"We aren't going to be able to keep everything as it was in the past. While extinction is a dirty word it is also part of evolution. It is our unease with causing it rather than extinction itself. There is naivity in restoration thinking. A kind of arrogance. Maybe change is necessary and we should be clearer about what we are saving. At present we are blindly pushing on to save everything and keep everything as it was. Our ecosystems are trying to adapt to the changed conditions. Our ecosystems are going to change. Herbivores are not going to cause forests to collapse. Our forest ecosystems will change, evolve and adapt. As they always have adapted to new arrivals. Ecosystems around the world have changed and will continue to change. Novel ecosystems are still valuable. Changing perspectives are developing with the ecological society conference in the USA that devoted itself to novel ecosystems for e.g.. Our restoration ideals are unrealistic and NZ has some real catching up to do. The clock has stopped in NZ as usual." Michelle Reed.