Post-Project Appraisal in Social Relationships between the Ecological Restoration Project on Stoney Creek and the Surrounding Community, Burnaby, British Columbia

Scientific studies upon ecological restoration projects and their relation to nearby environments such as soil quality, invasive species, beetles living habitat have been studied extensively by varies research groups. However, researchers seem to have neglected the social relation between residence and the ecological restoration project. Knowledge on public attitudes and perceptions toward ecological restoration projects is essential in exploring the public’s degree of supportiveness and in creating a sustainable restoration project. Using Stoney Creek in Burnaby, British Columbia as a case study, this study searches for the relationship between community members attitudes and knowledge towards ecological restoration by examining the correlation of the resident’s place attachment, length of residency, and their willingness to engage. The study has found a direct relation between public’s interest in ecological restoration and their willingness to engage. The public’s willingness to engage also has a relation to their attachment to the creek. The public’s awareness and knowledge is related to the residents’ attachment to Stoney Creek and the duration of residency in the area. Proximity to the creek, however, does not seem to have a correlation to the public’s perception of Stoney Creek’s ecological restoration project.