘denaturalize’ restoration as it is done today, showing that concepts