| Membership |
RESTORE is distributed to current SER members. Make sure you don't miss a single issue!
|
| Quick Links |
|
| |
|
|
 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. |
|
Attention SER Members
Get Involved / Community-Based Restoration
New Zealand: Crimson Christmases to Come
A thousand pohutukawa trees are being made available for planting on the Coromandel as part of efforts to get more of the iconic New Zealand trees flowering on the peninsula. Regional council Environment Waikato and the Project Crimson Trust are partnering up for the project which will see the 1000 pohutukawa distributed to Coromandel landowners next winter.
http://ecologicalnz.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/crimson-christmases-to-come/
Ohio: Swamped with Ideas: Akron Teachers Consider Unusual Lesson Plan after Touring Wetlands of Copley Township
Principal Traci Buckner and the teachers turned onto an unpaved lane off Wright Road to the 150-acre vegetable muck farm established in 1921 by Joseph Panzner, a German immigrant. Panzner's grandsons, Steve and Jerry Panzner, who still lived on the land, had spent the last decade transforming the property into the Panzner Wetland Wildlife Reserve through a federal program to save endangered wetlands. They had succeeded in restoring 96 acres into wetlands that looked like they would have about 10,000 years ago, at the end of the ice age. Here was where the teachers would stage their first big project, and they were as excited about the possibilities as they hoped their students would be.
http://www.ohio.com/news/80189602.html
California: Community-based Restoration Gettin' Cred with Community
We think our Community-based Restoration program is pretty awesome, but it's always nice to hear that the community thinks so too. Just in the last week, two separate videos hit the web touting the benefits of teaming up with Save The Bay to restore vital wetland habitat around our great natural treasure.
http://savesfbay.blogspot.com/2009/12/community-based-restoration-gettin-cred.html
Conferences & Workshops
|
| New Books & Articles
Plant Succession
Plant succession is a directional non-seasonal cumulative change in the taxa of flora species that occupy a given area through time. This process takes place on a time scale longer than a single growing season. Succession involves the processes of colonization, establishment, and extinction that act on the participating plant species. Most successions contain a number of stages that can be recognized by the collection of species that dominate at that point of time in the succession.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Plant_Succession
Simulated Environmental Effects of Wetland Restoration Scenarios in a Typical Canadian Prairie Watershed
Wetland conservation and restoration contribute to improved watershed functions through providing both water quantity benefits in terms of flood attenuation and water quality benefits such as retention of sediment and nutrients. However, it is important to quantify these environmental benefits for informed decision making. This study uses a "hydrologic equivalent wetland" concept in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to examine the effects of various wetland restoration scenarios on stream flow and sediment at a watershed scale.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/6429186k7g11qq58/ |
| Agro-Ecology
Hawaii: Groups Plan to Restore He'eia Wetlands with Fishponds, Taro
Wetlands that once fed O'ahu's ancient Hawaiians and were later threatened by large-scale modern development have been entrusted to community groups that want to restore them to their former productivity. The state Hawai'i Community Development Authority recently granted a 38-year lease for 429 acres of He'eia Meadow Lands to the Mahuahua 'Ai o Hoi project, which includes wetland remediation through the restoration of taro fields and development of fishponds.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20091229/NEWS11/912290318/Groups+plan+to+restore+He+eia+wetlands+with+fishponds++taro
Texas: Wetlands Reserve Program Benefits Navarro County
During a time of possible operational transition for landowners throughout north-central Texas, many have selected conservation programs from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help sustain their land use and the rural landscape so vital to the success of their ranches. In Navarro County, the voluntary Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) has been successful while helping eligible landowners and their property protect, restore, and enhance the original hydrology, native vegetation and natural topography of their land. Two of these ranches that have made successful transitions utilizing WRP are the Thorn Ridge Wildlife Ranch and Lonesome Quail WRP located in Chatfield, just about 50 miles south of Dallas.
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/local/local_story_360181356.html |
| Biodiversity & Climate Change
Climate Change Puts Ecosystems on the Run
Global warming is causing climate belts to shift toward the poles and to higher elevations. To keep pace with these changes, the average ecosystem will need to shift about a quarter mile each year, says a new study led by scientists at the Carnegie Institution. For some habitats, such as low-lying areas, climate belts are moving even faster, putting many species in jeopardy, especially where human development has blocked migration paths.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/ci-ccp122109.php |
|
Arizona: Forest Restoration to Benefit Red Squirrels
The United States Forest Service's final draft of a plan to restore Mount Graham and the rest of the Piñaleno Mountains to a presettlement condition should be complete and available for public scrutiny this winter. The plan is expected to take about 10 years from start to finish and cost approximately $7 million. The main reason for the restoration is to bring the mountain to its presettlement condition to help with the survival of the Mount Graham red squirrel and Mexican spotted owl.
http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2009/12/23/news/doc4b31769039588041301515.txt
California: Forest Service Under Fire
Los Padres National Forest Watch - an environmental watchdog group - in concert with the research-oriented California Chaparral Institute, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service last week. The groups claim there is a lack of opportunity for public input into the USFS's decision making process for land-management policy. More specifically, they are focusing on the Tepusquet Fuels Treatment Project, a prescribed burn program the two groups maintain was approved without an environmental analysis or public hearings.
http://independent.com/news/2009/dec/23/forest-service-prescribed-burns/
Indonesia: Jambi Ready for Reforestation Efforts, Gubernatorial Election
Jambi is one of Indonesia's vast forest provinces, with about 1.2 million hectares of forest. As concerns about the effects of climate change and global warming increase, Jambi is formulating reforestation efforts. The Jakarta Post's Irawaty Wardany recently spoke to Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin about the issues as well as preparations for the 2010 gubernatorial election
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/28/jambi-ready-reforestation-efforts-gubernatorial-election.html |
| Wetland Restoration
Indiana: Diverse Group Works to Restore a Legendary Marsh
Indiana Grand Kankakee Marsh Restoration Project volunteers, providing expertise from natural resource groups, meet monthly at the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department in Merrillville. Currently 18,000 acres, either donated or bought from willing landowners, are owned and managed by the project. Removal of drainage tiles and culverts restores the wetlands, sometimes in just days. Various grasses are planted to create nesting habitats. As nature regains its lost ground, waterfowl and shore birds are returning in significant numbers, as are woodland animals.
http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_eebf6a4a0in910in4-8f44-f473b7a551df.html
US: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Announces More Than $19 Million in Grants to Protect Coastal Wetlands Across the Nation
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of $19.2 million to support 25 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 6,100 acres of coastal habitat in 11 states through the 2010 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/index.html |
River & Watershed Restoration
Massachusetts: Unclogging the Bog
In a signature effort for the state's environmental restoration campaign, workers have begun restoring the headwaters of the Eel River, a 5-mile coastal waterway that flows past tourist mecca Plimoth Plantation and into Plymouth Harbor through some of the town's choicest countryside.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/12/27/massive_effort_to_restore_eel_river_in_plymouth_begins/
Pennsylvania: Dam on West Branch Chester Creek Is Being Removed
Removal of a dam on West Branch Chester Creek, part of the Delaware Estuary watershed, began today. Removing the dam will allow American eel, fallfish, brown trout, suckers, and several shiner and darter species to access a portion of the stream that has been blocked for nearly 170 years. The project will also benefit American shad, alewife, blueback herring, and hickory shad by improving water quality as a result of restoring the stream to free-flowing condition.
http://www.arkansastroutfishing.com/archives/11282/dam-on-west-branch-chester-creek-is-being-removed
Texas: Zachry Awarded $22 Million San Antonio River Contract
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Zachry Corp. the federal contract for Phase 2A of the San Antonio River Improvements Project, U.S. Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez, D-San Antonio said Tuesday. Construction on the channel improvement project, known as the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation project, is expected to begin by February and be completed by the summer of 2011. http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/12/21/daily17.html |
| Grassland Restoration
India: Centre Approves Working Plan for Banni Grassland
Finally, a high-level committee comprising representatives of the Government of India (GoI) have approved the working plan for the restoration of Banni grasslands in Kutch district. The state Forest Department has been successful in getting approval for the restoration of Banni grassland, 54 years after it was declared as a protected forest.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centre-approves-working-plan-for-banni-grassland/531693/1
UK: Mountain of Leftover Soil from London Roadworks Creating New Bird Island at Sea
Thousands of tons of earth dug from under the streets of London are being used to create a new island haven for rare birds off the coast of Kent. A massive project to replace the capital's leaky Victorian water mains has created a growing mountain of leftover soil and clay. Faced with the prospect of having to dump the material in landfill sites, Thames Water engineers came up with the idea of shipping it to Hoo Island, an abandoned military site in the Medway estuary near Chatham.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/6868278/Mountain-of-leftover-soil-from-London-roadworks-creating-new-bird-island-at-sea.html |
| Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
Local Communities Combat Desertification in Mali's Lake Faguibine Region
The lake has long played a central role in local livelihoods. But with the changing climate and the advance of the Sahara, people in the region have abandoned their original economic activities. According to Lamizana-Diallo, "Nomadic groups lost most of their livestock and became sedentary in order to benefit from emergency relief programs or migrated into cities." Now surviving communities are fighting back and working to restore the ecosystem so they can return to their normal, fruitful lives.
http://carbon-based-ghg.blogspot.com/2009/12/local-communities-combat.html |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
India: Mangroves Yield Good Results
Mangroves which were grown in the estuaries at Manakudi village in the year 1999 have yielded good results. The plants now cover five acres and have grown up to five feet. Mangrove forests act as natural barriers in reducing the damage created by natural calamities like tsunami or cyclone.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/24/stories/2009122450870200.htm
New Jersey: Agencies Develop Massive Plan for New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Restoration
Dozens of agencies are working on a multibillion-dollar, long-term plan to restore the waters that make up the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary, today's Jersey Journal reports. "The primary goal of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan is to develop a mosaic of habitats that provides maximum ecological and societal benefits to the region," said Lisa Baron, a project manager and marine biologist with the U.S. Army Corps' New York District.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/12/agencies_develop_long-term_pla.html
Florida: Ocean Foundation Makes Dubious Claims in Sea Grass Proposal
A Washington-based foundation has teamed up with a controversial local company to propose a radical change in the way Florida deals with the destruction of its sea grass beds. The proposal from the Ocean Foundation says that anyone who needs to destroy sea grass - say, for a new marina - could make up for the damage by writing a check to the foundation. Then the foundation would hire a contractor - most likely Seagrass Recovery of Indian Rocks Beach - to repair sea grass beds that have been scarred by boaters.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wetlands/ocean-foundation-makes-dubious-claims-in-sea-grass-proposal/1061582 |
Wildlife Restoration
California: Island Foxes Beginning to Feel Right at Home
Surviving at the top of the food chain is just as tough as struggling at the bottom; there's always something that wants to knock you down. That was the case for the pint-size island fox on the majestic Channel Islands. About the size of a small house cat, the rust and cinnamon-colored canine was nearly picked clean by golden eagles on San Miguel, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands by 1999. After a decade of captive breeding and no aerial predators around, island fox numbers have skyrocketed in the wild to 1,000 on Santa Cruz, 400 on Santa Rosa and 320 on San Miguel, according to biologists. It's believed to be one of the swiftest recoveries in the history of the Endangered Species Act.
http://www.noozhawk.com/green_hawk/article/122609_island_foxes_beginning_to_feel_right_at_home |
| Invasive Species
Hawaii: Lack of Funding Stalls Lehua Rat Eradication
|
| Recreation & Tourism
Florida: Disney's Nature 'Theme Park' Is Right in Central Florida's Own Backyard
In December 1992, The Walt Disney Company purchased the 8,500 acre Walker Ranch located southeast of the Walt Disney World® Resort in Poinciana, Florida (just south of Orlando). Disney, along with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and The Nature Conservancy, turned it into a natural preserve to restore the land and protect the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem along one of the last undeveloped lakes in central Florida - Lake Russell.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2009/12/30/disneys-natural-theme-park-is-right-in-our-own-backyard/ |
| Funding Opportunities
Funding Opportunity for Students of Ecological Restoration! - Closes January 15, 2010
The Society of Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter (a chapter of Society for Ecological Restoration International) is still accepting grant applications from students conducting research on the restoration of natural systems (e.g., forests, wetlands, shrub-steppe) within the Pacific Northwest eco-region (WA, OR, MT, ID, BC, Northern CA). Social or natural science graduate and upper-level undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Three grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded. Application deadline is January 15, 2010. Preference will be given to applications from student members of SERNW (visit www.sernw.org) or a SERI student guild. Students can become a member of SERI for $10 and add SERNW membership for only $5, here: https://www.ser.org/member_registration.asp.
For more scholarship details and application procedures, see: https://www.ser.org/sernw/studentgrants.asp.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Accepting Proposals for Great Lakes Restoration Funding - Closes January 22, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting project pre-proposals that focus on the restoration of fish and/or wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Supported in part by President Obama's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a total of $8 million will be available to support projects this fiscal year. This represents the largest amount appropriated for this effort since the grants program began in 1998.
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Fisheries/glfwra-grants.html
New Hampshire: Coastal Program Announces Grant Funding Opportunity - Closes February 1, 2010
The New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is currently accepting applications for its 2010 competitive grant round. The deadline is February 1, 2010 by 4 p.m. Through federal funding, NHCP enables projects that address coastal resources, like water quality protection, habitat restoration and climate change adaptation. Grants are offered on a competitive basis to eligible applicants, and at least a one to one match is required.
http://savegreatbay.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/coastal-program-announces-grant-funding-opportunity/
Landowners Urged to Apply for Funds - Closes February 1, 2010
Landowners with eligible acreage are encouraged to apply for technical and funding assistance available through the Wetlands Reserve Program. The program is voluntary and seeks to provide the opportunity to create, restore, and enhance wetlands for long-term conservation and wildlife habitat protection. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1. Landowners who choose to participate may sell a conservation easement or enter into a cost-share restoration agreement with the USDA.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/dec/20/landowners-urged-apply-funds/
The Five Star Restoration Program - Closes February 11, 2010
A new funding opportunity exists for the Five Star/NRT Restoration Program. Applications are due via Easygrants (www.nfwf.org/easygrants) by Thursday, February 11, 2010. 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 Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), National Association of Counties (NACo), Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA), Southern Company, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), are pleased to solicit applications for the 2010 Five Star Restoration Pro-gram and Nature Restoration Trust (www.nfwf.org/nrt). The 2010 RFP and proposal narrative are available for viewing on our website at http://www.nfwf.org/fivestar
California: Bureau of Reclamation Seeks Klamath River Watershed Restoration Projects - Closes February 22, 2010
The Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Basin Area Office, working in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, announces the availability of approximately $750,000 in Reclamation funds for the Klamath Basin Restoration Project in 2010. The goal of the program is to identify and provide funding for projects that will improve conditions for fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act that may be affected by the Klamath Reclamation Project including threatened coho salmon, endangered shortnose, and Lost River suckers. Reclamation will consider funding potential projects that specifically and convincingly show they will protect or improve conditions for these fish species. Proposals should address habitat for coho salmon in the Klamath River, associated side channels, sloughs, and the Klamath River estuary or endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, Link River, Lake Ewuana/Keno Impoundment, and the Lost River watershed including Tule Lake, Clear Lake, and Gerber Reservoir.
http://yubanet.com/california/Bureau-of-Reclamation-Seeks-Klamath-River-Watershed-Restoration-Projects.php | |
|
|
|
|
|
