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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 or can be subscribed to for only $20/year by visiting: www.ser.org/content/restoration_network.asp. Please send your news stories and articles to the RESTORE editor at info@ser.org. |
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Get Involved / Community-Based Restoration
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - New Head of Restoration Ecology - Closes March 27, 2009
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is an internationally recognised and highly successful research institute and visitor attraction, with World Heritage status. We are seeking an exceptional individual to lead and drive Kew's groundbreaking activities in the discipline of restoration ecology. You will address the ecology of the restoration of plant communities and the repair and reconstruction of habitats damaged by human activities or natural phenomena.
http://www.kew.org/aboutus/jobs/ref-1335.htm
California: Grassland Restoration Help Needed
Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch needs volunteers for its Grassland Restoration Work Day on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed for the following projects: pulling invasive species, planting native grasses, working on fences and cleaning nursery supplies.
http://sonomasun.thmm.com/?p=6848
UK: Dunwich Heath Restoration Work Boost
Suffolk National Trust volunteers have been enlisted to help with the planting of 350 metres of hedge at Mount Pleasant Farm, in Suffolk, this March, as part of an ongoing project to restore arable farmland back to lowland heath. Hidden away on the Suffolk coast, Dunwich Heath is a rare and precious habitat. Back in 2002, the National Trust jointly purchased Mount Pleasant Farm with the RSPB, a 163 acre block of arable land adjoining the National Trust property. The long-term aim is to restore the land to a mixture of acid grassland and heather, to increase the area of lowland heath habitat.
http://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/content/lowestoftjournal/news/story.aspx?brand=LOWOnline&category=NEWS&tBrand=lowonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20%20Feb%202009%2008%3A55%3A41%3A303
Africa: Rotaract, SEA Plant 100 Trees
Rotaract, in partnership with the Swaziland Environment Authority, SEA, on Saturday participated in the planting of 100 trees at Ezulwini next to the community primary school.
This exercise was part of the global initiative which aims at planting 1000 trees this month.
SEA Information officer Gcina Dladla said by planting the trees they created awareness to the public on the importance of planting trees in the fight against climate change, land rehabilitation and enhancing biodiversity resources.
http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=2028
Conferences & Workshops
Midwest Oak Savanna and Woodland Conference - July 29th to August 1st 2009
The oak savanna was once a common ecosystem of the Midwest. This important ecosystem is home to diverse and rare plant and animal species. The objective of this conference will allow academia, land stewards, and community to present research and other information on the important oak savanna ecosystem. It has been at least ten years since a similar conference has been held.
http://www.oakopen.org/news/display.asp?id=272
Awards Nominations for SER World Conference in Perth
There is no finer moment at an SER conference than its tribute to individuals and organizations whose exemplary work lead the Restoration movement forward to higher levels of achievement and cultural prominence. The SER Board of Directors, the SER Awards Committee, led by chair Al Unwin, and the SER staff will again be saluting 2009's recipients of the various awards during our Awards Banquet dinner on.... Please join us for a celebration of the excellent work these years recipients have undertaken. Deadline is April 21, 2009.
http://www.ser.org/content/nominations_process.asp
SER World Conference in Perth Australia: Call for Abstracts
For individuals interested in presenting a contributed oral or poster presentation, abstracts are now being called. Abstracts will need to address the themes listed on the conference website - please visit http://www.seri2009.com.au/pages/home.html. On-line abstract submission guidelines and the form can be located under the abstract submission link on the conference website - http://www.seri2009.com.au/pages/abstract.html. Please follow the guidelines carefully, and follow the link to the abstract on-line form. Deadline for abstract submission is 4 March 2009.
For a complete listing of conferences related to ecological restoration, please visit:
http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/conferences/ |
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People in the News
Kingston University Joins the Revitalization Institute
Kingston University signed the Revitalization Institute's memorandum of understanding to become the UK's lead academic partner. The signing by both Universities represents a first for the Revitalization's Institute's outreach in establishing partners in the United Kingdom and Europe. A two day Revitalization Institute Conference is planned for May 14 and 15, 2009 to be held at Kingston University's campus. The aims include meeting with other academic and professional bodies active in restoration projects, introducing the Revitalization Institute's vision, announcing Kingston University's role as the UK's lead academic network partner, identifying areas of mutual interest and specific projects to work on.
http://www.revitalization.org/
Forest Service Presents Lava Lake Land & Livestock, LLC With A Prestigious National Award
Kurt Nelson, District Ranger for the Ketchum Ranger District nominated the group for this award. "Lava Lake is a standard-bearer in its commitment to establishing partnerships to achieve long term conservation and restoration of native ecosystems, while building a viable, environmentally sound and sustainable business," said Nelson.
http://www.sunvalleyonline.com/news/article.asp?ID_Article=6446 |
| New Books & Articles
Wetlands and Global Climate Change
Wetlands and global climate change: the role of wetland restoration in a changing world has been published in the Journal of Wetlands Ecology and Management.
http://environment.com/index.php/tag/wetland-restoration-and-climate-change/
Sherwood Forest: Forest Ranger Writes New Book
Ade said the page-turner offers up a feast of fascinating facts about the history, nature, legend and folklore of the Nottinghamshire forest and also looks at the restoration work which is currently taking place on the land. "The book goes right back to the formation of the soil and growth of plants on the land," said Ade. "It travels through the years focussing the tale of Robin Hood and how coal mines and the wars affected the woodland. It then comes up to the present day looking at what has been done to restore the land and what more can be done to preserve it for the future."
http://www.chad.co.uk/leisure/Ranger-writes-new-book.5007993.jp
Open Access Papers Used More in Developing World
Making articles freely available online can widen the participation of developing world scientists in global science, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Chicago in the United States measured the extent to which making papers available on an open access basis affected how many times those papers were cited, and by whom.
http://www.scidev.net/en/news/open-access-papers-used-more-in-developing-world.html |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Green Billions Fertilize the U.S. Economic Stimulus Package
The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama will not only create jobs, it will create green jobs, the new U.S. EPA administrator said today. "Through the President's stimulus package, green initiatives will play a significant role in powering economic recovery," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The act specifically includes $7.22 billion for projects and programs administered by the EPA. These programs will protect and promote both green jobs and a healthier environment, Jackson said.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-20-02.asp
Invest in Green Infrastructure
The stimulus package President Barack Obama signed Tuesday contains tens of billions of dollars to repair and expand the nation's "infrastructure" - its networks of highways, bridges, rail and power lines. Renewing the transportation infrastructure alone will provide some $800 million in Maryland, $800 million in Virginia and $897 million in Pennsylvania. But what about the equally vital green infrastructure: the trees that shade city streets, the forests that sop up air and water pollution and trap climate-changing carbon dioxide?
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.green19feb19,0,6150246.story
A Brief Tour of Brazilian Payments for Ecosystem Services
Brazil is home to more than four million plant and animal species - and, it seems, nearly as many laws and mechanisms for preserving the environment. That's one reason the next Katoomba Meeting is taking place in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso - at the heart of South America and the southern edge of the Amazon Rainforest. Leading up to that event, Ecosystem Marketplace is examining Payments for Ecosystem Services in Latin America.
http://ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/article.news.php?component_id=6524&component_version_id=9770&language_id=12 |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
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| Agro-Ecology
Eco-agriculture Can Feed World, While Healing Earth
While few question that ecological agriculture is environmentally and socially desirable, there are fears that it is insufficiently productive. This is not the case. Recent studies show that yields from ecological agriculture are broadly comparable with conventional yields in developed countries and significantly higher in developing countries, particularly where the existing system is low-input, which is largely the case for Africa. http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6580:eco-agriculture-can-feed-world-while-healing-earth&catid=28:opinion&Itemid=64
California: Valley on Verge of a Catastrophe
California's water system is failing. And now the House of Representatives is about to break it completely by providing $88 million to bring salmon back to the San Joaquin River. Don't get me wrong. I'm for restoring the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam. But the plan that Congress is expected to approve in a few days will cripple the Valley economy and create an environmental nightmare. The problem with the plan is that it only puts water in the riverbed. There isn't another spending bill dealing with farmland retirement and the spike in unemployment that will occur if land goes fallow.
http://www.fresnobee.com/columnists/mcewen/story/1214311.html
Video: "Living a Nightmare: Animal Factories in Michigan"
A 24-minute documentary about the horrors of industrial agriculture in Michigan. When you hear politicians pining about the family farm way of life, be aware; this is what they are really causing with their lack of inaction and outright collusion with industrial agriculture concerns.
http://paxcosmico.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/living-a-nightmare-animal-factories-in-michigan/ |
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UK: Restoration for the Historic Devil's Beef Tub
Land that William Wallace once strode is set to return to its former glory. Borders Forest Trust has announced details of its ambitious plans to restore southern Scotland's lost Ettrick Forest and natural habitats surrounding the iconic, Devil's Beef Tub. The Trust has an opportunity to buy 1580 acres of land at Corehead which was once a wild and lawless place where Border Reivers feuded, hiding stolen cattle in the cavernous Beef Tub.
http://www.peeblesshirenews.com/articles/1/34297
California: Angora Tahoe Restoration Plan Released
A proposal by the U.S. Forest Service to restore 2,700 acres of land burnt by the Angora fire won't try to recreate the forest that was there before the blaze. Instead, the Angora Ecosystem Restoration Plan aims to move the forest closer to historic - and fire-resistant - conditions, said Forest Service spokeswoman Cheva Heck. Like forests all around Lake Tahoe, decades of fire suppression left areas near Angora Ridge overgrown and prone to high-intensity wildfire. "That forest was unhealthy," Heck said. "We don't want to go back and duplicate that forest."
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20090218/NEWS/902189997/1003/NONE&parentprofile=1056&title=Angora%20Tahoe%20restoration%20plan%20released |
| Wetland Restoration
Indiana: IDEM Works to Match Groups with Potential Wetland Restoration Sites
A new tool on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Web site was unveiled Wednesday at the Indiana Geographic Information Council Annual conference in Bloomington. The tool will encourage the restoration and creation of wetlands, a vital part of Indiana's ecosystem. Wetlands, which store rainwater and slow the movement of floodwater, are often affected by construction and other land disturbing projects. Wetland replacement, which is required by law, is known as mitigation. Finding appropriate mitigation sites often takes a great deal of time. IDEM and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) unveiled a public portal for a new Volunteer Mitigation interactive site. The site will assist in the connection of property owners willing to provide land for mitigation and organizations that must complete mitigation as part of their project.
http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/19997
Indonesia: Less Peatlands, More Palm Oil
Our colleagues in Indonesia have been very busy this week - with visiting foreign dignitaries and an outrageous decree from their own government following in quick succession. Let's deal with that announcement first - the one from the Ministry of Agriculture which will open up huge areas of forests and peatlands to the palm oil industry. This reverses a previous request in December 2007 from the ministry to provincial governers, asking them to bring a temporary halt to the industry's expansion into peatland areas (although we know in some areas this has been carrying on regardless).
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/forests/less-peatlands-more-palm-oil-says-indonesian-government-20090220
Ohio: Mill Creek OKs Contract for Wetlands Restoration
A portion of a former sod farm is being restored to its original wetlands. Mill Creek MetroParks commissioners awarded a $247,645 contract to Brookside Construction Inc., Medina, for design and construction of a wetlands on a 44-acre parcel of the former Orvets Sod Farm. "It's for restoration of the wetlands," said Linda Kostka, park spokeswoman. The contract also includes five years of monitoring by the company. The project is funded entirely by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program, said Justin Rogers, the park's landscape architect.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/feb/21/mill-creek-oks-contract-for-wetlands-restoration/?newswatch
Iraq Marshes Face Grave New Threat
Iraq's southern marshes, by far the Middle East's most important wetlands, are under threat again. At stake is a unique ecosystem that for millennia has sustained a vibrant and diverse wildlife, as well as the extraordinary way of life evolved by the Marsh Arabs. Partially drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s to drive out rebels, the marshlands were revived after his overthrow in 2003. Now they are shrinking again, thanks to a combination of drought, intensive dam construction and irrigation schemes upstream on the Tigris, Euphrates and other river systems.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7906512.stm |
River & Watershed Restoration
Next Generation Digital Maps Are Laser Sharp
Restoring habitat for spawning species of fish, such as Atlantic salmon, starts with a geological inventory of suitable rivers and streams, and the watershed systems that support them. But the high-tech mapping tools available to geologists and hydrologists have had their limits.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212093650.htm
New Jersey: Second Dam on the Musconetcong River is Removed
The association is removing the dam to restore the river's natural flow, improve water quality and eliminate a potential flood hazard. Removal of the dam will help reduce thermal pollution impacts associated with the dam pool. Following the dam removal, an extensive stream bank restoration project, similar to the work done at the Gruendyke site, the first dam removed by the organization, will be undertaken. Restoration work will be funded by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
http://www.nj.com/warrenreporter/index.ssf/2009/02/second_dam_on_the_musconetcong.html
Tennessee Lawmakers to Hold First TVA Ash Spill Hearing
TVA president Tom Kilgore told the agency's board last week that cleaning up the 5.4 million cubic yards of ash that surged onto the landscape and into the Emory, Clinch and Tennessee Rivers Dec. 22 will take months and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up. He said TVA has to date purchased 20 parcels of private property and may buy up 20 more buried or damaged by the sludge. As of the end of January TVA had spent $31 million on cleanup. The entire removal and restoration effort is estimated to cost between $525 and $825 million,
http://www.examiner.com/x-3875-Nashville-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009m2d17-Tennessee-lawmakers-to-hold-first-TVA-ash-spill-hearing
Arizona: At Grand Canyon, Water Battle Rages Anew
Nearly a year after the federal government flooded the Grand Canyon in a test of resource restoration, questions persist about whether the agency in charge watered down the experiment to protect power providers and ignored high-level critics of the operation. The allegations resurfaced with a January memo written by the superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, who accused his bosses of disregarding science in preparing for the flood designed to reverse some of the damaging effects of Glen Canyon Dam on the canyon and on the Colorado River. He also described the environmental review of the experiment as one of the worst he's seen.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/02/22/20090222river-power0222.html |
| Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
Utah: Nondescript Blackbrush Vital to Desert's Health
When it comes to desert plants, you don't hear many people waxing eloquent about the beauty and elegance of blackbrush. It's not a showy plant - its leaves are gray- green, its blossoms are small and its branches are scratchy. Most people hiking in the desert are probably not even aware of its existence. Yet the survival of blackbrush is crucial to the health of the Mojave Desert and the quality of life in this region, U.S. Geological Survey scientists told the Friends of Gold Butte Tuesday. Blackbrush, a member of the rose family, provides habitat for birds and animals, stabilizes desert soil, and helps preserve the diversity of the desert, Todd Esque told the group at its monthly meeting at the Falcon Ridge New Home Showcase. Friends of Gold Butte volunteers have been heavily involved in helping the USGS with blackbrush restoration efforts in areas damaged by wildfires.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090220/DVTONLINE01/90219022/1053/DVTONLINE |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Delaware: Project Improves Habitat for Native Species
Construction on a 24-acre salt marsh enhancement project at the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays' (CIB) James Farm Ecological Preserve is underway after several years of monitoring, evaluation, planning and design. Located in Ocean View, Del., on the east side of Cedar Neck Road, the project is intended to return a more natural flow of water into the marsh by filling in grid ditches (aka mosquito control ditches) and creating more natural meandering tidal creeks, mudflats and pools.
http://outdoornewsdaily.com/index.php/archives/6313
Maryland: Howard to Get Bay Grant
Gov. Martin O'Malley has announced the first recipients of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund grants. The fund, created in 2007, is dedicated to accelerating bay restoration by focusing on projects that will deliver the greatest benefits to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Howard County is one of eight Maryland counties and Baltimore City that have been identified to receive funding. Howard has earmarked its funding for work in the Little Patuxent River watershed.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/services/newspaper/printedition/bal-ho.comnotesbriefs222feb22,0,4882116.story
Florida: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Rose Bay, Volusia County
This project work will provide for restoration of inter-tidal and sub-tidal benthic substrate and hydrologic processes within Rose Bay by removing up to approximately 152,000 cubic yards (cy) of unconsolidated sediment from the Bay. The Contract will be divided into a Base and 3 Option Items. The Base work will consist of reconstructing an existing upland disposal area (Lost Creek Island) requiring approximately 147,000 cy of new dike construction, approximately 13,600 cy of gravel drainage, removal of 2 existing weirs and construction of 2 new weir structures and outfall pipes.
http://www.sandandgravel.com/news/article.asp?v1=11664
California: Reef Builder Eyes Old Harbor Pilings for Ocean Habitat
Ships to Reefs says it can save money by using slip pilings that would be discarded in Dana Point Harbor fix-up. Nonprofit reef builders hope a partnership between Orange County and city of Dana Point would allow for mutually beneficial use of pilings in Dana Point Harbor. "We hope to get at least some of them, if not all of them," said Kevin Sullivan, spokesman for California Ships to Reefs Inc. "It would save the harbor restoration cost of disposing of them in another manner."
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pilings-reef-ships-2311195-point-dana |
Wildlife Restoration
New Wildlife Projects to Help World's Poorest Communities
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn will today announce how more than £8 million for wildlife conservation projects will be allocated across the developing world. The 43 projects under Defra's Darwin Initiative, which gives money and UK expertise to help start up and extend wildlife conservation projects in developing countries, include activities as diverse as the conservation of chameleons in Madagascar and the restoration of habitats in small Pacific islands.
http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=3699
Formation Capital Corporation, U.S. and Idaho Conservation League Announce Grantees of Conservation Action Program
"This project funded from the Idaho Conservation League and Formation benefits both fish and people. In essence, it restores important fish habitat while still meeting the needs of the local community for irrigation," says Mark Davidson, The Nature Conservancy's Central Idaho Conservation Manager. "Our hope is that future generations will be able to enjoy the clean flowing streams, outdoor recreation, and the working farms and ranches that make this part of Idaho such a special place."
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Formation-Capital-Corporation-TSX-FCO-952153.html |
| Urban Restoration
Oklahoma: Buried Treasure
A new restoration plan wants to get the Pearl out of the water. But despite plenty of neighborhood support and engineers ready to go to work, the funding is still not there. Beneath the city -- 60 feet underground in some places -- there is a creek. Its main branch begins near 8th and Xanthus. The creek flows to the west via storm sewers, then runs south-southwest through a 15-foot high arched tunnel, built in 1922. It runs beneath Gunboat Park, to the west of 18th and Boston, beneath Veterans Park, then empties into the Arkansas River near the 21st Street Bridge. This is Elm Creek. It drains 3.4 square miles of neighborhoods and industrial areas to the east and south of downtown.
http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A26339 |
| Funding Opportunities
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
Australia: Scholarship at Griffith University - Closes March 12, 2009
Top UP Scholarship to a current holder of an APA or GUPRS Scholarship at Griffith University. Required Project Title: Ecosystem restoration of bauxite processing residue sand disposal areas in Western Australia: Important biogeochemical processes and effective fertilisation strategies Rehabilitation of bauxite-processing residues represent a major challenge to alumina producers worldwide. The management of residue storage areas (RSAs) involves many of the fundamental chemical, physical, microbial and biological processes controlling plant-water-soil interactions. We are seeking an outstanding student to study fulltime within the Centre for Forestry and Horticultural Research at Griffith University in this exciting area of mining rehabilitation. The successful candidate will work very closely with the industry partner, Alcoa of Australia Ltd, one of the world's largest alumina producers.
http://www.infobeasiswa.net/archives/2009/02/21/griffith-university-centre-for-forestry-and-horticultural-top-up-scholarship/
Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship - Closes March 31, 2009
The Wilderness Society is now accepting applications for the 2009 Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship. This $10,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student in natural resources management, law or policy programs. The scholarship seeks to encourage individuals who have the potential to make a significant positive difference in the long-term protection of wilderness in North America.
http://wilderness.org/content/gloria-barron-scholarship-guidelines
New Jersey: Assistance Available for Wetland Restoration - Closes June 1, 2009
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced that applications will be accepted through Monday, June 1 for 2009 funding of wetland restoration projects on active or previously-farmed lands in New Jersey.
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090221/NEWS/90219061/1010/newsfront
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program - Closes June 26, 2009
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program provides States with a means of protecting and restoring these valuable resources. Projects can include (1) acquisition of a real property interest (e.g., easement or fee title) in coastal lands or waters from willing sellers or partners (coastal wetlands ecosystems) for long-term conservation or (2) restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems for long-term conservation.
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=44928 | |
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