Oral History Interview, William Whitney (2206)

Abstract

In his October 6th, 2020 interview with Dave Egan, Bill Whitney talks about his background and career in ecological restoration as part of a series of interviews with ecological restoration pioneers. He discusses coming across the idea of ecological restoration in the late ‘70s, influential moments early in his career that have continued to shape his work, and how much he’s learned by conducting restoration efforts throughout his career and overcoming the barriers commonly associated with them. He also talks about co-founding the Prairie Plains Resource Institute and its subsequent SOAR program, as well as how he’s come to view humanity’s relationship with the environment. This interview was conducted for the Ecological Restoration project and is housed within the Oral History Collection at UW-Madison Archives.