The process of design in the case of restoration is the process whereby information about your current site conditions gets converted in to a plan of action to create a “new” set of conditions for your site. Call this your “Proposal”. There are several key relationships that need to be fully understood before a good plan of action can be developed. First you will want to be sure you are working with the stake holders you have identified in your site assessment to generate a list of functional requirements for your completed project. You will also need to identify the constraints you will be working under. After you understand what will be required by the ecology of the site and the stake holders involved and the inevitable constraints put upon you by people and place you can begin to establish a set of Goals, a list of Objectives to reach those goals and a series of Tasks to achieve those objectives.
Using this hierarchical method will ensure that you are selecting Design Parameters that are appropriate for your site and entirely achievable within the context of the constraints imposed. To aid in this process it will be a good idea to select a Reference Site as it will help you understand how your end product should look and function.
The final step in the design process is to develop a Planting Plan since most restoration will involve using native plants to achieve many of the associated goals.
To learn more about the design process click the links below:
