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 RESTORE is a weekly e-bulletin, published by SER International, linking you to the latest, breaking news stories from around the world keeping you up-to-date on a wide variety of topics related to ecological restoration including the latest funding opportunities. RESTORE is free to SER International members and can be subscribed to for only $20/year by visiting: www.ser.org/content/restoration_network.asp. |
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Get Involved / Community-Based Restoration
Uncompahgre Plateau Restoration Talk
The San Juan Corridors Coalition is continuing its monthly series on wildlife with "The Uncompahgre Project: Restoration on the Uncompahgre Plateau." The talk will be presented by Pam Motley, education coordinator for the UP Project, and Brad Banulis, terrestrial biologist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at the Ridgway Community Center.
http://www.ouraynews.com/Articles-i-2008-06-04-179706.112113_Uncompahgre_Plateau_topic_of_talk.html
New York Restoration Project
This is our last Summer internship post for a while. We'll be taking a couple weeks off to rejuvenate and find great Fall internship opportunities. We will publish a post tomorrow that will provide resources for a last minute internships search, so if you're still hunting, we won't completely abandon you. For our last Summer internship posting, we've chosen a non-profit organization founded by Bette Midler, yes, she of Hocus Pocus fame. We wanted to take the opportunity to make some jokes about a celebrity do-gooder, but we're actually going to restrain ourselves because we're really impressed by the New York Restoration Project and the work it does.
http://www.onedayoneinternship.com/internships/new-york-restoration-project/
Washington: Get Involved with Hylebos Restoration Projects this Summer
Interested in doing something good for the environment and your community now that school's out? Summer is coming, and the Friends of the Hylebos has new restoration and habitat enhancement events planned. If you would like tobe involved in any of these events, please RSVP to streamteam@hylebos.org. A volunteer confirmation with directions and other details will be sent out on Thursday, two days before the event.
http://www.federalwaynews.net/articles/2008/06/09/news/local_news/story03.txt
Go Native
Turn your garden into a Midwest prairie or savannah. Native plants like the common milkweed or spiked lobelia were here first, but somehow they look like landscape's poor relatives if deliberately planted in today's northern suburbs. "We go out of our way to buy Asian and European plants and shrubs, while [European and Asian gardeners] are drawn to our natives," landscaper John Mariani said. So much so, there are very few true natives left.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/wauconda/lifestyles/home_design/983001,on-gonative-060508-s1.article |
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People in the News
Rwanda: Local Appointed On Environmental Body
A Rwandan environmentalist, Madeleine Nyiratuza, has been appointed to spearhead a landmark forest restoration and ecological research effort in Africa. She was jointly picked by the US-based Great Ape Trust, Earthpark and Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).
The development followed Nyiratuza's earlier appointment as the coordinator for the recently established Gishwati Area Conservation Programme in the Western Province.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806060193.html
France's Chirac Starts Conservation Foundation
Former French President Jacques Chirac launched his new charitable foundation on Monday with the ambition to promote conservation and cultural diversity, marking a return to public life more than a year after leaving office.
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/48718/story.htm
Restoration is Focus for New Deputy Supervisor
Earl Stewart didn't work with forests in the South that were as prone to burning to the ground as Montana's lodgepole pine trees throughout his years with the Forest Service. But the Oklahoma native, who recently took the job of deputy supervisor of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, had his hand in getting large scale restoration projects done. He said that experience will serve him well in his new post.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1423731/restoration_is_focus_for_new_deputy_supervisor/ |
| New Books & Articles
Marine Ecosystem-Based Management in Practice
Ecosystem-based management (EBM) in the ocean is a relatively new approach, and existing applications are evolving from more traditional management of portions of ecosystems. Because comprehensive examples of EBM in the marine environment do not yet exist, we first summarize EBM principles that emerge from the fisheries and marine social and ecological literature. We then apply those principles to four cases in which large parts of marine ecosystems are being managed, and ask how including additional components of an EBM approach might improve the prospects for those ecosystems.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1415790/marine_ecosystembased_management_in_practice/
India: Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests Protected by Religious and Cultural Beliefs
Tropical dry evergreen forest has restricted global distribution - limited to parts of Asia (on the Coromandel coast of India, northern Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand), Africa and Central America - but is highly variable in terms of height and the species it contains, depending on site location, soil type and the level of human impacts. A new study, published in the June issue of Tropical Conservation Science by N. Parthasarathy and colleagues, looks at tropical dry evergreen forest on the Coromandel coast of India where the ecosystem occurs both in patches and as sacred groves or temple forests protected by the local people on religious grounds.
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0609-parthasarathy_tcs.html
New Tools to Meet New Challenges
As the momentum for the study of ecosystem resiliency increases, more data are critically needed about the members of the ecosystems under study. Ironically, ecosystem-based management places even greater demands on the study of individual organisms because of the need for simultaneous information on multiple species. Specifically, what species are present or absent? What are their distributions across their geographic ranges? And what is the physiological health of organisms in these natural populations?
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1415791/new_tools_to_meet_new_challenges/ |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Restoring and Managing Natural Capital towards Fostering Economic Development
Can the flows of ecosystem goods and services following appropriate management and restoration of natural capital produced in rural areas of a developing country viably be traded in a way that benefit communities, the commercial sector and the environment? Here we answer this question by focusing on two case study areas within the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa. This mountain range is South Africa's most strategic source of fresh water. While occupying less than 5% of the country's surface area, it produces 25% of the country's water runoff, supplying water to much of the sub-continent through rivers, and national and international inter-basin transfers.
http://www.ecoeco.org/conference08/abstracts_view_detail.php |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Ghana: Promote Research, Traditional Ecological Knowledge
The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), on Saturday said it was time the country's educational system promoted the fusion of applied research into traditional ecological knowledge to achieve rapid transformation of the country. He said "Most countries have developed more easily and faster by building upon their own traditional ecological knowledge and intensive observation of nature. Major Quashigah made the suggestion at the first matriculation of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) in Ho.
http://www.theghanaianjournal.com/2008/06/09/promote-research-traditional-ecological-knowledge-quashigah/
Indian Cultural Heritage and Environmental Conservation through Traditional Knowledge
Nature has always been very vibrant, giving and resilient to a very large extent. We, as Indians, take pride in our strong cultural heritage. Religion protects and nurtures nature. If we take a look at Hinduism, we worship the sun, wind, land, trees, plants, and water which is the very base of human survival. Likewise, respect and conservation of wildlife-garuda, lion, peacock, and snake-are part of our cultural ethos from time immemorial. Almost the entire living of God Ram and Goddess Sita was very close to nature. Further, ancient texts written in Sanskrit, Pali or other languages can provide significant details. For instance, the scripture Vishnu Samhitâ in Sanskrit language contains some direct instructions dealing with biodiversity conservation.
http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article746.html |
| Agro-Ecology
Taking Stock of Agriculture
From April 7-12, 2008, nothing less but the future of agriculture was up for debate. Governments and scientists from around the world gathered in Johannesburg to debate the final report of the United Nations' International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). Adopted by more than 60 countries, the historic final report calls for a fundamental change in the way we do farming, to better address soaring food prices, hunger, social inequities and environmental disasters. The only three countries present who refused to endorse the report were Australia, the US and Canada.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7419
New Farm Bill Provides Higher Returns for Conservation-minded Landowners
The 2008 farm bill includes significant changes that offer a higher cost of return to Mid-South farmers and landowners. Under the new farm bill, the rates for entering into the Wetlands Reserve Program have climbed substantially. The WRP is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. "If you have previously considered enrolling your land in WRP, I encourage you to give it a second look," said State Conservationist Kevin Brown of Tennessee. "Rates are currently being set for every county, and they are significantly higher than they were just a few weeks ago."
http://deltafarmpress.com/news/conservation-landowners-0610/
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| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Forging African Strategies on Climate Change Adaptation
Africa, the continent most vulnerable to climate change, contributes little to global greenhouse gas emissions. How will the vulnerable populations, sectors and regions cope with the consequences of climate change? African environment ministers are poised to take action, what should they do?
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/37357
How 'Green' is a Valley That Doesn't Protect All Species?
A new wave of "greenness" is washing over our valley. Politicians are talking up something called the "Green Valley Initiative." My city, Rancho Cucamonga, is the latest convert. It wants to be a leader. Our City Council has voted to include green initiatives in our General Plan update.
Commendable, but the rub is what does this all mean? What exactly is sustainable development and what are green programs? The internationally recognized definition of sustainability is that it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This (Brundtland Commission) definition implicitly argues for the rights of future generations to raw materials and vital ecosystem services and that these inherent rights be taken into account in decision-making.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1417644/how_green_is_a_valley_that_doesnt_protect_all_species/
Taking Wildness in Hand: Rescuing Species
Climate change is beginning to make good on its threats, and news of its work is now hard to avoid. Escalating average global temperatures? Check. Rising seas? Check. Plants and animals scampering uphill and toward the poles? Check. Dozens of birds and butterfly species are shifting their ranges to cooler terrain or migrating earlier in the year, each species reacting somewhat differently. Ecological communities, never as stable as we might like to think, are disarticulating in new ways.
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2966/
The Philippines: Hope for Threatened Tropical Biodiversity
The Philippines is a megabiodiverstty country, but it is also often seen as a country of ecological ruin whose biodiversity is on the verge of collapse. Decades of environmental neglect have pushed ecosystems to their limit, often with deadly repercussions for the human population. Is conservation in the Philippines a lost cause? We review current conservation efforts in the Philippines, considering the actions of academics, field researchers, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, the government, and other sectors of society. Remarkably, however precarious the present situation may seem, there have been some recent positive gains and signs of hope.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1415788/hope_for_threatened_tropical_biodiversity/
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Brazil: How Long does it take a Rainforest to Regenerate?
We all know it takes a long time for cleared rainforests to regenerate, but how long exactly? According to a study focusing on the Brazilian Atlantic forest, certain aspects can return surprisingly quickly - within 65 years. But for the landscape to truly regain its native identity takes a lot longer - up to 4000 years. The Atlantic forest originally stretched along the southern half of Brazil's Atlantic coast, covering some 1.2 million square kilometres. Once lush, the forest has been continually exploited for food, wood and space.
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn14112-how-long-does-it-take-a-rainforest-to-regenerate.html
Africa's Deforestation Twice World Rate
Africa is suffering deforestation at twice the world rate and the continent's few glaciers are shrinking fast, according to a U.N. atlas on Tuesday. Satellite pictures, often taken three decades apart, showed expanding cities, pollution, deforestation and climate change were damaging the African environment despite glimmers of improvement in some areas.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/37370
New York: Rochester, Sierra Club Project to Study, Restore Washington Grove Forest
A joint project has been announced by the Sierra Club and the city of Rochester to study and restore Washington Grove forest. The project, at Cobbs Hill Park's footpath entrance off Nunda Boulevard, hopes to reduce misuse of the forest and preserve its natural state. First up is an analysis of the forest to determine the populations and ages of the species of trees and shrubs there. This data then can be compared to similar forests and historical data of the Rochester area to infer what species may be missing or declining.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/NEWS01/806090323/1002/NEWS
China Sees Rapid Expansion of Man-made Forests
Thanks to years of afforestation efforts, the acreage of China's man-made forests has exceeded 53.4 million hectares to rank the first in the world, an official with the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said here on Monday. The country's forest coverage has risen to 18.21 percent of the land area, from 8.6 percent in the early 1950s, the official said at a forum on desert control and ecological civilization in Bijie of Guizhou Province in southwest China. Earlier, the SFA revealed in its 2007 Green Coverage Report that 51.54 billion trees had been planted by ordinary Chinese people in the past three decades.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/09/content_8329551.htm
Idaho: Proposed Change Roadless Rule Protects More Forests
An official with an environmental group that was one of 50 organizations to attack Idaho's proposed roadless plan in March says recent changes made to the plan by a federal advisory committee are an improvement but will mean little because they will likely be ignored by the Bush administration.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/187351.html
Canada: Economy Chops Down Ranks Fighting Beetle Blight
The replanting of British Columbia's forests is falling behind because of economic woes affecting industry and a funding lapse in the government's reforestation program and unable to keep pace with the voracious mountain pine beetle. Fewer trees will be planted next year than at any time in the past two decades, even though the pine beetle has ravaged vast tracts of land, the head of a tree planting association says.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080606.BCFORESTS06/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia/
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| Wetland Restoration
California: If Development is Blocked, Cargill will Keep Mining Salt
When Cargill Salt announced plans two years ago to phase out its operations on a 2.2 square-mile expanse of bayfront land, a century-old tradition of salt harvesting in Redwood City seemed about to end. Now, the company says, it may continue mining salt there after all. With environmentalists trying to qualify a November ballot measure that could block open-space development, Cargill and real estate development firm DMB Associates are telling Redwood City residents that if they don't support building homes and commercial offices on the 1,433-acre site as well as wetlands restoration, the company will continue to harvest salt indefinitely.
http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_9537892?nclick_check=1
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River & Watershed Restoration
Oregon: Rogue River Dams to Come Down
One of Oregon's iconic rivers is on the cusp of a major makeover. What's happening on the Rogue River isn't so much transformation as reversion. Dams built during the previous century will come down. Reservoirs will return to running water. And soon, for the first time in more than 100 years, the Rogue could flow unimpeded for 157 miles from the Cascade foothills to the Pacific Ocean. Four dam modification projects are in different stages, three on the main stem and a fourth along Elk Creek, a major tributary.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121281811226290.xml&coll=7
California: LA River Part II - Restoration vs. Social Enhancement
Today, ecosystem care is a response. When we've trashed something enough that people start to feel the effects, it's time for a 'fix'. When it's time for a fix, it is usually up to money - and whether it's there or not - to decide which direction a project moves. Usually, when projects won't turn quick profit the money won't show up. The LA River group is likely led by business groups and advised by scientists; to find the money and think long-term, respectively.
http://variableinterest.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/la-river-part-ii-restoration-vs-social-enhancement/ |
| Grassland Restoration
Wisconsin: County Parks Restoring Prairie Habitats
By August, the grass should be just as tall as corn in certain parts of the Winnebago County Community Park. The Winnebago County Parks Department, with the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and another agencies, are bringing the prairie back to Winnebago County. Approximately 30 acres out of 270 acres of the park will become prairie land, director Rob Way said.
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080608/OSH0101/806080489/1987/OSHnews
New Mexico: BLM Receives Grasslands Restoration Grant
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded a grant of $250,000 to the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico to restore more than 8,500 acres of degraded grasslands on public lands in Eddy Count. In all, more than 25,750 acres of private, state and federal lands will be restored in the Avalon watershed immediately northeast of Carlsbad.
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_9507029 |
| Desertification & Arid Land Restoration |
| Lake Restoration
Peru: Lake Titicaca Truths Revealed
Nobody doubts that Lake Titicaca, a watershed and resource shared by Bolivia and Peru, is polluted. But a half-century after the two governments realised there was a problem there are still no detailed studies of the state of its waters. The six most heavily damaged sites include Bahía de Cohana, in the western Bolivian department of La Paz, and Peru's Bahía Interior de Puno, in the department of the same name.
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| Coastal & Marine Restoration
The Interconnectedness of Chesapeake Ecosystem Markets
With the US EPA's new mitigation rules taking effect this weekend, GreenVest CEO Doug Lashley tells the Ecosystem Marketplace that what's needed to save the Bay are not more ecosystem payment tools, but broader understanding of how existing tools work - alone and together - and the mechanics for implementing their use. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. The land mass of the watershed that feeds it covers some 64,000 square miles in parts of six states, housing 17 million people. That population is growing. Although resilient, the estuary has deteriorated to the point where its health does not allow much of its natural habitat to survive - much less repopulate. http://ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/article.opinion.php?component_id=5914&component_version_id=8685&language_id=12
Marine Reserves
Marine reserves are areas in the ocean where no extractive activities are allowed. They are also often called 'no-take zones', since the killing, harming, or harassing of any plants or animals within the reserve boundaries is not allowed, and they are part of a broader spectrum of marine spatial management tools that fit under the umbrella term 'Marine Protected Areas', or MPAs. http://www.earthportal.org/?page_id=70 |
Wildlife Restoration
New Zealand: Two North Island Brown Kiwi Female into Pukaha Forest
Two female North Island brown kiwi have been released into the restored forest at Pukaha Mt Bruce. There are now 18 birds living in the forest. It is hoped that Hera and Whiratea, adopted and named by pupils of Greytown School and Fairfield School in Levin, will produce chicks for the BNZOperation Nest Egg programme for many years to come. "We are committed to replenishing the forest with kiwi," says Department of Conservation area manager Chris Lester.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0806/S00010.htm
Australia: Birds Flock to Habitat
Birds are singing the praises of Werribee Open Range Zoo workers, who have given their habitat a much-needed boost. A 10-year tree-planting program has seen a dramatic increase in the number of native birds. More than 160 bird species have been recorded on the zoo's 225ha property, almost double the numbernoted when the survey began in 1998. Zoo horticulturalist, Maarten Hulzebosch (pictured) said the revegetation and restoration of the area had significantly boosted the biodiversity of fauna along the banks of the Werribee River.
http://www.thewyndhamleader.com.au/article/2008/06/10/36809_wbv_news.html |
| Extractive Industries
Ottawa Restores Imperial Oil's Oil Sands Approvals
Imperial Oil Ltd again has all the approvals it needs to go ahead with its C$8 billion (US$7.8 billion) Kearl oil sands project after Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) reinstated its authorization, revoked in March during a legal battle. The federal department gave Imperial, Canada's biggest oil producer and refiner, a new permit Friday to disturb fish habitat at the proposed northern Alberta mining site, DFO spokesman Phil Jenkins said.
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/48683/story.htm |
| Invasive Species
Connecticut: Restoring Nature's Oasis in Norwalk
Due to heavy recreational use, habitat degradation by nonnative invasive plant species and unchecked animal populations, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has identified the Norwalk Islands and their habitats as one of the 13 most imperiled natural communities in Connecticut. Now, thanks to a long-term partnership between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Norwalk Seaport Association, efforts to restore the natural habitat in the Norwalk Islands are underway.
http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/summer2008/Restoring_nature_s_oasis_in_Norwalk1478.shtml |
| Urban Restoration
Canada: Plan for Rouge Park Pits Green against Greens
Two powerful ideas of our time, land conservation and the local food movement, appear pitted against each other after a decision made last Friday. The Rouge Park Alliance approved a seven-year rehabilitation plan for the park, which includes the Toronto Zoo and protects a large portion of the GTA's rare green space. Under the plan, about 700 hectares of land, most of it in Markham and Scarborough, will be converted from farmland and struggling natural area to lush forest and meadow. The rehabilitation is due to begin next year.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/439669 |
| Recreation & Tourism
Connecticut: Greenway Advocates Commended Today
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| Funding Opportunities
New Zealand: Apply Now for an Environment Enhancement Grant
Landowners or groups working to protect and enhance native biodiversity in Canterbury have until the end of August to apply for contestable grants of up to $5,000 through Environment Canterbury's Environment Enhancement Fund. Financial assistance can be granted for any project that contributes to the region's indigenous biodiversity and usually involves the protection or enhancement of waterways, wetlands, coastal dunes and native vegetation. Applicants may apply more than once.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0806/S00102.htm
Fulbright Scholar Program for US Faculty and Professionals Closes August 1, 2008
The Fulbright Scholar Program is offering 109 lecturing, research or combined lecturing/research awards in environmental science during the 2009-2010 academic year. Awards range from two months to an academic year. Faculty and professionals in environmental science may apply for awards specifically in their field or for one of the many "All Discipline" awards open to any field. The application deadline for Fulbright traditional lecturing and research grants worldwide is August 1, 2008. U.S. citizenship is required. For other eligibility requirements, detailed award descriptions, and an application, visit our website at www.cies.org, or send a request for materials to apprequest@cies.iie.org.
Fulbright Awards in Agriculture or Fisheries
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program for academic year 2009-10 offers various awards for American academics and professionals in the fields of agricultural economy. The Philippines ( http://www.cies.org/award_book/award2009/award/Agr9161.htm)offers a six-months Lecturing/Research combination grant to help the development of young scholars and practitioners as well as to consult the country's Department of Agriculture. Kazakhstan ( http://www.cies.org/award_book/award2009/award/Env9494.htm ) offers awards for 4 to 10 months in environmental sciences or environmental law to lecture or lecturing/research combination. Turkmenistan ( http://www.cies.org/award_book/award2009/award/All9513.htm ) seeks for applicants in agricultural studies and water resources management; and so does Uzbekistan ( http://www.cies.org/award_book/award2009/award/All9515.htm ) Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Program Officer Mamiko Hada (mhada@cies.iie.org) with most up-to-date CV.
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