A University of California researcher wants to know what you most appreciate about the Giacomini Wetlands restoration. She’s hoping to align the work of scientists who study restored estuaries with the priorities of the nature enthusiasts who visit them. “What is a successful restoration, and from whose perspective? Success can mean different things to different people,” said Julie Gonzalez, a University of California, Davis, Ph.D. student who is studying these questions as part of her dissertation. Ms. Gonzalez has designed a survey that seeks to gauge public perceptions of the 560-acre wetland on the southern end of Tomales Bay. The $10 million restoration project, which the National Park Service completed in 2008, reconnected Lagunitas Creek and its tributaries to their floodplains by removing agricultural infrastructure and levees from former grazing lands owned by the Giacomini family. The restoration has been an ecological success story, leading to the return of wildlife, the revegetation of marshlands and improved water quality. It also created a beloved public park abutting Point Reyes Station where locals and tourists stroll and walk dogs. But scientists and the public sometimes have different ways of measuring success, Ms. Gonzalez said. Bringing their priorities into alignment can help scientists convey the importance of restoration efforts. She and a team of researchers recently conducted focus groups to better understand perceptions of two estuaries in Oregon. “Community members really seemed to value animal and fish use of habitat, whereas scientists were focused on measuring things like vegetation and the hydrology of the marsh channels,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “Understanding what community members perceive can help scientists improve communication strategies surrounding restoration projects.” Ms. Gonzalez plans to collect community responses until the end of May. The survey can be found at http://bit.ly/3SkEKEY.