The United Nation has this year launched “The Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”, as a way of galvanising action to combat biodiversity loss, but also as a means of sequestering carbon.  But what do we mean by “ecosystem restoration” and how can we assess if the restoration has been successful? Restoring Resilient Ecosystems (visit project website here: RestREco) is an innovative partnership project, funded by NERC, that aims to unpick and examine the essential elements required for ecosystem restoration, focusing on UK woodlands and grasslands. RestREco will consider complexity and resilience as fundamental aims for restoration projects, rather than attempting to re-create specific target ecosystems.