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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
Ecological Restoration is a Proven Practice
Ron Grossman's article on restoration in the forest preserves ("Woods' controlled burns are hot debate," May 29) wrongly suggests that there is actual scientific debate about the long-tested practices of ecological restoration. In fact, the "debates" over restoration is precisely the same kind of "debate" that currently exists over global climate change: A few people who have scientific credentials completely outside of the expertise of the matter, along with a few vested interests, disagree with literally thousands of scientists and experts within the field of study who unanimously agree that, in one case, humans are changing the planet's climate and, in another, that ecological restoration is good for our wild areas.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-080613eco_briefs,0,7336906.story
Alaska: Habitat Helpers - Youth Spend Summer Restoring Wetlands
When people think about an Alaskan vacation, most don't envision getting put to work in the mud, but a group of high school students from Granby, Colo., didn't mind getting their hands dirty last week when they took part in an environmental restoration project near the Kenai City Dock. "They were enthusiastic, worked well together and had a good time with it," said Laurie Stuart, an education specialist with the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, which hosted the kids as part of a science-themed summer camp.
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/061608/new_291445138.shtml
Arizona: UA's Environmental Research Camp Nurtures Budding Young Scientists
Welcome to Environmental Research Camp, a weeklong summer science program of the University of Arizona Department of Geography and Regional Development - part of the UA's Arizona Youth University. The students' work will be used by the U.S. Forest Service to measure the effectiveness of restoration techniques used after the 2003 Aspen Fire in this oak woodland between 5,000 and 6,000 feet up the Mount Lemmon Highway, and in the conifer forests they will visit today and Thursday, said Devin Quintana, geographic-information systems specialist with the Coronado National Forest.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/243239
Washington: Public Invited to Comment on Draft Habitat 'Corridors' Around the City
Use the word "corridor" and it calls to mind an old school or a hospital visit to an ailing relative. But match up corridor with open space or habitat and you have the latest trend in a movement to connect city dwellers with the outdoors. Green corridors are integral to Tacoma's proposed 20-year plan to preserve the city's open spaces. City planners will unveil a draft map of habitat corridors suggested for conservation at a public meeting on Thursday. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound's Murray board room, located in the student union building at 1500 N. Warner St.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/updates/story/386248.html |
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People in the News
US Biologist Gretchen Daily Accepts Norwegian Environment Prize
US biologist Gretchen Daily on Thursday accepted the annual Sophie Prize for her "radical and constructive involvement" in efforts to prevent the extinction of plants and animals. Norwegian Environment and International Development Minister Erik Solheim handed over the prize worth 100,000 dollars. Solheim has said Daily was a bridge builder between "theory and praxis." Daily, professor at Stanford University in California, was the 11th winner of the prize created 1997 by Norwegian best-selling author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/211940,us-biologist-gretchen-daily-accepts-norwegian-environment-prize.html
Longtime Farmer had Respect for Natural Prairies
In the coming weeks 330 acres of the Nachusa Grassland Preserve in western Illinois, known as the Edith and Anna Heinkel Unit, will be in full bloom with native prairie grasses and flowers. Beyond the familiar coneflowers, the preserve features purple spider wart flowers, porcupine grass and bird's foot violets, a perennial flowering herb that is an important food source for the rare regal fritillary butterflies. Volunteers with the Nature Conservancy monitor the prairie, recording its plants and animals, but they remain ever mindful of the former McHenry County farmer who made the donation in the first place: Clarence B. Heinkel.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=205716&src=4
FWC Biologist Honored in Destin with Award for Aquatic Conservation
Michael Hill, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), received the Richard Coleman Aquatic Resources Award from the Florida Lake Management Society at the organization's conference Wednesday in Destin. The award recognizes a professional who has worked to restore, protect and/or advance the public's understanding of Florida's aquatic resources. Hill works for the FWC in the Panhandle region of Florida, developing and managing restoration projects in lakes, rivers and streams.
http://www.thedestinlog.com/articles/conservation_5016___article.html/destin_fwc.html
New Zealand: Sanctuary's 1000-Year Journey
The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary experience will take people on a 1000-year journey when its new $16.6 million visitor and education centre opens late next year. Details of the two-storey, environmentally friendly centre were issued yesterday. Sanctuary chief executive Nancy McIntosh- Ward said that going through the doors of the centre would be like arriving on another planet - New Zealand 1000 years ago. "It will feature state-of-the-art exhibitions created by internationally renowned exhibition designers and storytellers Story Inc, based on content provided by New Zealand's top ecologists."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4581094a23918.html |
| New Books & Articles
Beyond Deforestation: Restoring Forests and Ecosystem Services on Degraded Lands
Despite continued forest conversion and degradation, forest cover is increasing in countries across the globe. New forests are regenerating on former agricultural land, and forest plantations are being established for commercial and restoration purposes. Plantations and restored forests can improve ecosystem services and enhance biodiversity conservation, but will not match the composition and structure of the original forest cover. Approaches to restoring forest ecosystems depend strongly on levels of forest and soil degradation, residual vegetation, and desired restoration outcomes. Opportunities abound to combine ambitious forest restoration and regeneration goals with sustainable rural livelihoods and community participation. New forests will require adaptive management as dynamic, resilient systems that can withstand stresses of climate change, habitat fragmentation, and other anthropogenic effects
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/320/5882/1458 |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Colombia Creates Rainforest Reserve to Protect Medicinal Plants
Colombia today announced the creation of a rainforest reserve dedicated to the protection of medicinal plants. The Orito Ingi-Ande Medicinal Flora Sanctuary encompasses 10,626 hectares of biologically-rich tropical rainforest ranging in altitude from 700 to 3300 meters above sea level. The sanctuary is based on an initiative launched by local indigenous communities with the support of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), an innovative NGO working with native peoples to conserve biodiversity, health, and culture in South American rainforests.
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0612-colombia.html |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Mexican Farmers Bring Balance Back to their Environment
Interestingly, the path toward sustainability led the people of Tlaxcala to organic farming long before it was hip to shop at Whole Foods or demand that your fruits and veggies don't arrive at your dinner table covered in harmful pesticides. They use a variety of innovative techniques to create a life-giving equilibrium among animals, soil, and water in their milpas (fields). Many of their techniques come from traditional farming methods used in this region for centuries.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/blog/2008/06/mexican_farmers.html
Canada: The Indigenous Women's Environmental Network
The Indigenous Women's Environmental Network is an ad-hoc group of Aboriginal Women in Saskatchewan who are concerned about environmental issues and the impact that megaprojects have on Indigenous people. We have been working for several years on issues such as uranium mining, clearcutting, and damming of river systems. We are also concerned with other issues that impact on the survival of Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan. The issue that is foremost in our minds at this point, and the main drive force behind wanting to organise Indigenous women in Saskatchewan, is the new threat to all our lives in the form of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council's proposal to build a permanent high level nuclear waste repository in northern Saskatchewan.
http://ncseonline.org/nae/docs/iwen.html |
| Agro-Ecology
Veganic Farmers Work without Animal Fertilizers, Byproducts
Farmer Don Bustos said the tradition of working the land in northern New Mexico's Espanola Valley had been passed down from his Spanish ancestors who tilled the same soil centuries before. But when he realized the traditional farming techniques he was using could harm his children's health, he went organic 15 years ago. Now, Bustos said he has found an even safer method-vegan organic farming without any animal fertilizers or byproducts. Bustos was inspired to pursue vegan farming four years ago after hearing an address by then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_9579863
UNEP'S Angela Cropper Calls for Holistic Approach to Agriculture
Addressing the High-Level Conference on World Food Security (3-5 June 2008, Rome, Italy), UNEP's Deputy Executive Director Angela Cropper cautioned against a reductionist model to agricultural production that reduces farming to a simple process of intensification and ignores the wealth of agricultural biodiversity. She noted that UNEP is convinced that "this is not a model that will ultimately serve the interests of either the developed or developing world."
http://www.climate-l.org/2008/06/uneps-angela-cr.html |
| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Researchers Race to Save Alaska's Coral Gardens
To German naturalist Georg Steller, who accompanied explorer Vitus Bering on his 1741-42 voyage of discovery commissioned by Russia's Peter the Great, the treeless islands that arc between mainland Siberia and North America were treasure troves of new plants, animals, and geology. "I encountered wondrously strange views that at first glance were more like the ruins of large cities and edifices than a chance display of nature," Mr. Steller wrote in his journal.
Nearly three centuries later, researchers continue to make new discoveries about the remote Aleutian archipelago that stretches more than 1,000 miles from the Alaska mainland.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/06/17/researchers-race-to-save-alaska%e2%80%99s-coral-gardens/
EU Commission Discusses Soil Degradation and Climate Change
The European Commission last week hosted a high-level conference on the relationship between soil and climate change, and the role of soil management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic matter plays a fundamental role supporting soil fertility, retaining water, sustaining biodiversity and regulating the global carbon cycle. But organic matter is in decline, and the conference heard how large amounts of carbon have been lost to the atmosphere in recent years. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1212659762088&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Conservation or Preservation - Which Works?
The word conservation means different things to different people. In 1975 I was involved in a captive breeding programme for one of the world's rarest antelopes, the Addax. Small, timid but immensely beautiful these small ungulates had been driven from their wild ranges through indiscriminate hunting, mining disturbance and prolonged drought reducing their foraging range. Some 200 animals still survive in the more remote areas of Chad and Niger. Captive breeding has resulted in numbers of little more than 1,000 animals resulting from locally organised conservation initiatives.
http://www.southernstar.ie/article.php?id=791 |
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Conservation, not Preservation, is Key for NJ Forests
Preservation is a manmade prescription designed to age woodlands. Ironically, preservation is a remedy that smothers plants and shrubs by maturing the forest canopy. The forest vegetation is replaced by a succession of invasive plant life, ingredients not found in Mother Nature's recipe book for a healthy wilderness. The result is an imbalance in the numbers of wildlife that depend on the forest. Adaptable creatures such as deer brim over, while dependent creatures such as bobwhites diminish.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080616/NEWS09/806160352/1057/SPORTS09
US: Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008
S. 2593 would establish a collaborative program between the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to select and fund ecological restoration projects on certain forest lands. To fund the program, the bill would create and authorize appropriations for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund. Based on information from the Forest Service and assuming appropriation of the necessary funds, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2593 would cost $188 million over the 2009-2013 period and approximately $250 million in the years after 2013. Enacting this bill would not affect direct spending or revenues.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/93xx/doc9376/s2593.pdf
Louisiana: Ponchatoula's Ancient Cypress Forest Sold to the State
A 100-acre wood that was spared when loggers clear-cut the rest of Ponchatoula's vast centuries-old cypress forest in the early and mid-part of the 20th Century has been saved for posterity. It is part of 7,200 acres purchased by the State of Louisiana to dramatically increase the size of the Joyce Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to 24,707.
http://blog.nola.com/ponchatoulatimes/2008/06/ponchatoulas_ancient_cypress_f.html |
| Wetland Restoration
UK: Reducing Flooding the Natural Way
The key to long-term, cost effective flood prevention could be held in England's National Parks and farmland landscapes, says Natural England today (Thursday 12 June) one year on from last year's summer floods. Thriving wetlands, restored peat bogs and free-flowing rivers are recommended by Natural England to reduce the harmful effects of flooding. By increasing the natural capacity of the countryside to absorb and hold excess water, we can help to slow run-off and dramatically decrease the risk of flooding.
http://www.stackyard.com/news/2008/06/environment/01_ne_flooding.html
South Africa: Wetland Restoration Crucial for Communities
When a pair of critically endangered wattled cranes began returning to their former nesting grounds in a KZN wetland two years ago, conservationists knew the degraded marsh was finally returning to its once pristine state. "The cranes were nosing around here," says Damian Walters, an ecologist at the Mondi Wetlands Programme (MWP). "They made a nest. Wattled cranes need shallow water. Their nests are like a moat."
http://www.sunday.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20080614091623757C902358
California: Video Details Peyton Slough Wetlands Restoration
The restoration of the Peyton Slough Wetlands, once listed as one of the Bay Area's top 10 toxic spots, is the subject of a new video by the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District. The video, titled "Peyton Slough Wetlands: The Crown Jewel of Contra Costa County," describes the environmental hazards that jeopardized wildlife in the slough and highlights measures taken by the Peyton Slough Wetlands Advisory Committee and other agencies to fix those hazards.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9546620
Owners of Maine Vacation Parcel Face EPA Fine for Filling a Wetland
Robert and Gayle Greenhill, owners of more than 3,200 acres of land on the western shore of Moosehead Lake, face a possible EPA fine of up to $157,500 for filling 1.5 acres of freshwater wetlands on their property. The filling of wetlands, occurred during the expansion of an existing private airstrip and the development of a rock quarry, is a violation of the federal Clean Water Act and other federal requirements designed to protect wetlands.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/3b0bd059c9d551e38525746b0054cc8f?OpenDocument |
River & Watershed Restoration
Ecology Center Gets Watershed Grant
The Sonoma Ecology Center has received a grant from the state to fund efforts to protect and enhance the Sonoma Valley watershed that connects to San Pablo Bay at the south of the Valley. "Everyone lives in a watershed, and it's important to foster stewardship of these vital natural resources at the grassroots level," said state Department of Conservation Director Bridgett Luther in announcing the grant.
http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2008/06/16/news/doc4857105f16d59530972053.txt
Well-Restored Waterways Attract Engineers and Scientists to Region
Professional engineers and scientists from New York and other states are attending an annual University at Buffalo workshop this month to learn from Western New York's experiences about how best to restore streams and other waterways so they can be enjoyed for generations. "Western New York is home to a lot of streams that people care about," said Joseph Atkinson, Ph.D., director of the UB Great Lakes Program, which is sponsoring the "Engineering for Ecosystem Restoration" workshop. Atkinson is a professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "We have a number of stream restoration projects here that are models of how to do it right," he said.
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9449
Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative
Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative is a partnership-driven effort to conserve, restore and manage ecosystems in priority areas across the state to enhance Utah's: Native wildlife and biological diversity; Water quality and yield for municipal, agricultural and wildlife uses Sustainable agriculture on farms and ranches; Quality of life through outdoor recreation activities. The Utah Partners for Conservation and Development (UPCD) serves as a clearinghouse to coordinate and share participants' conservation concerns and priorities, discuss and implement solutions, and promote an atmosphere of collaboration among landowners, private organizations, and state and federal agencies.
http://wildlife.utah.gov/watersheds/index.php |
| Grassland Restoration
Australia: United Nations Lauds Moolapio Project
A Geelong business and green lobby yesterday earned a prestigious international environment award. Helped by Greening Australia, Alcoa rehabilitated 500 hectares of grassy woodlands near its aluminium smelting plant in 2005. The two organisations plan to revitalise 115 ha in the next seven years, and were yesterday given the United Nations Environment Award. Greening Australia's Victoria chief, Carl Carthy, said the award recognised the value of the grasslands.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/06/18/15174_news.html
Oregon: Back to Native Nature
The meadow, located in the Whilamut Natural Area at the end of Day Island Road past the Community Garden in East Alton Baker Park, is a showcase for the project's efforts to develop cost-effective, herbicide-free techniques to restore some of the upland prairie that formerly covered half the Willamette Valley. Human disturbance and the lack of wildfires that nurtured the prairie before its settlement have left only 0.5 percent of the original prairie, project founder Yotokko Kilpatrick said. The result is a landscape dominated by a handful of pasture grasses and non-native plants that don't support the valley's original ecosystem.
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=113563&sid=4&fid=1
Grassland Restoration Network
A consortium of restoration practitioners, scientists, and land managers interested in integrating the best science and management practices into large scale grassland restoration projects.
The Grassland Restoration Network (GRN) was formed in the summer of 2003 by a group of restoration professionals and conservation scientists in response to an increase in the number and size of grassland restoration projects across the Midwestern U.S. Our goal is to increase communication and cross-site learning for the purpose of improving our abilities to achieve conservation success.
http://www.natureconservatory.net/wherewework/northamerica/states/indiana/news/news2016.html |
| Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
China: Beijing's Rocky Mountain Goes Green
On Beishan Mountain outside Beijing, trees have been planted on what was once barren rock.
More than 10,000 men removed thousands of hectares of rocks with explosives before hauling up soil and trees. "Trucks could not go up the mountain, so we had to carry the soil ourselves," Bai Yuanwang, a 36-year-old worker from Hebei province, said. The 1,000-m Beishan Mountain was forested to shield Beijing from dust storms. The mountain is located 74 km from the capital in Yanqing county. "It's a 2,400-hectare project that took six years to complete," Li Fengyi, forestry director of the county said.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-06/18/content_6771187.htm
Sustainable Agriculture will Help Stop Desertification
Poor farmers and herders in countries bearing the brunt of desertification and land degradation can help stop or reverse those processes by engaging in sustainable agriculture, the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says. Marking World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which is observed on 17 June, IFAD said in a statement that poor farmers and herders can form part of the solution with the assistance of international agencies.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27048&Cr=desert&Cr1=
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
The objective of this Convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in affected areas.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=39567 |
| Lake Restoration
Florida DEP Continues Restoration of Rivers, Lakes, Estuaries
Florida has marked another milestone in its comprehensive strategy to address waterbody restorations around the state. Beginning its second five-year rotation to study the waters in the state, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael W. Sole has signed an order identifying waterbodies for water quality improvement goals. The waters identified for restoration are in the St. Marks/Ochlockonee River Basins, the Suwannee/Santa Fe River Basins, the Ocklawaha River Basin, Tampa Bay, Lake Okeechobee and its Northeast Tributaries, and the Everglades West Coast Basin which are collectively known as 'Group 1'.
http://www.northfloridanewsdaily.com/News/2008/0616/top_news/178.html
Oregon: Wildlife Refuge Expands Reach
Refuge managers hope to eventually acquire all 4,310 acres in the Wapato Lake Unit, adding meadow prairies and bottomland forestland to the refuge's collection of wetlands, permanent ponds and riparian forests. Overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 1,358-acre wildlife refuge is a bird watcher's paradise. In the spring and summer, Spotted Towhees, Savannah Sparrows and Purple Finches flit among the Refuge trees, mingling with their more unique friends, the American Goldfinch and the White-crowned Sparrow. If you're really lucky - and have a pair of good binoculars - you may catch a glimpse of the rarely seen Yellow-headed Blackbird or the Red Crossbill.
http://www.theregalcourier.com/news/story.php?story_id=121373111063967100 |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Florida: 8-Day Undersea Mission Begins Experiment to Improve Coral Reef Restoration
Scientists have begun an eight-day mission, in which they are living and working at 60 feet below the sea surface, to determine why some species of coral colonies survive transplanting after a disturbance, such as a storm, while other colonies die. Coral reefs worldwide are suffering from the combined effects of hurricanes, global warming, and increased boat traffic and pollution. As a result, their restoration has become a priority among those who are concerned. Using as a home base the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius--an underwater facility for science and diving located in Key Largo, Florida--a team of "aquanauts" is working to protect coral reefs from this barrage of threats by investigating ways to improve their restoration.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/37409
California: Restoration Project will Create 150-acre Habitat for Giant Kelp
Rocks were pushed into the ocean off San Clemente, Calif., early this month to provide the foundation for a 150-acre reef for giant kelp -- a project that scientists say is one of the largest and most advanced in the world. The artificial reef, to be made from about 125,000 tons of volcanic rock, will anchor a kelp forest to attract marine life and help counteract the environmental damage caused by a nearby nuclear power plant about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego.
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/jun/17/solid-as-tons-of-rock-restoration-project-will-cre/?business-nationworld
Massachusetts: NOAA and Partners Restore Salt Marsh and Fish Passage on Cape Cod
NOAA and its local and national partners have successfully completed a $1.5 million multi-year project to restore a salt marsh and fish passage for migrating herring on Cape Cod. "We worked with our partners to restore an entire watershed - an impressive accomplishment," said Tim Keeney, NOAA deputy assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere. "This project demonstrates that something as simple as replacing a culvert can have a dramatic effect in helping sustain our nation's fisheries." NOAA and its partners provided the town of Dennis, Mass. with technical assistance and funding to successfully complete the restoration project. NOAA contributed $475,000 to the project.
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080613_capecod.html
California: Park Service Seeks Wetland Restoration
The National Park Service is proposing to restore a portion of the historic coastal wetland and associated stream channel at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau announced Thursday. Prisoners Harbor, once the largest coastal wetland on the Channel Islands, was important for floodwater storage and habitat for wildlife and native plants. Coastal wetlands in California are increasingly rare; more than 90 percent have been eliminated.
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jun/14/no-headline---nb1bottomfeeder-v/
Massachusetts: Dennis Celebrates Completion of Sesuit Creek Watershed Restoration Project
Bridge Street was closed to traffic for the last time today, as national, state and local leaders joined Dennis residents to celebrate the completion of the Bridge Street culvert project and Sesuit Creek restoration. This project is the largest salt marsh restoration and the first open rivers initiative in Massachusetts.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/dennis/news/x1470884195/Dennis-celebrates-completion-of-Sesuit-Creek-watershed-restoration-project
Rhode Island: Completion of Marsh Project Marked in Portsmouth
State officials have marked the completion of a $4.6 million salt marsh restoration project in Portsmouth. The state Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked together to restore 23 acres of salt pond and salt marsh habitat at Town Pond. The wildlife sanctuary is at the northern end of Aquidneck Island.
http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8498975 |
Wildlife Restoration
Texas: Fish Spawning Grounds Laid as Part of Habitat Restoration Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is restoring gravel bars in Big Cypress Bayou to enhance the spawning habitat for a variety of fish, including paddlefish, a threatened species in Texas. The project is part of the $4 million Big Cypress Bayou Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration project and the gravel bar component is "one of the first of its kind in a warm-water flowing stream," according to Marcia Hackett, biologist and district project manager. "We hope to see more projects like this across the country."
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/061208_web_paddlefish.html
Migratory Bird Wetland Habitat Expanded With Duck Stamp Dollars
The federal Migratory Bird Conservation Commission today approved $4 million to purchase more than 18,000 acres of prairie wetland and grassland habitat for the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota. In one of the largest purchases to use dollars generated by Federal Duck Stamp sales and import duties on firearms and ammunition, the commission says the nation's hunters are contributing to conservation of the habitat on which wetland waterfowl depend.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2008/2008-06-12-092.asp
Texas: Bird Watchers' Prize? Funds to Restore Habitat
Bird watchers have helped the city of Port Aransas secure a $10,000 grant to help replenish the native habitat. Port Aransas is receiving the grant for having a winning bird-spotting team in the 12th annual Great Texas Birding Classic, according to the Texas Parks &Wildlife Department.
Seven statewide conservation grants totaling $73,000 were awarded to fund habitat projects, tournament coordinator Carol Jones said.
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jun/14/bird-watchers-prize-funds-to-restore-habitat/ |
| Extractive Industries
Lakes across Canada Face being Turned into Mine Dump Sites
CBC News has learned that 16 Canadian lakes are slated to be officially but quietly "reclassified" as toxic dump sites for mines. The lakes include prime wilderness fishing lakes from B.C. to Newfoundland. Environmentalists say the process amounts to a "hidden subsidy" to mining companies, allowing them to get around laws against the destruction of fish habitat.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/16/condemned-lakes.html
California: The Hidden Salt Ponds of Chula Vista
But in the wake of a new initiative to restore the salt ponds, mudflats and wetlands around the South Bay Salt Works factory and a renewed focus on the development of Chula Vista's bay front, the company's long-term future has come into question. Now, community organizations and residents are using their imaginations to envision a new face for the 17-acre property, which they say is poised to become an unusual nexus of history, environmentalism and public use, should it transform into an educational visitor's center.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/06/16/news/02saltworks061608.txt |
| Invasive Species
Massachusetts: Students Work to Save Great Marsh
Audubon teamed up with students from the Glen Urquhart and Essex Agricultural and Technical high schools to raise these beetles that feed exclusively on the loosestrife weed. Last spring, students released the beetles at three sites owned by Audubon covering over 16 acres. A similar beetle release was scheduled this spring, and may serve as a model for managing purple loosestrife throughout the society's 32,000 acres of conservation land.
http://www.salemnews.com/puopinion/local_story_169000336.html?keyword=secondarystory
Threatened or Invasive? Species' Fates Identified
A new ecological study led by a University of Adelaide researcher should help identify species prone to extinction under environmental change, and species that are likely to become a pest.
The study, the first of its kind, was published this week online in the British Ecological Society's prestigious Journal of Ecology. "This study provides good evidence that we can take any group of species and predict how individual species will respond to changes in the environment through events such as climate change or habitat loss," says lead author Associate Professor Corey Bradshaw, from the University of Adelaide's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news27082.html
Florida: Die-Hard Grass On Bay's Shore
It's the Bruce Willis of botanical bullies. You can cut it, burn it, poison it. It just keeps coming back. And it comes back big. "It's so thick and so bunchy," said Brandt Henningsen, an environmental scientist involved in coastal restoration projects along Tampa Bay. "We're talking about a grass that's 6, 7, 8 feet tall. You can't walk through that." The species: Guinea grass, native of Africa.
http://southshore2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/11/ss-die-hard-grass-on-bays-shore/ |
| Urban Restoration
Ohio: 4-Acre Wetland Blooms in City
The little patch of wooded wetland in the middle of a bustling city neighborhood is more than a mere curiosity. To the people who live near it, this 4-acre plot between Beechmont Avenue and Corbly Street is an oasis of serenity and natural beauty. To horticulturalists, it's a rare, small remnant of a red maple wetland that thrived in this area centuries ago. To both groups, it's land worth restoring and preserving.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080616/NEWS01/806160317/1056/COL02
South Africa: South has Big Conservancy Plans
The planned conservancy along Joburg's southern edge will link the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve with the hills of Roodepoort, and will preserve the natural environment and indigenous fauna and flora. JOZI'S distinctive ridges are to be the links for a huge conservancy that could connect Ekurhuleni's green spaces in the east to the tall koppies of Roodepoort in the west. The initiative is being driven by development consultant Andrew Barker and Clem Kourie, the honorary chairman of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association (KNRA), together with Johannesburg City Parks.
http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/2592/168/
California: Wetlands Funding Effort is Approved
Three funding packages were approved this week by the Long Beach City Council, injecting new life into efforts to upgrade two of the city's natural resources - the Colorado Lagoon and the DeForest Wetlands. The council gave the nod to the application for a $1 million grant for the Colorado Lagoon restoration effort; a second vote sealed a $1,050,985 contract for an engineering design study for that upgrade effort; and the third gave the green light to the receipt of a grant for $217,593 to assist in the design for proposed upgrades of the DeForest Wetlands Project east of the Los Angeles River in the city's northwest area.
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_9571200 |
| Recreation & Tourism
California: Walkers Shut Out by Balboa Park Work
A $4.5 million project to rebuild a wild bird habitat is under way at Balboa Park's Bull Creek, but many residents are complaining that the effort has left them fenced out of their favorite spot. The Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project includes reviving 28 acres within the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control basin to encourage 200 species of wild birds, including the American goldfinch, the Ash-throated flycatcher and the Bullock's oriole, to nest and thrive within the area.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_9557820 |
| Funding Opportunities
Grant Workshops Scheduled For Nearshore Restoration Project Sponsors
A series of six workshops will be held this month and next for individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring nearshore habitat restoration and preservation projects in the Puget Sound area. The workshops, hosted by the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will be held at various sites throughout the region.
http://outdoornewsdaily.com/index.php/archives/4222
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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