Return of the wolf: ecological restoration and the deliberate inclusion of the unexpected

Ecological restoration aims to initiate natural processes and to facilitate ecosystem recovery. It is also seen as an opportunity for humans to enter into an active relationship with ecosystems. Many contemporary restoration projects not only engage laypersons, but also include the expectation that nature will respond to human efforts in surprising and unpredictable ways. Some practitioners claim that the deliberate inclusion of ‘unwanted’ elements, such as dangerous species, needs to be understood as the pivotal point of what distinguishes ecological restoration from other forms of ecosystem management. Using the unexpected, and sometimes unwelcome, return of wolves to eastern Germany as a touchstone, some practical implications of ecological restoration's embrace of the unpredictable will be discussed.