The issues facing contemporary society are seldom addressed through research confined to laboratories. Professor Tatsuaki Kobayashi has had a decades-long interest in environmental issues and sustainable societies. He has been performing fieldwork for more than 40 years, exploring the possibilities of restoration ecology in situ. This science aims at re-establishing self-sustainable ecosystems in natural environments. Dr. Kobayashi studies environmental issues by comprehending the entirety of regional problems, including those involving people. His focal point is engaging with these problems and transcending the limitations of mere academics. Chiba University is the only national university with a Faculty of Horticulture. It is here that Dr. Kobayashi has moved his research forward without limitations. We spoke with him about starting his Restoration Ecology Laboratory, and his current interests and pursuits. Restoration Ecology is a conversation with the land in the scope of landscape Dr. Kobayashi, please tell us about the principles of Restoration Ecology. Restoration Ecology considers that the formation of the ecological … Continue reading Towards a self-sustainable natural environment: The science of restoration ecology, where researchers engage in conversation with the earth