Table of Contents SHOW
The first quest that requires the restoration of the island ecosystem is “Fixing the Past.” You receive it after healing the island from corruption, which is marked in the screenshot below (use a table-map). To complete it, you only need to plant 8 trees on this island.
Basically, ecosystem restoration is one of the key mechanics. You can’t learn lost sailing knowledge (from the anchors, stones, and frescos) if the ecosystem of the island is unhealthy. Additionally, the island becomes visually darker.
How to Craft the Field Guide
To unlock its recipe, you need to mix 1 Wood, 1 Rope, 1 Paper, and 2 Leaf Cloths using a workbench.
You can obtain paper by collecting books that can be found on islands. Strive to collect as much paper as possible, as it’s a very important material.
Put the Field Guide in the quick access panel. While standing on an island with an unhealthy ecosystem, take the Field Guide in your hand, hold the Right Mouse Button to open it, and use the Left Mouse Button to turn pages.
Tree Amount
In the Field Guide, you will see what exactly is missing on the island. For example, the island from the “Fixing the Past” quest requires 8 additional trees, so you must plant them.
To do this, put any tree seeds (which can be obtained by cutting trees) in the quick access panel, then plant them in the ground. Once you do this, you will see that the ecosystem of the island is improving. In the same way, you must deliver to the island other things it might require: insects, animals, or plants.
After the ecosystem is restored, don’t forget to find the “hidden knowledge” – interact with the anchor on the hill.
Flora Diversity
Flora diversity refers to the variety of small plants, such as bushes, on the island. To fix it, you need to plant missing plants using Wild Seeds from the corresponding biome. For example, use Emerald Isles Wild Seeds for Emerald Isles or Fallen Heights Wild Seeds for Fallen Heights.
You can obtain these seeds by harvesting bushes on islands with a sickle. Pay attention to the fact that plants from different biomes don’t affect flora diversity.
When holding the seeds in your hand, you can switch the plants you’re going to plant by pressing RMB (Right Mouse Button). For example, using Emerald Isles Wild Seeds, you can plant 8 different types of small plants. This way, you increase the island’s flora diversity.
Decomposer Amount
To satisfy this requirement, you need to plant mushrooms on the island. For example, you can plant Reishi Mushrooms, which can be found on trees in the Emerald Isles biome. Using the Millstone, you can produce Reishi Inoculant from the mushrooms themselves.
Reishi Inoculant serves as mushroom seeds, and you can only plant it on trees. This way, you increase the “decomposer amount” for the island.
Animal Amount
This means you simply need to deliver more animals to the island. First, you need to adopt animals by feeding them with Hay or Grains, then pick them up and “Send Home.” This is how you get animals on your island.
After this, you should dock your island-ship to the target island somehow (using some kind of bridge, for example) and move animals there one by one in your hands. Alternatively, you can place your ship above the target island and simply jump down while holding an animal in your hands.
The types of animals you provide do not matter; only the amount is important.
Insect Diversity
To increase insect diversity, you need to deliver new types of insects to the island, such as Blue Beetles, Ladybugs, Worms, Butterflies, Bees, and so on. You can find insects on stumps, fallen trees, charcoal deposits, or occasionally by digging into the ground with a dorkip (spear).
Here is a list of bugs and how to get them:
- Ladybug (Emerald Isles) – stumps, fallen trees, charcoal deposits.
- Blue Beetle (Emerald Isles, Fallen Heights) – stumps, fallen trees, charcoal deposits.
- Bee (Fallen Heights) – beehives on trees.
- Butterfly (Fallen Heights) – unknown.
- Worm (Fallen Heights) – fallen trees.
- Horned Beetle (Red Cliffs) – unknown.
You can also build a Worm Box next to the Decomposer on your island. It will passively generate worms, so you will only need to gather them periodically.
Deliver new insects to the island, open your inventory, aim at them with your cursor, and release them by holding the “R” key. This is how you increase the insect diversity of islands.