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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
California: AmCan School Project Gets Kids Digging in the Dirt
Local middle school students got their hands dirty with an ecology lesson this week, involving planting trees and bushes next to a city creek. More than 240 sixth-graders at American Canyon Middle School participated in a project Monday and Tuesday focusing on restoring the portion of Rio Del Mar Creek that runs behind their school.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/opinion/ci_11135644
Australia: Care for Your Coast
The Angel's Beach Dunecare group are calling on people to help them raise money and awareness, or to help with on-the-ground repair work this summer. "There's a whole range of issues we need to tackle around the country including dune erosion, rising sea levels caused by climate change, marine life preservation and pollution," president Lee Anderson said. "Our group works mainly on dune stabilising and coastal rainforest restoration and we need many more helpers this summer.
http://www.echonews.com/index.php?page=News%20Article&article=24498&issue=376
North Carolina Water-Quality Initiative Featured On National TV Show
North Carolina's innovative initiative to restore streams and wetlands across the state will be showcased this week on an episode of Aqua Kids, a nationally syndicated television show that promotes taking an active role in preserving aquatic environments and wildlife.
http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/20969/nc-water-quality-initiative-featured-on-national-tv-show
Rhode Island: Volunteers to Transfer Oysters to Restoration Sites
More than a million oysters will be released into Rhode Island coastal ponds and Narragansett Bay starting today, the state Department of Environmental Management announced this morning. This marks the fifth and final release of oysters by the DEM and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the North Cape restoration program.
http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/12/volunteers-to-t.html#428365
Conferences & Workshops
Texas: Watershed Planning Short Course to be Offered January 12-16 in Bandera
The Texas Water Resources Institute of Texas A&M AgriLife will be presenting a Texas Watershed Planning Short Course from Jan 12-16 in Bandera. "The course will benefit those involved or interested in watershed restoration and protection projects to improve the water quality of the state's rivers, streams and estuaries," said Aaron Wendt, the soil and water board's state watershed coordinator.
http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=869
Our Living Rivers: The 6th Canadian River Heritage Conference
The 6th Canadian River Heritage Conference, "Our Living Rivers: Linking Nature, People and Places through Time," will be held at the Government of Canada Conference Centre, in Ottawa, Ontario, from June 14-17, 2009. Hosted by Parks Canada and various partners, this flagship conference will showcase successes, innovations, needs and challenges in river heritage conservation, as well as management, restoration, education, tourism, recreation and community leadership.
http://www.riversconference.ca/ |
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People in the News
Environment-Latin America: Personal Crusades for Nature
Elba Muñoz rescues and cares for mistreated monkeys in Chile; Trinidad Vela revived a dry riverbed and saved her Peruvian community from drought; Rubén Pablos has spent 12 years restoring the native Patagonian forest in southern Argentina; and Angela Corvea is cultivating awareness about the environment in Cuba.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45014
Jane Goodall Named 2009 Year of the Gorilla Patron
Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE, will serve as the official patron of the 2009 Year of the Gorilla (YoG), a 12-month campaign aimed at improving conservation of humankind's closest relatives and their habitats by bettering the livelihoods and incomes of local people. The YoG campaign also seeks to improve the management of national and cross-border primate populations, as well as those living in national parks, by strengthening cooperation between range states and providing improved support for rangers and other key personnel.
http://ecproject.org/node/24 |
| New Books & Articles
Princeton-Led Team Finds Secret Ingredient for the Health of Tropical Rainforests
A team of researchers led by Princeton University scientists has found for the first time that tropical rainforests, a vital part of the Earth's ecosystem, rely on the rare trace element molybdenum to capture the nitrogen fertilizer needed to support their wildly productive growth. Most of the nitrogen that supports the rapid, lush growth of rainforests comes from tiny bacteria that can turn nitrogen in the air into fertilizer in the soil.
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/87/78K85/index.xml?section=topstories
Nature Conservancy Releases "Green" Economic Stimulus
The Nature Conservancy released a "green" economic stimulus package today, advocating for the funds to restore ecosystems, initiate green infrastructure construction, and create much-needed jobs in the process. The package will be provided to Capitol Hill lawmakers, agency staff, and members of the president-elect Obama's transition team.
http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press3817.html |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Managing Our Investment in Nature
In the coming days, two major global gatherings will debate key issues of our time: climate change, global development and poverty reduction. The conferences will provide a definitive look at our relationship with nature and how and what we produce and consume. It is vital that these two conferences integrate the issues of nature and development - not consider them in isolation - and that global economic solutions recognize the values of nature.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/07/opinion/edlefevre.php |
| Agro-Ecology
Some Biodiversity with Your Coffee, Sir?
A recent paper by Aaron Gove and colleagues published in Conservation Letters entitled "Ethiopian coffee cultivation - implications for bird conservation and environmental certification" demonstrates how the cultivation of this NATIVE Ethiopian plant (Coffea arabica) can enhance or restore the biological value of lowland agricultural areas. Interestingly, this species needs some shade to grow, so trees must generally be planted in the agricultural areas to allow this. Result? Gove and colleagues found that birds who otherwise wouldn't be seen dead in the agricultural areas were attracted there by the maintenance and proliferation of the shade trees, thus reducing regional extinction risk for fragmented populations dependent on forest remnants. http://conservationbytes.com/2008/12/07/some-biodiversity-with-your-coffee-sir/ |
| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Canada: Project Grows Forests' Future
Can a tree native to coastal British Columbia, given climate change, flourish in Fort Nelson? Can a tree native to the Interior live prosperously on Vancouver Island? Those are questions Greg O'Neill hopes to find answers for. Called the Assisted Migration Adaptation Trial, the long-term research project aims to better understand the climatic tolerance of all of B.C.'s tree species, then take that information to better refine the province's reforestation strategies as it relates to climate change.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/35630824.html
New Standards Launched for Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance
The Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance today launched the Second Edition of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, following a nine-month review to strengthen the leading standards for multiple-benefit land-based carbon offset projects. The CCB Standards provide a set of rigorous and verifiable criteria to determine the ability of a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while delivering lasting benefits for local communities and biodiversity.
http://ecproject.org/node/31
USFS Could Lead Way in Facing Climate Challenge
Since 2001, stopping fire has grown from about 15% of the agency's budget to nearly 50% today. Without forward-thinking leadership, the Forest Service agenda will continue to focus primarily on this one reactionary activity. Yet there is enormous potential for the agency and its 35,000 employees who manage public lands that exceed the size of Texas. Agency staffers could be turned loose to do good work on the ground. The future of the agency - and the rural communities that depend on it - lies in its recognizing that more frequent fires are a symptom of a warming climate and an already stressed environment. http://www.ouraynews.com/Articles-i-2008-12-05-188606.112113_USFS_could_lead_way_in_facing_climate_challenge.html |
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Malaysia: More Orangutan after Logging Ban
The orang utan and other endangered wildlife are making their presence felt at the Ulu Segama and Malua commercial forest reserves almost a year after the Sabah government slammed the brakes on logging at the two sites, giving up billions in potential revenue from timber. Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said that forests at the reserves were starting to look better, a signal that the government had taken the correct step when it announced to the world that it would halt logging at Ulu Segama and Malua, which collectively are almost four times the size of Singapore.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2420129/Article/index_html
Audio: Restoring Forests in West Virginia's High Country
Red spruce trees grow on and near the spine of West Virginia's tallest mountains. These forests are home to endangered species, migrating birds and rare plants. According to historical accounts, West Virginia's mountains used to have more of these evergreen forests. Now, a group of federal and state agencies and volunteer organizations want to restore the red spruce forests.
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=6676
Kenya: The Gospel of Reforestation Takes Root
Walking into the Maa Habitat Restoration Initiative in Kilgoris, one could mistake it for a forest, although the three traditional houses in the compound indicate it might be a manyatta. But it is actually a very personal environmental conservancy created by two men who love trees. In January this year, Leposo ole Muti, a 58-year-old anthropologist, and his longtime friend, Dr Joseph Leboo Nakurro, a veterinarian, founded the conservancy when they could no longer stand the sight of truckloads of timber and charcoal leaving Kilgoris town.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/499276/-/tm7otq/-/
Indonesia: Jambi Pins Hopes on Hope Forest
There is not much lowland forest left in Sumatra, as much has been cleared for large-scale plantations or has had its timber removed, leaving behind vast barren areas which need to be restored to function as forests again. One of such forest encompasses Batanghari and Sarolangun regencies in Jambi province and Musi Banyuasin regency in South Sumatra. The Birdlife Consortium -- a grouping comprising Birdlife International, Burung Indonesia and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds -- has embarked on a mission to restore the ecosystems of Sumatra's lowland rainforest.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/05/jambi-pins-hopes-hope-forest.html |
| Wetland Restoration
Canada: Province Offers Cash for Wetland Work
Manitoba is losing about 5% of its wetlands every year. In an effort to curb and possibly even reverse that loss, the government is offering cash payments to landowners to restore ponds, sloughs and puddles on their property. The province unveiled its Wetland Restoration Incentive Program today, which offers landowners a one-time payment of roughly 30% of the assessed value of the land being restored.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Manitoba/2008/12/09/7686431.html |
River & Watershed Restoration
Maryland: Life to Return to Area Stream with Help from Baltimore-Based Ecological Experts
The Chesapeake Bay is about to get a little healthier, thanks to the City of Baltimore and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Maiden Choice Run project. Ground was broken on December 2 for this $1.4 million urban stream restoration, which was designed by Baltimore-based Biohabitats, Inc., one of the nation's leading ecological restoration, conservation planning and regenerative design firms. Maidens Choice Run is a tributary to Gwynns Falls, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1689574.htm
Australia: River of Training
Ten indigenous workers will take part in a year-long employment and training program to restore the Queanbeyan River. The River Restoration Project, a partnership between Queanbeyan City Council and Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA), was launched on site yesterday. Participants will undertake willow removal and restoration work along the Queanbeyan River.
http://queanbeyan.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/river-of-training/1377994.aspx
Washington: Seven Projects, $5 million, and Seven Years Later, Big Strides Made in Hood Canal Watershed Restorations
The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) finished a banner year having led the construction of some major restoration projects completed in the Hood Canal watershed's estuary and river systems. The overall efforts to restore Quilcene Bay included seven projects and a cumulative $5 million... but work continues.
http://kpbj.com/headlines/articles/2008-12-06-HED-08.html
New York: EPA Grant to Spur Restoration Efforts in Saw Mill River Watershed
On Tuesday, December 2, 2008, Mayor Phil Amicone joined federal representatives on the banks of the Saw Mill River for the announcement of a nearly $900,000 EPA Targeted Watershed Grant awarded to Groundwork Hudson Valley's Saw Mill River Coalition. The grant, one of only 15 given out nationwide, will assist pollution cleanup, restoration and planning efforts that will improve the Saw Mill River from its origins in Chappaqua to its terminus in Yonkers, including the much anticipated "daylighting" project that will unearth portions of the river through the city's downtown.
http://yonkerstribune.typepad.com/yonkers_tribune/2008/12/epa-grant-to-spur-restoration-efforts-in-saw-mill-river-watershed.html |
| Grassland Restoration
Minnesota: Restored Prairie and Wetlands Added to Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota today announced the addition of more than 3,500 acres of restored wetlands and prairies to Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge. The addition brings the total acres of wildlife habitat on the Refuge, located in northwestern Minnesota's Polk County, to just more than 6,300.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/minnesota/press/press3814.html
Texas: Restoring Texas Prairie Restores Small Game Bird's Home
Wildlife are often obsolete in much of Texas' ranch land, because the fields used for grazing livestock makes poor habitat for wild animals. Now some ranch owners are working to change that, by restoring native prairie grasses.
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=226498&SecID=2 |
| Lake Restoration
Iowa: How to Restore a Lake
You've seen lots of them - shallow lakes that turn green in late summer with algae blooms. And Jon Christensen wants to do something about them. Christensen, fisheries technician II with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told Estherville Rotarians Thursday what the DNR is doing about shallow lake restoration in the region and what can be done further to protect and improve this important natural resource. http://www.esthervilledailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/502169.html |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
California: Trio of Richardson Bay Islands off Tiburon to Get Attention
Three virtually unknown islands in Richardson Bay will be the focus of a new study that aims to improve them as bird habitat. The Tiburon-based Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary has received a $58,000 grant from Toyota as part of its TogetherGreen Project to improve salt marsh habitat and restore native plant communities on the trio of islands that are largely the remnants of 1960s development.
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_11163515
Bahamas: Turks & Caicos Creates Artificial Reef
Nearly 100 concrete orbs have been submerged in shallow waters off Grand Turk island to encourage coral growth, shelter small fish and enhance snorkeling, a government scientist said Sunday. The hollow domes submerged in recent days have quickly attracted marine life off Governor's beach, a popular stretch of coastline in Grand Turk, said Lucy Wells, a marine biologist who does reef restoration work for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
http://www.pr-inside.com/turks-caicos-creates-artificial-reef-r954735.htm
Connecticut: Marsh Restoration Project at Great Island Now Complete
This past June, work was completed on a three-year project to restore degraded coastal wetlands at the state-owned Roger Tory Peterson Wildlife Area at Great Island, in Old Lyme. Well-known to waterfowlers and birders, this 588-acre tidal marsh, located at the mouth of the Connecticut River, provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, especially birds. Unfortunately, the ecological value of the Peterson Wildlife Area and the area's use by wildlife had been greatly diminished from the effects of grid ditching and the encroachment of the invasive plant, phragmites.
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326132&depNav_GID=1655
California: Restoring Marshland Driven by a high tide, water from Tomales Bay now flows onto a pasture skirting Point Reyes Station, almost 2 miles past where a levee had once been constructed. The water moves in long fingers, overflowing the meandering path of what Lagunitas and Tomasini creeks looked like six decades ago, before a series of levees, roads and ditches were built on the Giacomini dairy. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081204/news/812040303 |
Wildlife Restoration
Canada: Atlantic Salmon Return To Spawn In The Credit River
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| Invasive Species
Washington: Groups band together in fight against weeds
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| Urban Restoration
Wisconsin: Tentative Grant Will Help Village with Pike River Project
This year's project will restore the river from Durand Avenue to the county bicycle trail, which is like an extension of 21st Street. What is planned is the same work which the village has carried out for years and still plans to carry out for a few more years. The river will be widened and turned from a straight ditch into a sinuous flow of water with marshes and plants designed to slow the flow of water and manage runoff from heavy rains. In some places that wasn't possible, Beyer said. Immediately south of Highway 20, for example, the course of the river is very constricted as it passes between the Racine Marriott on the west and a subdivision on the east.
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/12/05/local_news/doc4939b55c72cda319871300.txt |
| 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
Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act - Closes January 23, 2009
This program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin. The projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006. The amount of funding available this year is subject to final Congressional appropriations for Fiscal Year 2009. Funds may be used for approved Tribal and State sponsored projects which benefit Great Lakes fish and wildlife restoration.
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=44170
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/
US: Five Star Restoration Program - Closes February 16, 2009
The Five Star Restoration Program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships for wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration. The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Southern Company, and our newest partner Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), are pleased to solicit applications for the Five Star Restoration Program.
http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=10936
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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