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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
2009 SER Board Elections - Update and Voting Procedures
The call for nominations for the 2009 SER Board elections closed on Monday, August 27, 2009. Since that date, the Board Development Committee has reviewed the nominated individuals to confirm their eligibility to run for office, and has determined that elections will be needed for three regions: Midwest U.S./Canada, Western U.S. and Pacific. SER members at the Basic level and higher may participate in these elections by casting a ballot in person at the Member's meeting to be held Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the SER International conference in Perth, Australia, or by submitting an absentee ballot via mail, email or fax. Visit the adjoining link to view candidate profiles and find out more about casting ballots.
https://www.ser.org/pdf/2009_SER_Board_elections-preamble.pdf
Discount on Wiley-Blackwell Products: Code is SDP18
http://www.wiley.com
Discount on Island Press/SER Book Series: Code is 2SER
http://www.islandpress.org/ser/index.html
Get Involved/Community-Based Restoration
Indiana: Volunteers Sought to Help Restore Rare Porter County Wetland
Indiana's Division of Nature Preserves and the Save the Dunes Council are spearheading the restoration of the Suman Fen Nature Preserve in northern Porter County. But they need volunteers to help replant and reseed native plants in the preserve midway between Chesterton and Valparaiso.
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/52173542.html
Hawaii: Hui o Ko'olaupoko Hosts an Environmental Talk Story Session in Kailua
HOK is initiating the creation of talk story sessions as a method of engaging stakeholders to participate in natural resource issues. This method of grassroots management has gained popular acceptance on the mainland and is being implemented with success throughout Hawai'i. Talk story sessions aim to improve coordination of natural resource management groups and create opportunities for community involvement.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090803/GETPUBLISHED/908030347
Maryland: A Neighborly Solution to Environmental Pollution
Even before he became president of the Cypress Creek Improvement Association, Ed Krause kept a watchful eye on the state of the fragile ecosystem surrounding his waterfront home.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/csp/2009/07/30-09/A-neighborly-solution-to-environmental-pollution.html
Oregon: Metro's Native Plant Center Provides Seeds, Plants for Restorations
It's an unassuming little nursery, tucked behind an elementary school near Wankers Corner. And it is about as low-tech as it gets, with one staff member relying heavily on volunteers for the painstaking work needed to harvest and nurture wildflowers, grasses and wetland plants. Nonetheless, Metro's Native Plant Center is the foundation for hundreds of acres of habitat restoration in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/07/flora_flourishing_at_metros_na.html
Conferences & Workshops
One Hundred-Day Countdown to WILD9 - Latest in World's Longest Running Public Environmental Forum
Organizers say planning is intense during the final 100 days leading up to the 9th World Wilderness Congress, WILD9 -- the high-profile global forum of debate, agenda-setting and action on wilderness-related environmental issues. Committees representing a diverse range of interests and perspectives are finalizing objectives and targets aimed at protecting wild nature - wilderness, wetlands, wildlife, and the oceans - and the benefits they provide to ensure a clean and healthy planet and human well-being.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/wilderness/environment/prweb2713464.htm
Conference: Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council - August 11-12
The Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council (MA-EPPC) provides regional leadership to effectively address the threat of invasive plants to the native flora, fauna, and natural habitats of the Mid-Atlantic. The council coordinates regional efforts to gather and share information on the identification, management and prevention of invasive species, provide training and volunteer opportunities and to identify research needs.
http://www.ma-eppc.org/
Canada: Welland River Wetland Site for Native Species Workshop - August 11, 2009
The E.C. Brown Wetland, less than two years old, was designed with the public education aspect in mind. The workshop is a good opportunity for people to see native plants in a natural environment, allowing a better hands-on experience to deciding what works best in what conditions. The workshop is Tuesday, Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. until noon at a cost of $30. E.C. Brown Wetland can be accessed by the Niagara Central Airport parking lot.
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1664343
California: Central Coast Bioengineering Field School - September 15-18, 2009
Salmonid Restoration Federation will host a Central Coast Bioengineering Field School September 15-18, 2009 in Arroyo Grande, California. The course will include classroom instruction with John McCullah of Salix Applied Earthcare who will teach techniques to restore riparian habitat, control erosion and stabilize banks. Participants will tour projects in San Luis Obispo County and learn how to build willow matresses and live siltation baffles as well as other structures. Growers can receive eight hours of Ag Waiver Education Credits through the Central Coast Water Quality Control Board for this course.
http://calsalmon.org/pdf/BioengineeringRegForm_042809.pdf
Washington: 36th Natural Areas Conference - September 15-18, 2009
The 36th Annual Natural Areas Conference, hosted by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, will examine the many edges in conservation land management, including edges for species, habitats, human society and the earth.
http://www.naturalarea.org/09Conference/program.html
RIACRE: Latin American Network for Ecological Restoration - November 9-13, 2009
La Red Iberoamericana y del Caribe de Restauración Ecológica (RIACRE) en conjunto con la Sociedad Brasilera de Recuperación de Áreas Degradadas (SOBRADE y la Fundación de Investigaciones Forestales de Paraná (FUPEF), con apoyo de la Universidad Federal de Paraná (UFPR) y la Empresa Brasilera de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (EMBRAPA), programaron para el período del 9 al 13 de Noviembre de 2009, en Curitiba, Estado de Paraná, Brasil, el Congreso Iberoamericano y del Caribe sobre Restauración Ecológica.
http://www.sobrade.com.br/riacre/
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
Delaware: Milton Man Wins DNREC's 'Wetland Warrior 2009' Award
Described as "a soil scientist of the highest caliber," Rizzo has worked on projects and research with colleagues on the DNREC wetlands staff and Natural Resource Conservation Service for the past 15 years. During that time he is credited with advancing the state of wetland science and improving the future for Delaware wetlands and the services that they provide by restoring thousands of acres of degraded and former wetlands.
http://www.sussexcountian.com/lifestyle/x2121668575/Milton-man-wins-DNRECs-Wetland-Warrior-2009-award |
| New Books & Articles
Ecological Restoration Helps Global Diversity
Ecological restoration in areas of environmental degradation can help reverse global biodiversity losses and promote the recovery of ecosystem services, according to the findings of research published online in the journal Science.
http://reportingtheworldover.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/ecological-restoration-helps-global-diversity/
UW Professor: Historic Ecological Restoration Not Always Best Choice
Human disturbances and changing climates may require new designs for ecological restoration efforts, rather than attempting to restore ecosystems to their historical conditions, according to an article published today (Friday) in the global scientific journal, Science.
http://www.uwyo.edu/news/showrelease.asp?id=33441
Special Issue of Science: The Rise of Restoration Ecology
Like solving a puzzle whose pieces themselves change shape, ecologists around the world are developing techniques to restore degraded and exploited ecosystems.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/pdf_extract/325/5940/555
Q&A: 'Time to De-Grow'
Serge Latouche, professor emeritus of economic science at the University of Paris-Sud, is one of the main proponents of "the society of de-growth". He calls for "abandoning the objective of growth for growth's sake, an insane objective, with disastrous consequences for the environment." The need for a 'de-growth' society stems from the certainty, he says, that the earth's resources and natural cycles cannot sustain the economic growth which is the essence of capitalism and modernity.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47939 |
| Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
Scientists Warn Restoration-based Environmental Markets May Not Improve Ecosystem Health
While policymakers across of the globe are relying on environmental restoration projects to fuel emerging market-based environmental programs, an article in the July 31 edition of Science by two noted ecologists warns that these programs still lack the scientific certainty needed to ensure that restoration projects deliver the environmental improvements being marketed.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/uomc-swr072709.php |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
Traditional Fire Practices: Making a Difference in Mexico
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| Agro-Ecology
Canada: Elkhorn Farm Restores 118 Wetland Basins
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| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Brazil: Deforestation is 'Key Climate Issue'
Set deep in among the southern edge of the Amazon rainforest, the Xingu Indigenous Park seems isolated from the problems of the world. But the tribal leaders here were pleased to welcome a British minister who will play a key role in this year's summit in Copenhagen on climate change.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8181063.stm
Earth's Biogeochemical Cycles, Once in Concert, Falling Out of Sync
What do the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone," global climate change, and acid rain have in common? They're all a result of human impacts to Earth's biology, chemistry and geology, and the natural cycles that involve all three.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/nsf-ebc072309.php |
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Florida: Ag Museum Looks to Restore Natural Environment
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| Wetland Restoration
Florida: Dispute Over Everglades Funding Finally Settled
After eight years of bickering, the state and the federal government have finally shaken hands on how to split the massive bill to restore the Everglades. The dispute was more than a mere bureaucratic snit. It shut the spigot on something the struggling River of Grass needs almost as much as water: federal funds to start building stalled projects.
http://www.miamiherald.com/573/story/1166778.html |
River & Watershed Restoration
Kentucky: Engineers Move Creeks Back to the Way They Used to Be
Five years ago, University of Louisville engineers went into a hollow at Bernheim Forest, scraped much of it clean and redirected creek waters through it - reversing the work that farmers did there more than a century ago, as they tried to make room for their crops. Today, sycamore trees reach as high as 20 feet over a meandering three-quarter mile stretch of the creek marked by a babbling brook with pools, riffles and runs that are essential for good aquatic life.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090730/NEWS01/907300354/Engineers+move+creeks+back+to+the+way+they+used+to+be
Idaho: Giving Lonesome Larry a River
In the summer of 1992, a single Snake River sockeye named Lonesome Larry battled his way to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. The legacy of this incredible fish sparked a group of conservationists to form Save Our Wild Salmon--a national coalition that eventually took on what many thought to be the impossible: removing the four lower Snake River dams.
http://www.themountainculture.com/2009/07/31/giving-lonesome-larry-a-river/
Oregon: Conservation Groups Aim to Tackle Backlog of Projects
When the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council did a comprehensive study of South Scappoose Creek last year, the non-profit identified 15 years worth of necessary restoration projects to help heal the watershed. What the council lacked was the manpower and funding to get many of those projects underway. That may change this August
http://www.spotlightnews.net/news/story.php?story_id=124889463968379800 |
| Grassland Restoration
Arkansas: The Return of the Prairie
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| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Florida: Coral Reef Tire Removal Project to Resume
In the 1970s, two million tires were placed in Broward's coastal waters by private organizations attempting to create an artificial reef. Unfortunately, the artificial reef never developed. Instead the tires loosened and moved, damaging the nearby natural corals. This year, divers hope to remove more than 45,000 tires over a six-week period (equivalent to 30 tractor-trailer loads), to reach a three-year total of nearly 100,000.
http://lakeworthlagoon.blogspot.com/2009/07/coral-reef-tire-removal-project-to.html
California Marsh Returns to Life after a Century
For the first time in a century, salt water from the Pacific Ocean is pouring into 67-acre Brookhurst marsh in coastal Huntington Beach, Calif., replenishing an area that was barren much of the 20th century due to a levee that was recently breached.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/07/29/Calif-marsh-returns-to-life-after-century/UPI-14081248907511/
Indonesia: City to unite effort to save mangroves
The City Environment Management Agency (BPLHD) will launch its Green Belt initiative to bring together various mangrove conservation efforts in the city's northern coastal area. "There have been a number of separate planting drives by various stakeholders in the area, and we aim to unite them to accelerate the regeneration of mangrove forests along the coastline," BPLHD head Peni Susanti said Thursday.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/31/city-unite-effort-save-mangroves.html
Washington: Conservancy Acquires Key Shoreline in Island County
The Nature Conservancy has acquired about 43 acres on Livingston Bay, adding a rare pocket estuary and mature shoreline forest to the more than 7,000 acres of tidelands already protected by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust and the Conservancy in Port Susan Bay. This acquisition, directly across from the Conservancy's Port Susan Bay Preserve, is an important one for efforts to restore Puget Sound.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/washington/press/press4140.html |
Wildlife Restoration
California: Once-Endangered Blue Butterfly Now Thrives
Once teetering on the brink of extinction, the future of the El Segundo blue butterfly isn't quite so blue anymore. The increase in population is attributed to LAX's ongoing efforts to manage the preserve, which includes counting the butterflies, maintaining the El Segundo sand dunes and removing non-native plants.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_12940424 |
| Extractive Industries
Canada: Urban Meadows
Looking out at the lush wetland complete with glistening ponds, tall marshy grasses and birds fluttering about, it's hard to imagine it as a busy sand and gravel extraction and processing site. But that's what Lafarge Meadows was before arriving at its current state - a new 147-acre extension of Fish Creek Provincial Park in southern Calgary, located just south of Highway 22x and along the west bank of the Bow River.
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| Invasive Species
Massachusetts: Mile-A-Minute, Purple Loosestrife among Weeds Wreaking Havoc in Bay State
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| Urban Restoration
Washington: One More Vote Down, One Ahead for "Soundway" Forest Transfer
The City Council's Transportation Committee gave its blessing to transferring the "Soundway" property in the West Duwamish Greenbelt to the city Parks Department. NC director Nancy Whitlock was on hand for this morning's committee briefing, explaining the "Soundway" property's role in preserving the West Duwamish Greenbelt as the city's biggest remaining stretch of forest.
http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=19503 |
| Funding Opportunities
New Mexico: State Seeks River Restoration Proposals - Closes August 10, 2009
Potential projects that could be initiated because of the latest round of funding include: physical habitat restoration within a stream; enhancement of environmental flow; improvement of riparian vegetative cover for the purpose of river restoration; reduction of pollutants to rivers; promoting the hydrologic interaction between the river channel and floodplain and restoring dynamic channel processes such as accretion on new banks, bar building, channel widening, and channel sinuosity. The removal of non-native phreatophytes - including salt cedar and Russian olive trees - will be funded as part of a more comprehensive river restoration project. Entities that can manage the technical and financial aspects of the proposed projects are eligible to receive the funding.
http://www.dchieftain.com/news/90077-07-04-09.html
California Coastal Restoration Fund - Closes August 24, 2009.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is requesting proposals for projects located within the Northern or Central Districts of California that benefit fish and wildlife species and the habitats upon which they depend. Types of project activities may include, but are not limited to, on-the-ground habitat conservation, improvement of public access areas, and projects that encourage collaboration and support local communities.
http://www.epa.gov/watershed/news.html
Shell Marina Habitat Program - Closes September 1, 2009
The Shell Marine Habitat Program is a partnership between the Shell Oil Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The purpose of this partnership is to provide grants for projects that benefit marine and coastal habitats in and around the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the North Aleutian Basin, North Slope Borough, and Northwest Arctic Borough areas of Alaska.
http://www.epa.gov/watershed/news.html
2010 St. Andrews Prize for the Environment - Closes October 31, 2009
Applications are invited from individuals, multi-disciplinary teams or community groups for the 2010 annual prize, consisting of an award of $75,000 USD for the winner and $25,000 USD for each of the two runners-up. Aimed at helping ordinary people find solutions to environmental problems, the Prize was launched 11 years ago and is recognized as a prestigious international initiative by the University of St Andrews, Scotland and ConocoPhillips, one of the world's leading energy companies, attracting entries from around the world. The focus is on environmental initiatives, but of course the most innovative and important usually come with gains to people in their locality.
http://www.thestandrewsprize.com/ | |
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