The Restoracene Has Begun

15,000 years ago, many species of megafauna were still co-evolving on grassland/savanna landscapes that kept planet Earth cooler. You may think the pristine ecosystems in much of North and South America were closed canopy forest but, my farm taught me that open woodland and savanna covered much of these continents as well as central and western Europe. The trees and shrubs were heavily browsed upon by 30 species of sloth, including one the size of African bull elephants. Mammoth, mastodon, giant camels, and Aurochs, the giant ancestors to modern cattle, also plied the woodlands devouring leafy shrubs and trees and trampling a lot of brush to the ground. This allowed light down to the soil surface so grasses could evolve and provide grazing for wild horse, giant bison, antelope, and the many grass-eating species of sloth. In fact, these grasslands were thriving even where we now see deserts such as the Sahara, Atacama, Chihuahua, and Arabian deserts.

The albedo of Grasslands is higher than forest because the color as seen from space is lighter, meaning more of the Sun's energy is reflected back out to space to help cool the planet. In my interview with Alejandro Carrillo, we both share our convictions based on 15 years each of holistic land management experience that people can restore hydrated, climate cooling landscapes with the help of a variety of modern megafauna including sheep, cattle, horses and donkeys. These modern megafauna can help restore water cycles if they are managed well and water is a powerful force for cooling landscapes locally and globally.

With a holistic outlook, we conclude with the need to empower people to begin the restoracene.