RETIREMENT.
TED REINSTEIN HAS MORE.
>> MASSACHUSETTS HAS LOST ABOUT A QUARTER OF ITS CRANBERRY FARMS IN THE LAST DECADE.
CASUALTIES OF AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE WORLD MARKET.
AFTER THEIR OWN, ABANDONED BOGS MOST OFTEN TURN INTO SCRUBBY PINE FOREST OR THEY SPROUT SOMETHING ELSE.
>> I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE VERY SAD IF WE BROKE UP 610 ACRE FARM AND HAD DEVELOPMENTS ALL OVER IT.
>> GLORIANA AND HER HUSBAND OF TED MARSH FARMS IN PLYMOUTH.
A LARGE CRANBERRY OPERATION THEY HOPED WOULD OUTLAST THEM.
>> WANTED TO HAVE THE CHILDREN TAKE IT OVER AND RUN IT AS A CRANBERRY FARM.
THIS WAS SOMETHING I WAS PASSING DOWN TO THEM.
>> BUT THE ECONOMICS OF KEEPING THE FARM GOING DID NOT ADD UP.
INSTEAD, THEY OPTED FOR WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A GREEN EXIT.
RATHER THAN SELLING OUT TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, THEY TEAMED UP WITH THE STATE AND LAUNCHED AN AMBITIOUS PLAN TO RESTORE THEIR LAND TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, A NATURAL WETLANDS HABITAT.
>> I HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH A LARGE-SCALE OPERATION ANYWHERE NEAR THIS BIG.
>> BOB, DIRECTOR OF LANDSCAPE OPERATION FOR MASS AUDUBON, SAW A OPPORTUNITY.
>> MOST OF THE PLACES I AM INVOLVED IN PROTECTING, IT IS ABOUT PROTECTING THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE THERE TODAY SO THAT MY KIDS AND THEIR KIDS CAN GO TO THAT SAME PLACE AND SEE THE SAME
THINGS, HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE.
IT IS REALLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE RESTORATION PUT THEENTIRE LANDSCAPE ON A TRAJECTORY OF CHANGE THAT WILL PLAY OUT OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS, LITERALLY.
>> RESTORATION MEANS REVERSING 120 YEARS OF HUMAN INTERVENTION.
DAMS ARE REMOVED.
NATURAL STREAMBEDS RECLAIMED.
>> THE PLUMBING IS STILL THERE IN THE GROUND.
RESTORE THE SYSTEM AND THEN GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET NATURE RUN ITS COURSE AS IT HEALS, AS IT EVOLVED INTO THE VARIOUS HABITATS IT WILL BECOME.
>> ALMOST NONE OF THE PLANTS YOU SEE HERE WERE PLANTED IN THE RESTORATION.
INSTEAD, THE SEEDS WERE BURIED DEEP.
CHURNING THE SURFACE ACTIVATES SEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING UP TO 100 YEARS FOR THE RIGHT CONDITIONS.
>> WE FIGURED OUT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LIBERATE THEM.
DIG UP, CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISTURBANCE ON THE BLOCK -- ON THE BOG PLATFORM.
GREAT HIGH SPOTS, LOW SPOTS, WET SPOTS AND DRY SPOTS AND YOU WILL GET THIS ARRAY OF BURIED SEEDS.
YOU WILL GET THIS ENORMOUS DIVERSITY OF PLANTS.
>> CHRIS, SENIOR SCIENTIST AT THE CLIMAT RESEARCH CENTER.
AN ADVISOR ON RESTORATION PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD.
HE MARVELS AT THE NEWFOUND DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE SHOWING UP.
>> LOOK AT THESE CHARMING LITTLE GUYS.
>> OUR INTERVIEW INTERRUPTED BY SOME SANDPIPERS MAKING A STOP AND ROUTE FROM THE HIGH ARCTIC SAID THE AMAZON.
>>>> SOME OF THE MORE SUCCESSFUL RESTORATION I HAVE SEEN ANYWHERE.
I HAVE SEEN QUITE A BIT.
>> YOU MIGHT FIND IT SURPRISING THE RE-WILDING OF TED MARSH ALSO INVOLVES SOME REWIRING.
>> FIVE VIDEO CAMERAS.
ABOUT 30 MICROPHONES.
CLOSE TO 100 SENSORS MEASURING DIFFERENT BANDS OF LIGHT, SOIL MOISTURE, TEMPERATURE.
ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
>> GLORIANA IS A RETIRED M.I.T.
PROFESSOR.
SHE SAW THE RESTORATION AS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AND CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF A UNIQUE ECOSYSTEM.
SHE COLLABORATING -- COLLABORATING WITH HER FORMER COLLEAGUES AT MIT’S MEDIA LAB.
>> IT WAS AN EXCITING PROJECT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE TO SEE HOW THEY COULD PUT THIS UBIQUITOUS SENSING INTO NATURE.
>> VISITORS TO THE LIVING OBSERVATORY WEBSITE CAN RUN THROUGH THE VIRTUAL MARSH.
CAMERAS AND MICROPHONES RECORD THE INCREASING TRAFFIC.
RIVER OTTERS, SNAPPING TURTLES, EVEN HERRING FINDING THEIR WAY UPRIVER FROM THE NEARBY ATLANTIC OCEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A CENTURY.
>> WE OFTEN REFER TO IT AS THE LANDSCAPE OF HOPE AND OPTIMISM.
DID ANY OF US THINK IT WOULD TURN OUT AS SPECTACULARLY AS IT HAS?
PROBABLY NOT, BUT IT IS KIND OF MAGICAL IT HAS HAPPENED, REALLY.
>> I THINK I IS REALLY EXCITING.
THE AMOUNT OF WILDLIFE THAT HAS COME INTO THIS AREA THAT WAS NOT HERE WHEN WE WERE FARMING IS ASTOUNDING.
>> THEY HAVE CAP 17 ACRES TO THEMSELVES.
RETAINING A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THIS WONDROUS TRANSFORMATION.
THEIR WORK HERE, DONE.
>> WE ARE NOT PART OF THE MANAGEMENT ANYMORE.
IF PEOPLE DON’T TRASH ON THE LAND, IT IS NOT MY PROBLEM.
>> BUT YOU WILL PICK IT UP ANYWAY.
>> I WILL PICK IT UP ANYWAY.
SHAYNA: BOB OF MASS AUDUBON SAYS OTHER KEY PLAYERS HELP TO MAKE THE RESTORATION A SUCCESS INCLUDING THE TOWN OF PLYMOUTH AND THE STATE DIVISION OF ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION.
ANY OF THE SAME AGENCIES ARE WORKING TO RESTORE ANOTHER FORM A FARM NEARBY.
ANY DECEMBER, THE LIVING OBSERVATORY RELEASED A REPORT OUTLINING THE BENEFITS OF BALK RESTORATION.
WE WILL HAVE A LINK