Could you introduce yourself and tell us more about your background and your career trajectory in the field of ecological restoration?

I am currently the Levitt Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and the Paul and Claudia Schickler Executive Director of the Jay N. Darling Institute at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa). I grew up in what was once rural northeast Ohio and have spent the bulk of my education and professional life in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa. I have a Bachelor's degree from Westminster College (Pennsylvania) and a Master's and Ph.D. from Miami University (Ohio). I've always been interested in issues associated with forest and grassland conservation and restoration; I've been blessed to be able to do both at Drake University.

In Iowa, I collaborate with rural communities and county conservation boards to find ways to balance habitat management and restoration with agriculture or recreation. In southern Indiana, I am entering my 16th year as a collaborator with the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment. My work with the Darling Institute seeks to fund a student corps to live and work in rural communities in order to better steward our natural resources and improve economic development and public health. Through all these threads is a throughline of my commitment to improving natural habitats for plants, animals, and humans for generations to come.

What inspired you to join SER, and what do you value most about your membership?

I joined SER to connect with practitioners worldwide, and I've grown as a professional from their mentorship and experiences working at the interface between human and natural land uses. The Society provides essential leadership as a leading voice for restoration ecology among both professional and citizen practitioners.

Keith Summerville working with tree seedlings for restoration projects in Iowa.

What about ecological restoration excites you the most?

I love kick-starting ecological succession and then watching as native species thrive in response. There are always surprises; life finds a way even in the face of major disturbances.

Could you highlight a particular project or initiative you've been involved in that you're especially proud of or passionate about?

The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment in southern Indiana, the creation of Gishwati National Park in western Rwanda, and, most recently, the partnership with the Nature Conservancy at Dunn Ranch-Grand River Grasslands (Iowa/Missouri) and Kankakee Sands (Illinois/Indiana)

In your view, what are the most pressing ecological restoration challenges or opportunities that the field is currently facing, and how do you see SER playing a role in addressing them?

The staggering scale of invasive species and climate change will require longitudinal commitments to project sites of near any size long after the initial project "grant" or funding have expired. Building a coalition of invested practitioners that sustain restoration projects is essential.

Can you share some key lessons or insights you've gained from your work that you believe are important for the broader restoration community?

Listen to the reflections and stories of those that have lived with the land for generations before I became involved in a project. Their relationship to the land, their experiences with biodiversity, and their support for a project will mean just as much, if not more, than what I've read in scientific journals.

Prepare to be wrong, then learn from it and change practice. I've learned as much from disproving ideas I used to have as I have from confirming a set of hypotheses. I've learned to use failure as a tool to better serve my students, stakeholders I engage with, and the ecosystems I have a deeper connection to.

Everyone has something to contribute, so build diverse teams that represent all views and experiences with nature. The goal isn't unanimity for me, it's moving to a more shared sense of purpose in restoring ecosystems on stakeholders' terms (not mine).

Keith Summerville planting native species during field research in the Midwest.

Are there specific ecological restoration principles or practices that you find particularly fascinating or effective, and how have you applied them in your work or projects?

I have been interested in ecological assembly rules since I was a doctoral student. I think when management can apply the right tools to leverage species' traits in such a way that natural processes can surmount external disturbances, we have achieved our most ambitious goals. I try to listen to the landscape and create research projects that help other restoration practitioners to manage only what is needed to let evolved species' traits express themselves in a way that makes ecosystems more resilient.

What unique ecological restoration challenges and opportunities are associated with your region and how does the chapter address them?

The central Midwestern landscape is fragmented to an astonishing degree. An easy answer to questions of restoration might be to simply focus on less impacted landscapes. Yet, so much native species diversity remains as holdouts in our remnant patches. Restoration can connect these and undo, even a little, the impacts of land use decisions from 100 years past. The SER Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter emphasizes sharing methods, lessons learned, successes and not-so-successes so that each year we collectively have a little more benefit on the landscape.

What advice do you have for students or emerging professionals who are considering a career in ecological restoration?

I'd recommend networking through volunteer events or stewardship days at your local natural areas. Meeting a diverse mixture of practitioners is both rewarding from a learning perspective and a networking perspective. In some ways, lifelong personal and professional success is going through the network you invest in, so spend the time to get your hands dirty while leaving our shared natural world a little more healthy.

Can you share your vision for the future of ecological restoration?

We've protected, at scale, most of the least disturbed land we have left. Ecological restoration is the only way we grow the acres that can serve the ecosystem needs for both humans and other species. The field will most certainly become the strategy of choice for repairing degraded systems. The Society will be the singular thought leader in the restoration space as we move into the next 50-100 years.

What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I learned, at a relatively early age, that trying to catch Striped Skunks is not a good idea.