Collaboration between science and art through a special international symposium for ecosystem health and sustainability

The collaborations between ecosystem restoration and art practices was epitomized by the eco-artist Jackie Brookner who said: “it is not a matter of the scientists providing the hard-core research and artists the soft outreach; rather, the dynamics engendered in the space between disciplines is full of information necessary to solve complex problems at the systemic level”. This paper reviews and summaries the goals, activities, and lessons learned from a special symposium, which was held at the 12th INTECOL (International Congress of Ecology) conference in Beijing, China, August 21 through 25, 2017, where about 3000 people attended from 70 countries. It showcased collaborations between art and science on ecological literacy and ecosystem sustainability, ecosystem restoration, and ecological science communication through the works of US-based, eco-artists and ecologists/ecological engineers. Examples demonstrated how the incorporation of art and collaborating with artists in ecosystem restoration enabled the integration of cultural, social, historical, and geographic contexts and facilitated the much-needed engagement and participation of local communities that are often left out