Dear Members of the Arid Lands Group:

From my experience working on ecological restoration projects in Jordan (the eastern and southern deserts of Wadi Rum, Jordan (a hyper-arid desert), I would like to initiate a discussion on a lesson I believe to be fundamental to achieving long-term success. The key point is:

We all need to engage indigenous and local people from the onset of the restoration process - by listening to their knowledge, experience, and traditional practices, since they are the most trusted sources of this information, and as such, they will be able to help us make better choices going forward. The following is a step-by-step process I have used successfully:

1. Listen to Local Community:  Involve the local community in the planning phase, prior to any work being done.

2. Conduct Workshops:  Work to connect traditional knowledge to current restoration science by conducting training workshops that cover both areas of information.

3. Identify Threatened Species:  Work with the local people in identifying, locating, and mapping the native endangered species that need to be restored back into their original habitat.

4. Protect Areas:  Protect areas from overgrazing and degradation with involvement from the local community.

5. Acquire Native Seeds:  Secure access to native seeds from seed banks or collect them when available, with local community assistance.

I believe it is crucial for local participation to occur at all levels of the project-from implementation to monitoring and long-term stewardship of the site.

I'll share some of my experience with pictures soon.