The practice of ecological restoration involves taking inspiration from healthy ecosystems and using that to assist in the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed. It is a practice that requires the expertise of many STEM fields including engineering, plant biology, ecology, wetland science, soil science, entomology, wildlife biology and more. Angela Allen, a water resources engineer, explores the goals of this multidisciplinary field and how we can look beyond what we see in a damaged landscape to what it could be, and what steps we need to take to get it there.