Ecosystem restoration is now globally recognized as akey component in conservation programs and essential tothe quest for the long-term sustainability of our human-dominated planet. Restoration scientists and practitionersare now on the frontline and will be increasingly calledupon to get involved in large scale programs address-ing immediate environmental crises and challenges. Here,we summarize the advances in mainstreaming ecological restoration in global environmental policy deliberations during the last year, culminating in the recent meeting ofthe United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
We also provide key references for those seeking more infor-mation, and set out an agenda as to how the restoration community could respond to and act upon these recentdevelopments. However, we underline the need for cau-tion and prudence; we must not promise more than wecan deliver. Thirty years after the emergence of ecological restoration as a scientific discipline and practice, there remain many obstacles and misconceptions about what can be achieved at large scales. Yet, clearly the old adage applies here: nothing ventured, nothing gained