In Season 3 of Branching out: the forest podcast, we explore how scientists in IUFRO collaborate across disciplines to tackle emerging topics through Task Forces. We continue the Season with the Task Force on Health, Safety and Social Dimensions of Forest Restoration Operations and will learn what it takes for restoration to be successful especially from a forest operations perspective. 

Host Gerda Wolfrum from IUFRO Headquarters and co-host Sara Santiago from The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment in the USA, and IUFRO Communications Working Party Deputy Coordinator, spoke with Task Force co-leads Nate Anderson, Research and Development, U.S. Forest Service, Missoula, MT, and Jay Kim, Texas A&M University, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, USA. 

"Many global forest restoration initiatives have set very ambitious goals, often measured in millions of hectares restored. But they've paid much less attention to how the work will actually be carried out or what it means for the people who do the work," Jay Kim said. 

Restoration workers are much more exposed to physical hazards than workers in commercial timber harvesting operations because restoration work is much less mechanized. Also, the work environment is a lot less predictable, as restoration projects are often located in difficult terrain. And many restoration projects rely on seasonal workers, contractors, or conservation crews, which means that the experience level can vary.

"So, when we talk about restoration, we are not just talking about the trees and the plants, but the actual on-the-ground work, and the people who are conducting that work and how they are conducting that work," Sara Santiago concluded. 

Regarding the broader social dimensions, Nate Anderson explained, "We know the pledges to plant millions of trees and to restore millions of hectares of land come with a lot of economic activity. And there's been a lot of good research around the world focused on how that plays out in local communities in both positive and challenging ways." 

Ultimately, successful restoration is about far more than restoring hectares of land. It also means creating conditions that allow restoration workers to operate safely and sustainably, and that strengthen the social fabric and livelihoods of local communities. And most importantly, to reach restoration goals and mitigate some of the potential risks and negative impacts, it really takes a lot of collaboration.

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