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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
Ecuador: Orchid and Botanical Garden near Puyo
We are looking into initiating ecological restoration programs, and would be interested in receiving interns. The reserve is small but has almost 30 years of experience restoring degraded rainforest land. Contact Matt Bare for more details mattbare03@gmail.com
http://www.jardinbotanicolasorquideas.com/
California: Huntington Beach Wetlands Restoration
The Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy (a nonprofit corporation) is working to restore historic salt marsh wetlands inland of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) between the Santa Ana River and Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach. Major marsh restoration is expected to start Fall 2008. The Conservancy offers docent tours and /or restoration related activities for volunteers from 9 AM to Noon the 2nd Saturday every month. Please call (714) 536-0141 or visit us on the web at http://www.hbwc.org for additional information.
Honduras: Volunteers Needed to Plant Mangroves
We are seeking volunteers to help plant red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) on Isla de Guanaja, Honduras. Planting will take place in two sessions: 1) early January through mid-February, 2) mid-April through May. The start and end dates of each session are somewhat dependent on volunteer availability. Length of volunteer stays can be very flexible - you should plan to stay at least a week to make the trip to the island worthwile. If interested in applying please send an e-mail to guanaja.mangroves@gmail.com, and I will send you more in-depth information about the project and travel arrangements.
Illinois: MCCD Offers Opportunities to Exercise, Aid Environment
There is a way to get some exercise while breathing fresh air on the weekends: help to clear invasive brush off county land. For just a couple of hours on a weekend, you can make a tangible difference to preserve open space, improve the environment, and get some great exercise to boot, according to a news release from the McHenry County Conservation District. "Restoration doesn't take a break in winter," restoration ecologist Brad Woodson said. "It is an ideal time to continue clearing invasive brush and take advantage of the frozen ground in more delicate wetland areas."
http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/11/23/news/local/doc492a21b43022a252520892.txt
California: Volunteers Help Restore Endangered Plant and Wildlife Habitat
Volunteers are needed at Abbott's Lagoon, the Lighthouse Bluffs and other high value habitat areas at Point Reyes National Seashore. Visit some of the most beautiful areas in the park and help eradicate invasive plant species encroaching upon rare, native habitat. Learn about invasive plant ecology and the flora and fauna of Point Reyes National Seashore. Plan to work up a sweat manually removing the nonnative European Beachgrass, iceplant and other invasive species. Get involved and meet new people.
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/citizens-bank/org/opp/10260198497.html?return_url=
California: Big Meadow Restoration Proposal Seeks Public Comment - December 3, 2008
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking comments on the proposed action for the Big Meadow Creek Watershed Fire Regime Restoration Project. The proposed project would restore the ecological connections and functions between riparian corridors, aspen stands, meadows and adjacent Forest. Goals of the project include stimulating the growth of desirable native vegetation to sustain desirable plant and animal communities; reduce conifer encroachment, and reduce fuel loading to reduce the potential for high severity wildfires within the project area.
http://yubanet.com/regional/Big-Meadow-Restoration-Proposal-Seeks-Public-Comment.php
Arkansas: Volunteers Add Vegetation to Stream Restoration Efforts
More than 40 volunteers braved freezing temperatures Saturday to add the finishing touch to a stream restoration project at Gulley Park. "The turnout today is beyond anything I expected," Sandi Formica, executive director for the Watershed Conservation Resource Center, said. "We're really excited about all these people coming out to learn about planting and stream restoration."
http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/71165/
Oregon: Students Plant Trees Near Creek to Help Salmon
With a Ponderosa pine seedling dangling from his hand, Tosh Evans stood over a hole in the ground and waxed on about what it's like to plant his first tree - one he helped grow.
"This is epic," said Evans, 16, an Ashland High School sophomore. Evans and pal Camron Abbott then set roots to dirt along the banks of Ashland's Wrights Creek, helping jump-start the once-ravaged creekside habitat toward becoming a salmon-friendly stream again. Then they moved to the next hole, armed with another school-grown pine meant to do right by Wrights Creek. "It's like doing a makeup for mother Earth," Evans said. "We keep shooting her in the face. Maybe it's time to help her out a little bit."
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081121/NEWS/811210323
Malaysia: Japanese Help to Further Develop Eco Park
The Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda) is collaborating with Japanese non-governmental organisation (NGO), Overseas Volunteer Activity Support (Ovas), to further develop the Eco-Forest Park at Kinarut. Safoda will be working with Ovas, with the support of the Greenery Fund of Japan, to plant 1,600 fruit trees (wild durian and clone mango) on 3.5 hectares within the Park. http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=61108
Conferences & Workshops
2010 IUFRO World Congress
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) will hold its 23rd World Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea from August 23-28, 2010. The title of the Congress is "Forests for the Future: Sustaining Society and the Environment". The Congress Scientific Committee invites submission of technical session proposals until 15 January 2009. Session proposals are welcome from all organizations and individuals with an interest in the future of forests from all forest-related scientific disciplines.
http://www.iufro2010.com
10th International Congress of Ecology
The Congress, bringing together the knowledge and resources of the Ecological Society of Australia, New Zealand Ecological Society and INTECOL, will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia from 16 to 21 August 2009. Be sure to register now to take advantage of the special early-bird registration rate! Register online via
http://www.intecol10.org |
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People in the News
An Interview with President Evo Morales
Indian Country Today sat down for an exclusive interview with Bolivian President Evo Morales Nov. 19. Time constraints and language barriers aside, Morales' strong vision for how indigenous people can prosper shined brightly.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/34804229.html
David Brand: Harnessing Markets to Save Forests, Old and New
Few people have influenced the growth of ecosystem markets like New Forests founder David Brand. His career, like the industry he has helped spawn, runs the gamut from forestry to investment, and from government to non-profit to money-making. 21 November 2008 | 2008 has been a banner year for David Brand and his environmental investment and advisory firm, New Forests Pty Limited. In August, New Forests launched the groundbreaking Malua BioBank in Sabah, Malaysia, a project which uses biodiversity conservation certificates, to protect a host of threatened species and the rainforests in which they reside; in May 2008 the company announced the sale of a minority stake to Generation Investment Management, co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore.
http://ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/article.people.profile.php?component_id=6341&component_version_id=9451&language_id=12
Arizona: Central Arroyo Stream Restoration Program Honored
The Central Arroyo Stream Restoration Program (CASRP) has received a prestigious award from POWER (Public Officials for Water and Environmental Reform) at a banquet at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel. POWER, a statewide group of water officials and activists, honored the Arroyo Seco Foundation, the City of Pasadena, and design/construction partner Camp Dresser McKee, Inc (CDM) with their 2008 POWER Award, citing CASRP's innovation as a successful stream restoration project using a design/build collaboration and reintroducing the native Arroyo Chub fish into the urban waterway.
http://www.pasadenanow.com/_ArticleManager/publish/article_5257.shtml
Landscape Designers Apply Nature's Tricks
Susan Van Atta, from Santa Barbara, is explicitly engaged in ecological restoration in many of her Southern California projects. Bernard Trainor, now in Monterey but active from the Carmel Valley to Marin County, says his gardens aren't about replicating nature. But both converged on similar themes: looking at natural landscapes for inspiration and, as Trainor puts it, "learning tricks from nature and applying them."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/18/HOGU142OOA.DTL
Dow Recognized for Wildlife Efforts
Dow Chemical Co. has received international recognition for its contributions to wildlife habitat conservation in Brazoria County. The Wildlife Habitat Council honored the petrochemical company at its 20th anniversary symposium last weekend in Baltimore for projects, including the Dow Nature Refuge in Lake Jackson and the redfish-rearing program that became Sea Center Texas. Dow Chemical Co. spokeswoman Tracie Copeland said being recognized by a wildlife preservation organization shows the petrochemical company pushes to protect the area. "This is verification that we are doing everything we can do to conserve the area," Copeland said. "This is third-party recognition that Dow is doing the right thing to conserve wildlife and protect land that's valuable to the environment."
http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=571c8c0cd1e3041c
Anchor Environmental to Merge with QEA
Anchor Environmental in Seattle, Washington, and Quantitative Environmental Analysis QEA of Montvale, New Jersey, have announced that the companies will merge to create a national environmental and engineering consulting firm that specializes in aquatic, shoreline, and water resource projects. Effective early January 2009, the two firms will operate under the name Anchor QEA and will be headquartered in Seattle, Washington. http://www.sandandgravel.com/news/article.asp?v1=11451 |
| New Books & Articles
Storm Cunningham on reWealth, Renewal and Restoration
The twentieth century was the last and worst of the "de" centuries, writes Storm Cunningham in his book reWealth! (McGraw-Hill, 2008). Words like development, depletion and degradation are "de" words that mostly insinuate a certain loss or dewealth; unfortunately, these words are those we have grown accustomed to while building habitats for living, work and play. In the 21st century which is fast becoming a restoration economy, claims the author, a new wave of words beginning with the prefix "re" will wrestle down "de" to open doors to an exciting three-dimensional way of providing for life while nurturing the natural environment. Redevelopment, replenishment, remediation and restoration. Words that now make us rethink how we have used resources at our disposal.
http://www.gaiadiscovery.com/latest-people/storm-cunningham-on-rewealth-renewal-and-restoration.html
Who Owns Nature?
In this 100th issue of the ETC Communiqué we update Oligopoly, Inc. - our ongoing series tracking corporate concentration in the life industry. We also analyze the past three decades of agribusiness efforts to monopolize the 24% of living nature that has been commodified, and expose a new strategy to capture the remaining three-quarters that has, until now, remained beyond the market economy.
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pub_id=707
'Montana Wildlife Legacy' Documents Wildlife Restoration Book
Two Montana wildlife authorities who collaborated as producers of the award-winning film "Back from the Brink - Montana's Wildlife Legacy" have written a new book documenting wildlife restoration in Montana. The book is "Montana's Wildlife Legacy: Decimation to Restoration." It advertises itself to be the "only complete compilation of Montana's wildlife trapping and transplanting records."
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20081113/DC5/811130340
Rifts and Shifts: Getting to the Root of Environmental Crises The pursuit of profit is the immediate pulse of capitalism, as it reproduces itself on an ever-larger scale. A capitalist economic system cannot function under conditions that require accounting for the reproduction of nature, which may include time scales of a hundred years or more, not to mention maintaining the particular, integrated natural cycles that help sustain living conditions. The social metabolic order of capital is characterized by rifts and shifts, as it freely appropriates nature and attempts to overcome, even if only temporarily, whatever natural and social barriers its confronts. In this, Marx noted, capital turns to problems with "the land only after its influence has exhausted it and after it has devastated its natural qualities." And at this point, it only makes shifts or proposes technological fixes to address the pressing concern, without addressing the fundamental crisis, the force driving the ecological crisis - capitalism itself. http://www.monthlyreview.org/081124clark-york.php |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Real World Impact of Ecosystem Valuation
Many environmental economists and ecologists seem to find common ground in the language of valuing "ecosystem goods and services". Since the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, numerous reports have been produced on the topic. An increasingly important question that is being asked is whether this is all worth the effort. Does it really make such a difference to provide an economic argument for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems? Would it not be better to just frame an ecological or biodiversity argument? These questions are very relevant as a typical EGS valuation study does take a lot of effort, discipline and can be quite costly.
http://sustoptions.blogspot.com/2008/11/real-world-impact-of-ecosystem.html
Peru Exchanges over USD25 Million in Debt for Forest Protection
The US Department of the Treasury has recently announced an over USD25 million debt-for-nature swap with the Government of Peru under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act. The initiative builds on previous debt for-nature agreements with Peru and aims to dedicate the new funds to finance projects for the conservation, protection and restoration of Peru's forests over a seven year period. The new agreement is the fourteenth such agreement under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act, which is expected to raise a total amount of USD188 million to protect tropical forests.
http://timber.fordaq.com/fordaq/news/sanwood_logprices_18458.html
Texas: Nature Conservancy Helps Expand Big Bend Ranch State Park
The Nature Conservancy has done Texas yet another great favor: It agreed to acquire the 7,000 acres of the Fresno Ranch and will transfer it to the state, thus plugging the holes, so to speak, in Big Bend Ranch State Park. The ranch land - actually, a collection of 11 sections within the 300,000 acres of the existing park in Brewster and Presidio counties - won't be immediately opened to the public. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has to assess the land and then determine the best and safest way to integrate it with the state park.
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/11/24/1124bigbend_edit.html |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
CBD Executive Secretary Highlights Indigenous Peoples' Opportunities
Indigenous Peoples Consultation on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), taking place from 12-14 November 2008, in Baguio City, the Philippines, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), highlighted the opportunity for indigenous and local communities to contribute to the formation and implementation of possible solutions to climate change, such as REDD schemes, to ensure that their traditional knowledge, rights and biological diversity are protected and enhanced in the process.
http://www.climate-l.org/2008/11/cbd-executive-s.html |
| Agro-Ecology
Industrial Animal Agriculture is 'Eating Our Future'
On Thanksgiving, Americans urged to consider the cost of our diet on animals, other peoples and the planet. As Americans prepare to celebrate the annual harvest festival that is Thanksgiving, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) today released "Eating our Future: The environmental impact of industrial animal agriculture." The report details how current agricultural practices in the U.S. and elsewhere contribute to the environmental, economic and social crises faced by developed and developing countries alike, and makes a call for shifting to humane and sustainable models of production.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Industrial-Animal-Agriculture-Eating-Our/story.aspx?guid=%7B3B66B82D-4829-4A61-A213-3375525AC8E2%7D
Australia: Cash Boost for Landcare Projects
The region's peak natural resource body has welcomed a $378,000 Federal Government injection into environmental and sustainable farming projects for the Limestone Coast. The Caring for our Country grants were awarded to the South East Natural Resource Management Board, ForestrySA and the Mackillop Farm Management Group. SENRM Board spokesperson Fred Stadter welcomed the funding boost, claiming it would be used for important environmental projects in the Limestone Coast.
http://www.borderwatch.com.au/archives/1843
Uganda: Food Crops Take Over Forest Reserve
It used to be a natural forest but now vast chunks of the Muduuma and Taligola forest reserves on Mityana-Kampala road have been cleared and replaced with food crops. Vast acres of bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, cabbages and egg plants now dominate the reserves. In some cases, fish ponds have also been dug. As if to replace the natural trees, eucalyptus and terminalia trees have been planted and cover hundreds of hectares. Deep inside the former forest reserves, weedicides have been sprayed to kill wild grass, to allow the new owners chance to plant more crops and trees. http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/661007 |
| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Climate Change Talks Could Learn From Indigenous Groups
As the United Nations readies for a key climate change meeting in Poland next month, a London-based human rights group warns that any new deal on global warming would be seriously compromised if the most vulnerable groups, specifically indigenous peoples, are shut out of the negotiations. "The entire U.N. process will be flawed if communities that have firsthand experience of dealing with climate change are not allowed to participate," says Minority Rights Group (MRG).
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44810
Natural England Highlights Climate Change Challenge for English Uplands
Understanding the impacts of climate change is critical to the future management of the uplands, said Natural England, when hosting a major national conference looking at the environmental future of the English uplands. The conference, which included a keynote speech by Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, highlighted the invaluable environmental services provided by the uplands and the significant impacts climate change will have on their landscapes and natural environment.
http://www.stackyard.com/news/2008/11/environment/02_ne_english_uplands.html |
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California: Planting 40,000 Seedlings in SB Mountains a Goal
The U.S. Forest Service, the San Bernardino National Forest Association and the Los Angeles-based TreePeople are partnering on a plan to plant 40,000 seedlings in the fire-ravaged areas of the San Bernardino Mountains. The effort, dubbed Forest Aid, is in response to the devastation that last year's wildfires and the 2003 Old Fire wrought in the mountains. The fires burned a combined 185,000 acres of forest land. "We've got a big goal ahead of us. We'll need thousands of volunteers," TreePeople spokeswoman Laurie Kaufman said.
http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_11010289
Indonesia to Plant 100 Million Trees This Year
Indonesia, which has been losing forests at a rapid pace in recent years, plans to plant 100 million trees across the country this year in an effort to limit deforestation, a forestry official said Wednesday. Indonesia has lost an estimated 70 percent of its original frontier forest, but it still has a total forest area of more than 225 million acres (91 million hectares), with a host of exotic plants and animals waiting to be discovered.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=indonesia-to-plant-100-mi
Michigan: Hills Wins Forestry Grant
The city of Rochester Hills Forestry Division recently was awarded a $4,000 Community Forestry Grant from the Michigan Urban and Community Forestry Program. The money will be used to pay for the planting of 32 trees. "Our Forestry Division continues to secure valuable grants that preserve our standing as an official Tree City USA," said Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. "Our team has now secured over seven grants totaling $144,000 since 2004."
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20081123/NEWS17/811230408 |
| Wetland Restoration
Ohio: Monitoring Wetland Restoration on the Wayne National Forest
This past spring, Chad Kirschbaum, Kari Kirschbaum and Becky Ewing choose 4 wetlands to study; 1 natural wetland and 3 restored wetlands. Sarah installed vegetation monitoring plots in each wetland and used Ohio's Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity (VIBI) to score each wetland. VIBI is a multimetric index comprised of 10 metrics with a maximum score of 100 and a minimum score of 0. The VIBI score is calculated by summing the 10 metric scores. For emergent wetlands, these metrics include the number of Carex species, native dicot species, native wetland shrub species, hydrophyte species, the ratio of annual to perennial species, Floristic Quality Assessment score, relative cover of sensitive plant species, relative cover of tolerant plant species, relative cover of invasive graminoids and standing biomass.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ssrs/story?id=4182
Arizona: Audubon Program Features Restoration of Tavasci Marsh
Tavasci Marsh is the largest freshwater marsh away from the Colorado River in Arizona and has been designated as part of the Tuzigoot Important Bird Area (IBA) by the Arizona Audubon Society due to its high quality habitat for various avian species. The Marsh, now a part of Tuzigoot National Monument, is a spring-fed freshwater wetland that occupies an abandoned oxbow of the Verde River to the north and east of Tuzigoot ridge.
http://www.gatewaytosedona.com/article/id/2112
UK: Cash Boost for Wetland Scheme
A Northumberland wetland is to benefit from a share of a £2m grant to help protect the environment. River Till Wetland Restoration Project will receive £120,000 from Natural England towards the cost of habitat improvements in the river's catchment. The river is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its otter, salmon, lamprey and plants.
http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/latest-north-east-news/Cash-boost-for-wetland-scheme.4722085.jp
California: Common Ground over a Besieged Wetlands
After fighting for decades over its oil and land, conservationists, developers and city planners are joining forces to let the wetlands grow wild again. Earlier this month, the city of Long Beach announced a proposed land swap with a developer that would protect the 175-acre core of the wetlands in exchange for 52 acres of city-owned property. The city would then sell the marsh to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority for about $25 million. It won't be easy sealing the deal. The issues surrounding the wetlands' future are complex. But at the heart of the ongoing debate is a hope that the wetlands can bounce back and become a model of restoration and cooperation.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wetlands24-2008nov24,0,1112981.story
Canada: DUC Pleased With Doer Government Commitment to Wetlands
As far as Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is concerned, the Government of Manitoba is on the right track with its Throne Speech commitment to a wetland initiative in the province. "Ducks Unlimited Canada and our research support the provincial government as they launch a new Wetlands Protection and Restoration Initiative," says Bob Grant, Manager Provincial Operations for DUC in Manitoba. "This is an excellent and critical first step in moving toward a comprehensive and integrated wetland policy that protects and restores wetlands."
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ducks-Unlimited-Canada-923476.html
Delaware: College Converts Cow Pasture into a Wetland
When the University of Delaware's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources decided to convert a cow pasture into a wetland, it became a hands-on learning experience for several dozen students. Over the course of four warm days in mid-October, the students joined UD professors, secretaries and other staffers who volunteered to plant more than 250 potted trees and shrubs, in addition to 600 plant plugs (which are grown in small cells, not pots). http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2009/nov/wetland111908.html |
River & Watershed Restoration
Utah: Restoring the San Rafael Watershed
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is taking steps toward restoring the San Rafael River watershed by beginning tamarisk removal along 122 acres of stream bank. This river is listed as one of the most degraded water systems in Utah. Seasonal dewatering, massive bank erosion and sedimentation have resulted in severe damage to the river and associated riparian habitat. Without restoration, the river system will be lost.
http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_10966979
Texas: Wal-Mart Donates $250,000 to Watershed Restoration Effort
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation has received a $250,000 donation from the Wal-Mart Foundation to help fund a new watershed restoration initiative that will focus initially on the Colorado River. Through the initiative dubbed Water for Texas, Wal-Mart hopes to help off-set its own water footprint in Texas while assisting in the restoration of native wildlife and improvement of Texas water quality.
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/11/17/daily30.html
California: Del Norte's Mill Creek Property gets Restoration Bucks
The California Wildlife Conservation Board granted $2.9 million on Thursday to the non-profit Smith River Alliance to work with state and federal agencies to continue removing logging roads in the Mill Creek watershed in Del Norte County. The money would provide the largest portion of the total $5.1 million being provided by state and federal agencies for the project on the Mill Creek property. The 25,000 acres were acquired by the state in 2001 through a coalition of agencies, nonprofits and its previous owner Stimson Lumber Co. http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11049815 |
| Grassland Restoration
Arkansas: Restoring Lost Luster
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission has joined forces with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission along with the Arkansas Forestry Commission in the Prairie Restoration project taking place just off Highway 70 in between Hazen and DeValls Bluff - the project is expected to be completed in August of 2010. "During this year, staff from the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission conducted a prescribed burn on the restoration area, the Arkansas Forestry Commission removed woody and non-native vegetation from the railroad bed and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission disked the site and planted an annual cover crop to reduce invasion of exotic species," Jennifer Akin, a conservation biologist with the project, said.
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/x1772946696/Restoring-lost-luster
UK: Hadrian's Wall Restoration Project to Benefit Wild Plants
Now marauding sheep are the enemy to be kept out as a £200,000 restoration project is carried out to safeguard both an important stretch of the 74-mile long World Heritage Site and rare wild plants growing alongside. The problem stems from the collapse of a dry stone wall built in the 1890s on top of and alongside almost half-a-mile of the remains of the ancient monument at Great Chesters Farm near Haltwhistle, Northumberland.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/3471532/Hadrians-Wall-restoration-project-to-benefit-wild-plants.html
Georgia: Native Grass Gets Intervention at Panola Mountain
Last weekend found several of us bird lovers, toting pillowcases and burlap bags, moving slowly through chest-high grass in old fields and piney woods in Panola Mountain Conservation Park in Henry County and Sprewell Bluff State Park in Upson County. We were diligently stripping the seeds from ripened, golden brown native grasses and sedges - Indian grass, big and little bluestems, brown sedge and others - growing wild in those places. We deposited our harvest in the pillowcases and bags.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/11/13/wild_1116.html |
| Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
Kenya: Environmental Restoration of the African Taita Hills
Changes in the land use in the Taita Hills in southeast Kenya have led to a shortage of arable land. Together with climate change, land use changes endanger the food production, water supply and tourism in the area and lead to conflicts. The University of Helsinki's Department of Geography has studied the Taita Hills since 2003. The research utilises remote sensing data, geographic information systems (GIS) and traditional interviews, and the results will be used as a basis of regional planning. "With funding based on research results, we will restore the environment, increase biodiversity and develop alternative means of livelihood in the area," Professor Pekka Pellikka explains the objectives for the future. http://www.helsinki.fi/news/archive/11-2008/20-14-16-04.html |
| Lake Restoration
Pennsylvania: Residents Battle for Dam, Lake Restoration
The 15-acre lake tucked into the Pinelands forest in the southern end of the township was drained in 2004 after a severe thunderstorm damaged the dam that created it. And now Harm and about a dozen of his neighbors who make up the Kenilworth Lake Homeowners Association are entrenched in a legal battle with developer Joseph Samost, operating as Pine Acres Association, to force him to fix the dam and restore the lake. "This case has been going on forever," said 80-year-old Lois Handzus, who has lived in her home by the lake for 52 years. "We come to these hearings and nothing happens."
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-11242008-1626785.html
New Zealand: Wastelands Soon to become Green Again
They each barely make a centimetre in height but in Wanaka thousands of tiny native plant seedlings are creating plenty of interest. They belong to the Te Kakano Project, a community-based native habitat nursery situated on a 1200 square metre site on the western shores of Lake Wanaka between Waterfall Creek and Rippon Vineyard.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4767664a6011.html
Florida: Crandon Park Pond Restoration
This week, the Crandon Park Visitors and Nature Center has been going through an exciting pond restoration project. Through a grant givien to our Non-for-profit affiliate, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, this restoration project has finally been set into action. Behind our Nature Center building is a small pond that due to lack of maintainance and funding, was the perfect environment for the overgrowth of many exotic plant species. The primary stages of this restoration project have begun this week and we've taken some pictures to share with you all. Basically, the exotic plants are in the process of removal and the pond is being dug out in order to remove any root structures left behind. http://crandonpark.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/pond-restoration/ |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Massachusetts: Great Marsh Receives Great Boost $1m Grant
An important 70-acre parcel of open space in Essex will be conserved for future generations, and 33 acres of degraded Newbury salt marsh restored, as the result of $1 million secured by the Essex County Greenbelt Association.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/great_marsh_receives_great_boost_1m_grant/
Australia: Wild Wetland's Wonderful Recovery
Staff and volunteers at the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project at Ash Island celebrated 15 years of environmental recovery yesterday. Launched in 1993 to compensate for the loss of fish, shorebird and other wildlife habitat, the area is today recognised as a wetland area of international significance.
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/wild-wetlands-wonderful-recovery/1360136.aspx
North Carolina: Partners Assist with Coastal Habitat
Thanks to the efforts of many groups, salt marsh habitat, oysters and the coastal creatures that depend on them are getting a big boost at Morris Landing in Stump Sound. The North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) is working with partner agencies, the local community, students and shellfish growers and harvesters on several large projects aimed at protecting and restoring the coastal habitats at the Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve on Stump Sound in Holly Ridge. NCCF purchased the 52-acre Morris Landing site through funding from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) in 2004 to protect the high quality shellfish waters and habitats of Stump Sound.
http://www.bladenjournal.com/articles/2008/11/20/sports/doc4925ba522ac1e256203484.txt
Taiwan: Penghu County Working to Restore Marine Life in Surrounding Waters
The Penghu County government has been trying to restore the marine life in the waters around Penghu -- an island group off southern Taiwan's west coast -- to help alleviate the plight of Penghu fishermen, who suffered a heavy blow when a cold spell killed thousands of tons of fish early this year, the head of the county government said Friday. Penghu County Magistrate Wang Chien-fa told members of the County Council that officials of the local government's Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau have released various kinds of fry, cultivated in a marine life restoration program, into the seas around Penghu over the past nine months.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=795026&lang=eng_news
Maryland: Two-year Milestones Set to Speed Chesapeake Bay Restoration
To accelerate progress toward cleaning up the nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Executive Council agreed at its annual meeting on Thursday to set restoration milestones every two years.
These milestones will focus the partnership on achieving the Chesapeake Bay Program's science-based goals to reduce excess levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment that degrade water quality and damage habitats. The specific milestones will be calculated in spring 2009, once the most current scientific data becomes available, and will be announced at the next Executive Council meeting, which will also be held in spring 2009.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2008/2008-11-24-091.asp
Burma: Shortage of Seedlings Holds Back Mangrove Recovery
A shortage of seedlings is undermining the restoration of mangrove forests along the southern coast, six months after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, environmentalists told IRIN in Yangon. "We have very few seedlings this year to replant the [mangrove] trees in Yangon division and the Ayeyarwady delta," Win Sein Naing, chairman of the Mangrove Service Network (MSN), an NGO, which has been restoring mangrove forests in the delta since late 2001, told IRIN. "We also don't have enough funds to rebuild the plantations."
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=81449
Texas: Volunteers Hope to Restore Island Dunes
The wispy stalks of sea oats and bitter panicum sporadically sprouting from the South Padre Island sands might not look like much now. However, Nicole Eckstrom of the Galveston nonprofit organization Artist Boat hopes that the small plants will restore sand dunes eroded by Hurricane Dolly. "Sand dunes are our first line of defense when a storm hits," said Eckstrom, who had to leave Galveston during Hurricane Ike and has since been living with her parents in Laguna Vista.
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/beach_39319___article.html/eckstrom_sand.html
Malaysian Mangrove Restoration Programme Progressing Well Since 2005
More than a million mangrove saplings have been planted as part of the conservation programme of the coastal forests throughout the country since 2005. The Selangor Forestry Department alone has planted more than 150,000 of these trees along the coastal area of the state. The mangrove replanting programme is part of the effort to restore the rich bio-diversity of the forests to provide an ecosystem for fish, crabs, birds and other creatures and plants. http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2008/11/malaysian-mangrove-restoration.html |
Wildlife Restoration
Oregon: Aquarium Assists in Silverspot Butterfly Habitat Restoration
Habitat restoration for the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly received assistance from the Oregon Coast Aquarium early this month. The Aquarium grounds staff helped by rooting and planting nectar producing food sources for butterfly habitat. The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta), listed as a threatened species since 1980, requires a very specific coastal habitat and certain plants to survive. A collaborative effort among the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Nature Conservancy, and other agencies seeks to stabilize declining silverspot populations.
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2008/11/21/community/community13.txt |
| Extractive Industries
India: Environment Ministry Sees Green, Chooses Forests over Mining
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| Invasive Species
Hawaii: The Greening of Lehua Island
No one alive knows what the environment on Lehua Island was like before the rats and rabbits arrived. These critters began eating virtually every seed and seedling, leaving it an eroded crescent of earth, rock and cinder. But there is enough evidence to make educated guesses about what the island was like before human interference, and restoration teams will now try to recreate the prehistoric Lehua.
http://raisingislands.blogspot.com/2008/11/greening-of-lehua-island.html
Wisconsin: Invasives Rule would Allow DNR to Enter Private Property
A proposed rule being promulgated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would allow DNR wardens to enter private homes and properties to conduct searches for invasive species. The wardens would have the right to enter property whenever they "reasonably" believed an invasive species was present on the premises. The rule has passed the public hearing stage, and a legislative council review has been forwarded to the agency. The next step is for the DNR to submit a final rule to the Natural Resources Board for approval and forwarding to the Legislature.
http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=8720
Australia: Montague Seabird Habitat Restoration
The successes experienced by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in restoring seabird habitat on Montague Island Nature Reserve will be the focus of a special two day gathering next week (Mon-Tues) in Narooma of experts and land managers interested in applying the same techniques at other islands similarly infested with weeds such as Kikuyu.
As well as learning about Kikuyu management, Island Managers will gather to share their experiences with managing natural island environments. http://narooma.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/montague-seabird-habitat-restoration/1364720.aspx |
| Urban Restoration
Indiana: Ball Brothers Foundation Invests $443,500 in Wetland
Seven years after the site was given to the city by GK Technologies, which owns the abandoned, nearby Indiana Steel and Wire factory, the property remains underutilized. The preserve is walled in by non-native bush honeysuckle -- an invasive shrub that can take over and dominate a habitat -- that blocks the view of the wetland. In addition, there are no trails, and the parking is inadequate. "We want to enhance the wetland with native species and make it accessible so people can go there," said Jud Fisher, executive director at Ball Brothers. "We're trying to make it an area that you can go spend time in instead of putting it on a pedestal and looking at it and saying 'We preserved this.'"
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20081117/NEWS01/811170325/1002
Trees For Kids: Indonesia's Way Of Beating Global Warming
An Indonesian city battling the effects of deforestation has come up with a novel way of tackling the problem. Would-be families must plant a tree. "Everyone who wants to get married or apply for a birth certificate must plant a tree," Syahrum Syah Setia, the head of Balikpapan city's Environmental Impact Management Agency, said. "The city's condition is already worrying, and we must act to tackle global warming." http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/51237/story.htm |
| Recreation & Tourism
UK: Welsh-black Cattle Introduced to Bardsey Island
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| Funding Opportunities
Oregon: Nature in Neighborhoods Restoration and Enhancement Grants - Closes January 7, 2009
Metro (Portland, Oregon) is accepting grant applications for projects that connect citizens to their watershed through hands-on restoration activities and environmental education. Metro's restoration and enhancement grants support individual, non-profit and government sponsored restoration, enhancement and education and efforts in regional watersheds. These grassroots, community-minded projects create new connections and improvements to neighborhoods, natural areas, backyards and beyond.
http://www.graphicdesignbasics.com/2008/nature-in-neighborhoods-restoration-and-enhancement-grants.html
Oklahoma: Wetlands Reserve Program Applications Open
USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are currently accepting applications for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) according to Kenneth Hitch, District Conservationist with NRCS. Landowners interested in restoring and protecting wetlands that have been impacted or converted are encouraged to make application at their local NRCS office. The Wetlands Reserve Program's primary objective is to restore former wetlands, re-establish native wetland wildlife habitat, and retire marginal land from agricultural production.
http://www.pryordailytimes.com/agriculture/local_story_323092011.html?keyword=topstory
Wisconsin: Beautification/Restoration Projects - Closes January 15, 2009
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is accepting applications for the 2009 C.D. Besadny Conservation Grant Cycle. Named after former Department of Natural Resources Secretary, "Buzz" Besadny, this grant program provides matching grants of up to $1,500 to private and public organizations and government agencies in support of small scale conservation projects that promote the responsible stewardwhip of Wisconsin's natural resources at the local level. Since the program's inception, the Natural Resources Foundation has contributed over $290,000 to 390 projects throughout every county in Wisconsin.
http://www.mainstreetoshkosh.com/2008/11/beautificationrestoration-projects.html
California: Land Grant Opportunities Available - Closes January 30, 2009
Land funding opportunities exist for property owners, and public workshops will be held about land-related topics. Applications are being accepted through Jan. 30 for funding riparian restoration projects. Highest ranking is given to projects along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. Land must be privately owned and there is no cost-share requirement. The voluntary program provides funding to restore marginal or flood-prone farmland to riparian buffers. The program provides annual incentive funding to help with the cost of habitat management and the loss of income due to idling farmland. Technical assistance is also provided.
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_11047564
New York: Doctoral Program in Ecosystem Restoration - Closes February 1, 2009
The State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) encourages recent graduates of undergraduate or masters programs to apply to its new doctoral degree concentration in Ecosystem Restoration through Interdisciplinary Exchange (ERIE). The ERIE program provides Ph.D. students with the technical, professional and personal skills needed to become leaders in the emerging field of ecosystem restoration through its focus on innovative and interdisciplinary research in environmental science, engineering, and policy. The research at UB's ERIE program is rooted in a number of nationally-recognized Great Lakes watershed and stream restoration efforts occurring in western New York State.
http://www.erie.buffalo.edu/
New Mexico: Collaborative Forest Restoration Program - Closes March 2, 2009
The Community Forest Restoration Act of 2000 (Title VI, Public Law 106-393) established a cooperative forest restoration program in New Mexico to provide cost-share grants to stakeholders for forest restoration projects on public land to be designed through a collaborative process (the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program). Projects must include a diversity of stakeholders in their design and implementation, and address specified objectives, including: wildfire threat reduction; ecosystem restoration, including non-native tree species reduction; reestablishment of historic fire regimes; reforestation; preservation of old and large trees; increased utilization of small diameter trees; and the creation of forest- related local employment.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/spf/cfrp/rfp/index.shtml
Ph.D. Opportunities in Plant Community Ecology, Grassland / Savanna Restoration at the University of Kansas
Graduate Research Assistantships in Plant Ecology (Ph.D. level) are available in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas. We are seeking highly motivated students interested in plant community ecology, grassland/savanna biodiversity, experimental ecology and restoration. Research opportunities exist within the context of NSF- and Forest Service-funded projects evaluating alternative models of community assembly and restoration in Tall-grass Prairie and Pine-savanna Ecosystems. http://www2.ku.edu/~eeb/admission/opportunities.shtml | |
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