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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. | |
Get Involved / Community-Based Restoration
Massachusetts: Plymouth Restoration Renewed Health for Two Rivers October 21, 2010 Eel River and Town Brook, Plymouth, MA - Join this guided tour with the specialists responsible for these two successful stream and wetlands restoration projects http://www.ecolandscaping.org/EventPDFs/October_21.pdf
E & E will sponsor the HOW-facilitated Healthy Lakes 2010 conference, Sept. 22 to Sept. 24 at the Adams Mark Buffalo Niagara in downtown Buffalo, N.Y. The conference will address critical issues such as securing long-term congressional funding for Great Lakes restoration, developing strategies to ensure that new federal investments will result in measurable ecological and economic progress, and establishing the coalition's restoration priorities for 2011 and beyond. More information is available by visiting www.healthylakes.org/conference.
Colorado: Riparian Restoration Training - November 30, 2010 The Tamarisk Coalition, in partnership with NRCS, the Upper Colorado Environmental Plant Center & the Los Lunas Plant Material Center, Cordially invites YOU to our Riparian Restoration Training to be held on: Nov 30th & Dec 1st, 2010 SAME TRAINING EACH DAY Grand Junction, Colorado http://www.tamariskcoalition.org/PDF/longstem-ad%202010.pdf
"Mangrove Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Course" - January 18-21, 2011 Sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve at the RBNERR in Naples, Florida. Participation is anticipated to be free of any charge (except travel and lodging and meals), but participants will be limited to those who apply to participate and are reviewed and accepted by the USFWS and the RBNERR. Total class size will be limited to 25. Contact Robin Lewis to apply: LESRRL3@AOL.COM OR LESRRL3@GMAIL.COM
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People in the News
Midori biodiversity prizewinners announced
One of the winners is Gretchen Daily, who founded the Natural Capital project - a collaboration between Stanford University, the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy - in 2006. It aims to quantify the financial value of ecosystems and encourage businesses to take sustainability into account when making decisions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/21/midori-biodiversity-prizewinners-announced |
| New Books & Articles
The Unknown Trajectory of Forest Restoration: A Call for Ecosystem Monitoring
Restoration of forest ecosystems is a common objective of land managers throughout the western United States. Unfortunately, limited federal funding and a lack of specific enforcement of existing regulations has resulted in a lack of effectiveness monitoring (monitoring that provides information on the successes and impacts of the activity or project) after forest restoration activities on federal lands, thus inhibiting learning about, and improving the success of, restoration efforts. Monitoring could potentially be conducted on limited federal budgets through use of (1) multiparty teams composed of volunteers on a portion of restoration sites, (2) a statistical sampling strategy on a limited set of sites for intensive monitoring by federal monitoring teams, and (3) remote sensing to monitor a select set of variables across a broad portion of the affected landscape. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/saf/jof/2010/00000108/00000006/art00008 |
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
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| Agro-Ecology
Ethiopia: Land grabbing and destruction of ecological environment
Anywaa Survival Organisation-ASO is concerned about the unprecedented land grab and destruction of ecological environment of the Gambela region. Since 2008 foreign companies with the help of the Ethiopian authorities in the centre have been acquiring vast fertile farmlands with limited consultation with indigenous peoples whose lives and livelihoods are affected. This trend of land grabbing has intensified, with more than four companies from India and Saudi Arabia currently destroying and clearing the best woodlands in the region to produce a variety of agricultural produce not for local consumptions but for export purposes. http://ecadforum.com/News/4228
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| Biodiversity & Climate Change
In order to save biodiversity society's behavior must change
An innovative grouping of conservation scientists and practitioners have come together to advocate a fundamental shift in the way we view biodiversity. In their paper, which was published today in the journal Science, they argue that unless people recognise the link between their consumption choices and biodiversity loss, the diversity of life on Earth will continue to decline. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uoc-iot090710.php
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Cameroon: Restoration and Protection of Degraded Watersheds Using Analogue Forestry TechnologyThe aim of this project is to initiate activities to restore and protect three degraded watersheds in Bafut, NW Region, Cameroon for the provision of ecosystem services namely biodiversity, water and carbon. The project is a replica of a similar one that took place in seven communities in Bui Division, NW Region of Cameroon from February 2008 to August 2010. These communities have similar environmental problems. The approach adopted is the analogue forestry ecosystem restoration methodology. http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/youndjie_gabriel_koleoko
Restoring Ethiopia's Forest CoverMesfin Mengistu has been growing trees on his two-hectare farm in Menagesha Woreda for years. "I understand planting trees helps maintain environmental balance, but I do it to earn extra income to cover the rising cost of fertilisers," Mesfin said. Wheat and maize are his main sources of income from his plot 45 kilometres west of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52856
New Mexico: Forest restoration grants awarded to six organizations The Santa Fe National Forest's collaborative forest restoration program has awarded more than $1.9 million in forest, watershed and habitat restoration grants to six organizations. The largest grants, for $360,000 each, go to SW Wood Products and Thinning in Mora County, Griegos Logging, also in Mora County, and Aspen Forest Products in Santa Fe. http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1745270.shtml |
| Wetland Restoration
Trinidad: Moonilal launches green project
Trinidad and Tobago yesterday took a giant leap in "going green", as Environment Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal launched a significant pilot project. Moonilal gushed that the undertaking was a "template and example for other local and regional green projects." In the midst of high-powered sector officials, the minister initiated Nariva Swamp Restoration, Carbon Sequestration and Livelihoods Project, which, he said, could give Trinidad and Tobago "global visibility as a committed member of the green global economy on four levels." http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2010/09/12/moonilal-launches-green-project
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River & Watershed Restoration
Restoring urban streams and the quality of life
While large scale improvements didn't happen overnight, staff and students did make steady progress year-in and year-out; slowly, the creek started to show signs of life. Streamside vegetation was eventually restored, in-stream habitat improved, and water quality issues addressed. Finally, several years ago, the stream had improved to the point where we could re-establish a trout population for the first time in almost four decades. http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/08/restoring-our-urban-streams-by.html
Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan
For the purposes of the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan, the temporal scope is 50 years. The geographic scope consists of the Missouri River from bluff to bluff, and its tributaries in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The extent to which the plan addresses tributaries in each state will be based on the ecological connectivity shared between tributaries and the Missouri River mainstem. The geographic scope will be based on a manageable and reasonable nexus between mitigation, recovery and restoration and the mainstem of the Missouri River. http://www.moriverrecovery.org/mrrp/f?p=136:46:1054313152693628
Texas: TRC Supports Habitat Restoration on Rio Grande River
TRC Companies, Inc.today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) to prepare a river restoration implementation plan for a 105-mile portion of the Rio Grande Canalization Flood Control Project upstream of El Paso, Texas. The project will facilitate the restoration of sites that are currently considered low quality monocultures of non-native salt cedar vegetation in order to improve riparian functions and, in particular, provide habitat and ecological diversity for many species. TRC has supported multiple USIBWC projects over the past two years. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trc-supports-habitat-restoration-on-rio-grande-river-2010-09-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp |
| Coastal & Marine Restoration
Alabama: Coastal team to revive Gulf oyster reefs, marshes
In a bid to help a "disempowered" community reconnect with its ravaged Gulf Coast habitat and rejuvenate struggling coastal economies, an environmental coalition launched a five-year plan Tuesday to build 100 miles of oyster reefs and 1,000 acres of marsh wetlands and grass beds. http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2010/09/17/local_news/doc4c929fc660df6471763640.txtVirginia submits Chesapeake Bay restoration plan
Virginia has submitted what it calls a flexible, recession-conscious plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay, drawing sharp criticism Wednesday from environmentalists who contend it does little to expand cleanup efforts. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I3V1901.htm
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| Invasive Species
Alaska: Rat Island is Officially Rat-Free
Biologists who are restoring seabird habitat on a remote island in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge confirmed today that Rat Island is now rat-free. The report comes after two years of careful field monitoring at Rat Island, where the invasive predator decimated native seabird populations by preying on eggs and chicks. http://www.surfbirds.com/sbirdsnews/archives/2010/09/rat_island_is_o.html |
| Urban Restoration
Urban Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure consists of a wide variety of natural features that, when integrated within an urban environment, provide valuable ecosystem services to the community. In Union City, green infrastructure includes the urban forest (street trees and park trees), natural stormwater-absorbing landscapes, and community gardens. Green infrastructure benefits the City by reducing urban heat island effects, reducing building energy use, improving stormwater and waste management, and benefiting public health through improved air quality.
http://www.ci.union-city.ca.us/green_city/CAP/09-GREEN-INFRASTRUCTURE_p53-58.pdf |
| Funding Opportunities
World: Call for wet carbon proposals Danone would like to invest in projects which deliver certified carbon credits and local community benefits through restoring mangrove ecosystems. They are interested in large-scale projects which can be implemented quickly and efficiently. Working in partnership with IUCN and Ramsar, Danone is seeking to invest in wet carbon projects that have the potential to deliver between 10,000 and 300,000 tons per annum of carbon offsets, certifiable by the Clean Development Mechanism or the Voluntary Carbon Standard. http://wetcarbon.com/
California: Ecosystem Restoration on Agricultural Lands (ERAL) Grant funding applications are accepted on a year-round basis. The WCB meets four times each year, normally in February, May, August, and November to consider approval of funding for projects. http://www.wcb.ca.gov/ERAL/grants.html
Minnesota: Funding Available for Shoreland Vegetation Projects - Closes October 1, 2010 The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites grant proposals for projects that would restore native shoreline vegetation across Minnesota. More than $300,000 is available for projects, which are limited to $50,000 to $100,000 per individual request. http://outdoornewsdaily.com/index.php/archives/13599
NOAA: Marine Debris - Closes November 1, 2010 This funding opportunity is now open. See below for information on how to apply. Through NOAA's Marine Debris Program, the NOAA Restoration Center administers the Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grants Program. This funding supports locally driven, community-based marine debris prevention and removal projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and wildlife including migratory fish. http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/marinedebris.html
NOAA: Open Rivers Initiative - Closes November 17, 2010 Through its Open Rivers Initiative, NOAA's Restoration Center provides technical expertise and financial assistance to remove dams and barriers and restore habitat for the many species that migrate between the ocean and the nation's freshwater rivers and streams. This initiative contributes to sustainability of U.S. fisheries, provides an economic boost for communities, and improves public safety. http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/funding/ori.html |
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