Each unique habitat of the estuary provides home to specific plants and animals.

BTNEP and its partners work together to identify those areas in most need of repair and then target approaches for appropriate ecological restoration.

Ecological restoration is the implementation of projects that renew and restore degraded, damaged, and/or destroyed ecosystems or habitats in the estuary. Many times active human intervention and action can produce positive changes in the actual project area or return ecosystem services and processes by restoration practitioners.

People think of planting grasses or trees as the first step to ecological restoration. There is more to restoration than just plants. Often additional work may be needed to help other species of conservation concern recover. BTNEP continues to evaluate the needs and works to mend the declining populations.

Image: Barrier Islands