In California, the Sutro Stewards blend conservation, recreation and the concept of stewardship in an intense urban environment. By mobilising volunteers to build trails, remove invasive species, and grow and establish native plants, a severely degraded ecosystem is being restored. “When you restore the plant communities, you’re restoring the base of the foodchain that other animals can participate in. It all starts with the plants,” says Ildiko Polony, the director of Sutro Stewards. The story of the area’s restoration provides hope that when we make the choice to give our natural spaces more love, we can reverse some of the damage we’ve done to them.

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