HELPING NATURE TO HEAL: An Introduction to Environmen-tal Restoration, <i> edited by Richard Nilsen (Ten Speed Press: $14.95, illustrated).</i>

In contrast to the growing number of ecology books that focus on the increasing degradation of the environment, the authors in this anthology discuss the problems and rewards of attempting to repair damaged ecosystems. Most of the articles have an encouraging, upbeat tone: Often, even extensive environmental damage can be healed with patience, time and commitment. Freeman House explains how citizens in Northern California restored the salmon runs on the Mattole River, correcting the aftereffects of decades of ill-planned clear-cut logging. In “Just a Few Oddball Species,” Steve Packard describes his work in a program to replant the native tall-grass savanna in the Midwest, and how he discovered the natural vegetation was reestablishing itself faster than the human planners anticipated. Each article includes a list of reference books and video tapes to assist readers in putting these ideas into practice.