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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
Attention SER Members
Setbacks and Surprises: Contributions Invited
The journal Restoration Ecology has initiated a new category of paper: "Setbacks and Surprises." This section aims to provide the opportunity to report the results of restoration projects that did not go as planned, projects that failed to meet the original goals or did not meet the goals without considerable changes to the original plans. It is very likely that "failed" restoration projects can teach us a lot if considered in the spirit of learning and if placed in a suitable context (physical, biological, social). We believe that such projects often generate valuable information that will be of interest to others in the field but such information is seldom published. What didn't work and why? The manuscripts will follow the normal review process, will need to stand up to robust scientific scrutiny and will conform to the usual standards set for the journal. An Editorial appeared in the January issue of Restoration Ecology (17:1) outlining this new section and the rationale behind it. The link to the Editorial on Wiley InterScience is: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121625456/HTMLSTART
If you have any queries contact the Managing Editor, Dr Susan Yates (restoration.ecology@uwa.edu.au).
Huge Discount on Wiley-Blackwell Products
Wiley-Blackwell has extended a discount to SER members for a limited time. You can now can receive a 25% discount on all of their product lines by using the following code: SDP18. Please visit their web site at: www.wiley.com to start shopping!
April 16 - Web Chat with Dr. Anthony D. Barnosky to Discuss Climate Change, Species, and Wildlife
Dr. Barnosky will field questions about the latest climate change news, the impact on species survival, and how our environment is changing so rapidly and in such dramatic ways - that a call for action is not only needed now but with quick and decisive action.
http://www.islandpress.org/
Get Involved/Community-based Restoration
California: Native Plant Society Seeks Stewards
The Washington Native Plant Society is seeking applications for the Native Plant Stewardship Program in East King County. Participating cities in King County include Issaquah, Sammamish, Bellevue and Kirkland. The 10-week training is Fridays from April 24 through June 26 in Bellevue. This training is taught by top professionals regarding various topics, such as native plants, habitat restoration and Northwest ecology. In exchange for this free training, stewards will commit to 100 hours of volunteer service implementing the skills learned in these classes. Each native plant steward team will be formed to work on designated habitat restoration projects in one of the partner communities.
http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/04/11/native-plant-society-seeks-stewards/
California: Residents Spreading Word on Goal of Restoring Creek
A small army of north Eugene residents engaged in a two-year battle with blackberry, English ivy and other invasive plants are calling for reinforcements. The residents have labored to remove unwanted vines and grasses from three publicly owned sections of Spring Creek, a seasonal drainageway that meanders through the heart of Eugene's Santa Clara area, north of Belt Line Road. But most of the creek is privately owned, so the volunteers hope their work inspires other homeowners to clear the creek segments on their properties. The goal: restore the creek to its natural state so it can provide habitat for insects, birds, water creatures and other wildlife.
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/updates/11564132-55/story.csp
Florida: River Habitat Workshops Planned
Landowners with riverfront property can learn about restoring their shoreline to native habitat. The Marine Discovery Center is hosting two public workshops to educate property owners along the Indian River Lagoon about the benefits of restoring their private shoreline with mangroves, which provide a natural defense against erosion, filter water and provide habitat for aquatic wildlife.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlEAST03ENV040709.htm
Hawaii: Students, State Partner to Enhance Ecosystem
Wade Ishikawa of the Aquatics Division said the program marks the first time that a high school in the state has collaborated with the DLNR in a project as big as the restoration and maintenance of the Wailua Public Fishing Area, and based on the successes enjoyed by the students, has positioned Kapa'a High School to be the first student-run fishery in the state.
http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2009/04/08/news/kauai_news/doc49dc41b6b20bb949452431.txt
California: Conservancy Hosts Habitat Workshop
The Cache Creek Conservancy and the Yolo County Resources Conservation District are working with landowners and land managers along Cache Creek to control invasive weeds, and restore and manage riparian habitat. A free informational workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve, 34199 County Road 20, west of Woodland. This workshop is for landowners, students, restoration professionals, and other interested parties. Department of Pesticide Regulation continuing education credit of 2.5 hours is available.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_12131320
Conferences & Workshops
Midwest-Great Lakes SER Chapter Conference
The first annual meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes SER Chapter is scheduled for April 24 to April 25, 2009. Dr. William Jordan III will give the Friday night keynote presentation addressing the history of ecological restoration in the midwestern United States. We have 47 contributed presentations on a diversity of topics related to ecological restoration. The scientific agenda also includes a plenary session and tour of the Marian College Ecolab urban wetland restoration project and the Riverdale Estate with its historic Jens Jensen-designed landscape.
http://www.ser.org/content/SERMWGL.asp
SERCAL & CNGA 2009 Joint Conference April 29 - May 1, 2009
SERCAL is a non-profit membership based organization dedicated to the purpose of bringing about the recovery of damaged California ecosystems. To this end, the organization's activities are focused on the presentation of conferences, symposia, workshops, field trips and other educational activities dealing with the many different aspects involved in restoration of California native habitats.
http://www.sercal.org/
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
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
'Balik-Scientist' Resurrects Ecosystem
What started out as gardening lessons at an early age has led to pioneering work in ecology.
As a young boy of seven, biologist Dr. Augustine Doronila helped his mother tend a small garden, an activity that would instill in him a lifelong love for plants. Today, all the world is his garden. Inspired by those early gardening lessons, Doronila is now involved in developing ways to resurrect and rescue not just plants and trees but entire ecosystems from the ravages of mining.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090413-198978/Balik-scientist-resurrects-ecosystem
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Biologist Wins Award
Michelle Vander Haar, the private lands biologist at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw, is the recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Service Award bestowed by the Saginaw Bay Resource Conservation and Development Area. The honor is given in recognition of distinguished and dedicated service toward improving the quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Since joining the refuge staff in 2001, Vander Haar has coordinated the restoration of hundreds of acres of wetland and grassland and miles of riparian habitat through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/04/shiawassee_national_wildlife_r_2.html
From the Prairies of Will Co. to Afghanistan
A Braidwood woman who works to restore the sweeping prairies of Will County will spend the next year helping farmers modernize their business in the ravaged lands of Afghanistan. Renee Thakali, an employee of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, is part of a joint military-civilian effort assigned to the Ghazni province in southeastern Afghanistan. Backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the project updates -- or sometimes introduces -- Afghans on crucial farming tools from irrigation and crop management to how to operate a tractor.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1523885,4_1_JO13_AFGHAN_S1.article
Australia: Kooragang Wetland Makes Top 25 Eco List
The Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project has been recognised as one of the top 25 ecological restoration projects in Australia and New Zealand. The Society for Restoration International and the Ecological Management and Restoration journal conducted an 18-month search for the top projects and an expert panel, including the journal's editor, selected the winners.
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/kooragang-wetland-makes-top-25-eco-list/1483871.aspx |
| New Books & Articles
Resources for Marsh Restoration in the Pacific Northwest
Marshes are often the first environments lost when urban sprawl moves in. They are also incredibly diverse places, playing host to migrating birds, fragile populations of amphibians, and urban populations of fish and aquatic insects. Freshwater wetlands used to be considered havens for disease, and they were drained, removed, and paved whenever possible. Now they are also at risk from other urban impacts such as pollution and habitat fragmentation. For those who are stewards of the wetlands in the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, here are some resources to help restore these valuable wet places.
http://bogs-marshes.suite101.com/article.cfm/restoring_freshwater_wetlands |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
UK Goes into Ecological Debt on Easter Sunday
Britain is living beyond its environmental means and is increasingly dependent on the rest of the world for its natural resources, a thinktank study has revealed. The recession may have slowed consumption but the New Economics Foundation (Nef) says we are now drawing deep on the cropland, pasture, forests and fisheries of other countries. The research also shows that by tomorrow the country will have used the levels of resources it should consume in an entire year if it were to be ecologically self-sufficient.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/11/environment-ecological-debt-new-economics-foundation
The Rainforest Alliance's Impact Grows Even in Economic Downturn
International conservation nonprofit the Rainforest Alliance has seen significant growth over the past year in its sustainable forestry, agriculture and tourism programs, despite the recent economic downturn. Consumers are continuing to demand sustainable goods and as a result, more companies are integrating sustainability into their bottom line. Thanks to consumer choices and business' response and foresight, Rainforest Alliance certification of forest and farmlands grew by 23 percent during 2008. Today, through both forestry and agriculture programs, more than 131 million acres (52 million hectares) are managed sustainably, thus benefitting landowners, communities and the environment, up from 107 million acres at the end of 2007.
http://www.enn.com/press_releases/2886
(No) Drill, Baby, Drill
More than any nation I've ever visited, Costa Rica is insisting that economic growth and environmentalism work together. It has created a holistic strategy to think about growth, one that demands that everything gets counted. So if a chemical factory sells tons of fertilizer but pollutes a river - or a farm sells bananas but destroys a carbon-absorbing and species-preserving forest - this is not honest growth. You have to pay for using nature. It is called "payment for environmental services" - nobody gets to treat climate, water, coral, fish and forests as free anymore.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12friedman.html?ref=opinion
Consumption Dwarfs Population As Main Environmental Threat
It's overconsumption, not population growth, that is the fundamental problem: By almost any measure, a small portion of the world's people - those in the affluent, developed world - use up most of the Earth's resources and produce most of its greenhouse gas emissions.
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2140 |
| Agro-Ecology
Alabama: Water Monitor Eyes Farm Runoff in Gulf of Mexico
A clean water expert at Auburn University hopes a new project that enlists middle and high school students will help reduce farm runoff that is a growing pollution threat to the Gulf of Mexico. Bill Deutsch said colleagues in Veracruz, Mexico, are partners in the three-year effort to monitor water flowing into the Gulf. Deutsch said his federally funded, $300,000 project will also help livestock producers in Alabama and in Veracruz develop management practices that can limit Gulf pollution, such as buffer zones and other methods of keeping livestock contaminants away from streams.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCWTjf7I21LhbOWWFEYHMK9yyUFQD97FFHT03 |
| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Australia: Climate Change May Wake Up 'Sleeper' Weeds
Climate change will cause some of Australia's potential weeds to move south by up to 1000km, according to a report by scientists at CSIRO's Climate Adaptation Flagship. Weeds cost Australia more than A$4 billion a year either in control or lost production and cause serious damage to the environment. In an address today in Perth to the GREENHOUSE 09 conference on climate change, CSIRO researcher, Dr John Scott, said, however, that those cost estimates were only based on the damage caused by weeds known to be active in Australia.
http://www.csiro.au/news/Climate-change-may-wake-sleeper-weeds.html
Species Influence on Ecosystem Function
Species diversity may affect ecosystem function, and different species may have disproportional influences upon ecosystem processes. To start off with, the null hypothesis for the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem processes would state: Species diversity does not affect ecosystem function. Given the varied plant assemblages and ecosystems on Earth, however, diversity probably influences processes. Several alternative hypotheses have been proposed in order to elucidate the extent to which ecosystem function depends on diversity.
http://www.earthportal.org/?page_id=70 |
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Illinois: Steward Defends Restoration Work
As a steward of Deer Grove Forest Preserve, I must come to the defense of our ecological restoration work in reply to the March 13th post of William Eiden. Records from 1838 indicate that prior to European settlement Deer Grove was predominantly a wooded grove in the midst of rolling prairie. This survey provides a model for our restoration work. Mr. Eiden will be happy to learn that we are restoring Deer Grove to its former condition as an oak woodland, not as a prairie. Mostly, this involves removing European buckthorn, a nonnative, invasive species that is destroying our forest preserves, the ecological equivalent of the atomic bomb.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=285566&src |
| Wetland Restoration
India: Restoration Eluding Pallikaranai Marsh
Naturalists and environmentalists are concerned at the delay in restoration of Pallikaranai marshland, particularly the time taken for demarcation of the boundaries. State Forest Department sources said that in 2007 a substantial portion of the marsh was declared as a Reserve Forest. Following this they had requested the Revenue Department to demarcate the boundaries. However, the Revenue Department is yet to do so. Without demarcating the boundaries, it would be difficult to take up any work there, said the sources.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/13/stories/2009041350330100.htm
California: Wetland Restoration Project in the Works
When it is complete, the project will restore 1,200 acres of wetlands near the confluence of Scotts and Middle creeks in Upper Lake. Siemer said construction won't begin for at least two years. He said the goal is to punch holes in the substandard levee system that exists there, thus restoring stream channels that were cut off when the levees were constructed between 1900 and 1940. "It's an important location because 50 percent of the water that flows into Clear Lake comes in through Middle Creek comes in under the Rodman Slough Bridge. It's also where 70 percent of the sediment that comes into the lake comes through," Siemer said.
http://www.record-bee.com/ci_12120660
South Korea: Korea to Expand Int'l Cooperation for Wetland Conservation
Korea will expand exchange and cooperation to learn the advanced experience of wetland conservation and restoration. Jong-hwan Chung, Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) announced on March 30 that the ministry will conclude an MOU with 3 nations of the WaddenSea (Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark) in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in order to conserve wetlands.
http://www.isria.info/en/9_April_2009_38.htm |
River & Watershed Restoration
Australia: Riverprize 2009 Nominations Close 30 April
Australian community groups, catchment authorities and individuals working on restoration of rivers, lakes and wetlands are invited to submit their applications for the prestigious Riverprize now! The National Riverprize is now funded by an Australian Government grant under its Water for the Future plan. Entry to the 2009 Riverprize closes at 5pm AEST on 30 April 2009.
http://www.urbannrm.net/2009/04/rivers-riverprize-2009-nominations.html
Hawaii: State Recommends Restoration of Diverted Maui Streams
On April 9, 2008, the State of Hawai`i's Commission on Water Resource Management (Water Commission) issued a proposed ruling to restore flow to four major streams on Maui known as Nä Wai `Ehä, or "The Four Waters" of Waihe`e River and Waiehu, `Ïao, and Waikapü Streams. Currently, the streams are drained dry by ditch systems built during Hawai`i's sugar plantation era that still divert water even after major reductions in plantation agriculture. The 210-page proposed decision, authored by Hearings Officer and Water Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Miike, would restore a total of 34.5 million gallons a day to Nä Wai `Ehä, or around half of the diverted flows.
http://climateofourfuture.org/state-recommends-restoration-of-diverted-maui-streams/
Mississippi: Group Urges Residents to Protect River
About 30 people gathered at the Pascagoula River on Tuesday urged residents to contact lawmakers to do whatever is necessary to protect the river - now named one of America's most endangered - from being used to hollow out natural salt domes to store 160 million barrels of oil. As a result of the plan administered through the U.S. Department of Energy, American Rivers, a leading river conservation group, identified the Pascagoula as one of the top 10 rivers in the country facing an uncertain future. "Our community depends on a healthy Pascagoula River for clean water, jobs and recreation," Raleigh Hoke, organizer of the Gulf Restoration Network in the state, said. "The Pascagoula River is an amazing natural resource that sustains valuable recreational and commercial fisheries while providing coastal Mississippi with thousands of jobs."
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1258901.html
Michigan: Frey Foundation Partners With Ducks Unlimited On Local Project
A major environmental effort in southwestern Michigan recently got a boost. The conservation organization Ducks Unlimited (DU) received a grant of $160,000 from the Frey Foundation. The grant will be used to protect and restore valuable habitat through DU's Southeast Lake Michigan Watershed program. The three-year goal of the program is to protect, restore, or enhance 7,917 acres of vital Michigan habitat across the Muskegon, Grand, and Kalamazoo River watersheds.
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/04/07/frey-foundation-partners-with-ducks-unlimited-on-local-project/
Oregon: Wilson River Restoration Projects Begins April 20
The Tillamook Bay Watershed Council in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry will begin restoration work this spring on 16 heavily degraded areas along the Wilson River. The project's sites are between Highway 6 and the Wilson River and begin at milepost 14.4 and range as far east as milepost 27 in the Tillamook State Forest, which is managed by ODF. Work is scheduled to begin April 20 and conclude June 30.
http://www.kuik.com/Article.asp?id=1267466&spid |
| Grassland Restoration
Preserve the Texas Plains
Such visionary work is the first step in a process of recovery allowing Texas to lead in true ecological health, an emerging national movement healing and protecting "the interdependent health of humans, animals and ecosystems." Instead of smashing ourselves down on top all that gives us life, our actions can say that this land has true value. The Great Plains Restoration Council launched the 12,000-acre Cynthia Ann Parker Wilderness Recovery Project in partnership with rural Foard County 200 miles northwest of Fort Worth. In coming years, the council hopes to expand the project to more than 100,000 acres, and with the help of all Texans, it could eventually grow large enough to become a Texas Yellowstone.
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/04/11/0411manos_edit.html |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Florida: Let's Hope Nitrates Don't Undo Weeki Wachee Springs Restoration
On Thursday, a crew planted 3,000 sprigs of eelgrass - and will eventually plant 100,000 - as part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's $645,000 restoration of the basin's natural vegetation. If you visit Buccaneer Bay water park, which recently reopened for the year, you will notice that workers have also cleared much of the tangled algae that covered the spring's bed. They have cut away exotic bamboo and elephant ears from the attraction's high ground, allowing native palmettos to sprout in their place.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/article991425.ece
Washington: Mooring Buoy Eelgrass Restoration Pilot Project
A detailed restoration implementation plan of buoy redesigns and relocations will then be developed in consultation with nearshore experts and marine diving contractors. Relocated mooring buoy anchor systems will be sited using differential GPS to ensure that the new location is in the desired position. "The goal of the Mooring Buoy Eelgrass Restoration Pilot Project is to restore eelgrass habitat through landowner education and incentives," stated Friends of the San Juans Executive Director, Stephanie Buffum Field.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isw/news/42835862.html |
| Invasive Species
California: Feral Cats to be Eliminated from San Nicolas Island
The feral cats are getting removed from San Nicolas Island for the sake of the native seabirds they hunt, the U.S. government has decided. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently unveiled the release of a final Environmental Assessment for the San Nicolas Island Seabird Restoration Project, and based on the comments received during the May-June 2008 comment period, the removal of an estimated 100-200 feral cats will proceed this year. The Navy-owned island is about 60 miles off the Southern California coast and provides nesting habitat for numerous native seabirds and shorebirds, as well as other threatened species.
http://www.catchannel.com/news/2009/04/14/feral-cats-to-be-eliminated-from-san-nicolas-island.aspx |
| Urban Restoration
Louisiana: PPG Plans to Restore the Wetlands
PPG is looking to start another project promoting restoration and it's the final phase of their various projects. From the canal re-route project to the wetlands project, PPG is looking to create twenty acres of wetlands right by the Interstate 210 Bridge. "It offers an opportunity to the public to see coastal restoration happening right under the 210 bridge," said Mike Huber. "All dredge material in Louisiana should be used beneficially. This is a highly visible project that will enable us to show as a model project," said David Richard.
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10160818&nav=0nqxdoqf |
| Recreation & Tourism
California: Sacramento River Land Now Open to the Public
Previously closed land along the Sacramento River is now open to the public, with the help of Chico-based restoration group River Partners. More than 600 acres of land on two units of the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge opened for public use March 28, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crediting River Partners for their help in restoring 400 acres of the land and providing the local community with a new resource. "We don't open our sites to the public until they have been restored," said Kelly Moroney, assistant refuge manager. "Until they are restored, some sites lie fallow or are old farming land and not available for public use."
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_12126130
California: Opening of Restored Habitat Sparks Concern Among Some
Nearly 28 acres of restored habitat within Anthony C. Beilenson Park is expected to open to the public soon, but some residents remain concerned about how native wildlife and plants will be protected. The $4.5 million Bull Creek Ecosystem Restoration project began almost a year ago to revive the area along the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin. The goal is to encourage 200 species of wild birds, including the American goldfinch, the ash-throated flycatcher and the Bullock's oriole, to nest and thrive in the area commonly known as Balboa Park.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12129686 |
| Funding Opportunities
West Virginia: Wetlands-Grasslands Program Offered - Closes May 1, 2009
West Virginia landowners interested in restoring, protecting or creating wetlands and grasslands on their properties can sign up for federal funding. The U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency are accepting applications for funding this year. The deadline is May 1.
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200904030217
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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