INTRODUCTION Coventry University has been voted ‘Modern University of the Year’ three times running by The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide. Ranked in the UK’s top 15 (Guardian University Guide), we have a global reputation for high quality teaching and research with impact. Almost two-thirds (61%) of our research was judged ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. THE PROJECT Earth is arguably undergoing the sixth mass extinction event of its history. Because biodiversity determines the presence and magnitude of key ecosystem functions, such as water purification and productivity, species loss can severely impact the health and livelihoods of people. In response to this crisis, ecological restoration has be