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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
Attention SER Members
SER Members receive 25% off Island Press purchases. Contact Caroline Bronaugh at caroline@ser.org for details!
Freshkills Park Talks: Dr. Steven Handel
Dr. Steven Handel is a pioneer in the field of urban ecology who has been involved in a number of investigations and design projects for land reclamation sites - including numerous studies of the Freshkills Park site. Dr. Handel is the director of the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology (CURE), a joint venture between Rutgers and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He will be discussing current projects in urban restoration ecology and lessons learned from the completed research.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/11/22/freshkills-park-talks-dr-steven-handel
Restoration fundamentals
The following is a modified version of discussions on the ECOLOG-L discussion list (with contributions by Wayne Tyson and Eric Branton). It summarizes the fundamentals of a successful restoration programme.
http://blog.ecosystem-services.org/2010/10/28/restoration-fundamentals/
Get Involved/Community-based Restoration
Delaware: Students to plant at Greenwood restored wetland
Students from Phillis Wheatley Middle School in Greenwood will be planting grasses this morning in a newly restored wetland. The planting will be from 10 to noon at the Locust Grove Farm in Greenwood. The wetland restoration was done over the summer by the Sussex Conservation District and the DNREC Drainage Program
http://www.wgmd.com/?p=12533
Colorado: Riparian Restoration Training - November 30, 2010
http://www.tamariskcoalition.org/PDF/longstem-ad%202010.pdf
"Mangrove Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Course" - January 18-21, 2011
Contact Robin Lewis to apply: LESRRL3@AOL.COM OR LESRRL3@GMAIL.COM
Wisconsin Wetlands Association Annual Conference February 16-17, 2011
http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2011conference.htm
Portland: Watershed Wide Volunteer Restoration Event - March 5, 2011
http://www.katu.com/outdoors/events/105366513.html
Florida: Service at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge - April 3-9, 2011
http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/brochure/11076a.aspx
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers - Upcoming Projects
http://wlrv.net/colorado/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.events&type=792&i=2010
Conferences & Workshops
12th Annual Central California Invasive Weed Symposium - November 12, 2010
http://events.sfgate.com/davenport-ca/events/show/148820405-12th-annual-central-california-invasive-weed-symposium-formerly-war-on-weeds
5th National Conference and Expo on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration - Preparing for
Climate Change - November 13-17, 2010
http://www.estuaries.org/conference/
Ecological Restoration Principles and Application with Dr. Andre Clewell - November 30-December 3, 2010
http://www.gulfalliancetraining.org/detail.aspx?Id=34
Ecological Society of Australia 2010 Annual Conference - December 5-10, 2010
http://www.esa2010.org.au/
The First Indian Biodiversity Congress to be held in Trivandrum - December 27-31, 2010
http://www.trivandrumbuzz.com/the-first-indian-biodiversity-congress-to-be-held-in-trivandrum/
2011 Conference Listing NOW Available on the GRN
http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/conferences/ |
New Books & Articles
NAU Ecological Restoration Institute Working Papers
http://www.eri.nau.edu/en/publications-media/eri-working-papers
Banking on biodiversity
Banking on biodiversity is a free book published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), BirdLife International and Pavan Sukhdev - leader of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study.
http://www.birdlife.org/community/2010/10/banking-on-biodiversity/
Profiting from Biodiversity
A major reason the biology of the planet is largely ignored in human affairs, is that its critical contributions to human wellbeing are not taken into account in the formal economy. The world's poor, for example, derive 40 to 89 percent of their annual "income" from nature, both directly through the goods it provides (e.g., food and fiber) and indirectly through its services.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/opinion/21iht-edlovejoy.html?_r=3
Multi-partner spruce restoration in the central and southern Appalachian mountains
Habitat-based ecosystem partnerships are necessary for implementing strategic forest restoration plans. Overwhelming environmental threats such as climate change and invasive pests and pathogens could have traumatic and devastating effects to our native forests. Additionally, past land-use history has left existing forests isolated, fragmented and in some cases extirpated from the historic landscape.
http://nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/36695 |
Restoring Natural Capital (RNC)
It takes a village
Restoring urban streams bruised by decades of abuse is hard enough. Pulling off a restoration project that is backed both by informed, supportive neighbors and good science is even harder. But along College Creek in Ames, Iowa, researchers, government officials and local residents have teamed up to show just how it might be done.
http://www.conservationmagazine.org/2010/10/it-takes-a-village/ |
Agro-Ecology
Hague Summit Tackling Climate Change and Poverty with Sustainable Agriculture
Carbon dioxide emissions from farming and deforestation add up to more than 30% of the world's total greenhouse gasses, but sustainable agriculture can slice that figure dramatically. Poor farmers, however, can't make the transition without help. Carbon finance may provide a key to the solution.
http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=7803§ion=news_articles&eod=1
Public invited to explore plants, wildlife at newly restored Baker Wetlands
Roger Boyd, director of natural resources at Baker University, left, along with students in his wildlife management class and his son Jon Boyd, resident refuge manager of the Baker Wetlands Restoration Site, spread mulch on a trail at the site Thursday. The site, west of Louisiana and south of 31st Street, is Phase 1 of the mitigation for the South Lawrence Trafficway. Phase 1 involves the restoration of 142 acres from agricultural land back into wetlands. A number of American kestrels, eastern bluebirds and tree swallows have been banded in numerous nest boxes on the site.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/nov/05/public-invited-explore-plants-wildlife-newly-resto/ |
Biodiversity & Climate Change
Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change through Restoration of Forest Landscapes in Southern Caucasus
Forest ecosystems in selected pilot areas are successfully regenerated or rehabilitated for increased carbon storage and enhanced resilience against climate change and brought under sustainable management regimes. Project experiences are taken up by the partner countries during the revision of their respective forest policies and strategies and are increasingly applied during implementation of afforestation and forest rehabilitation schemes.
http://central-america.panda.org/about/countries/el_salvador/index.cfm?uProjectID=9E0772
Climate change v capitalism: the feast is almost over
Six weeks from now, in Cancun, Mexico, the world's nations will gather under the auspices of the United Nations (the UNFCCC) to again discuss how to alleviate climate change. They'll try to pick up the broken pieces from last December in Copenhagen, where we witnessed tortured dances by government leaders trying to avoid the realities of our time, and the profound conundrums we face as a society. They accomplished nothing, and may reprise that performance in Cancun.
http://davereinstein.com/2010/10/15/climate-change-v-capitalism-the-feast-is-almost-over/ |
Lying at the northern edge of the Lake District national park in Cumbria, the Ennerdale valley is home to some of the district's most vibrant natural environments and one of the first re-wilding projects in the UK. Landowners the National Trust, Forestry Commission and United Utilities formed the Wild Ennerdale Partnership in 2003 with the aim of allowing the area to evolve naturally, with minimal human intervention. After 2005 storms damaged almost 30,000 trees in the area, the partnership pressed ahead with its plans to re-wild, which include allowing forestry tracks to revert to their vegetated state and the river to find its natural path.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2010/nov/05/ennerdale-forest-lake-district-wild
Arizona: White Mountain Stewardship Project provides healthy forests, greener lives
In 2004, partially as a result of the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski wildfire, the USDA Forest Service awarded Future Forest LLC with the White Mountain Stewardship Project (WMSP). The White Mountain Stewardship Project is the first 10-year contract of its kind in the nation. Its emphasis on large-scale forest restoration has resulted in healthier forests, protection for local communities, enhanced rural development, and the use of previously unmarketable small diameter trees.
Reversing Tropical Deforestation: Agroforestry and Community Forest Management
Farming system and livelihood diversification through integrated farming based on agroforestry, home processing of agricultural products and cottage industries, combined with communal forest management, empowered villagers to re-capture control of their lives through community-based sustainable resource management. The management systems drew upon traditional technical know-how in order to optimize the sustainable use and conservation of local resources -- both natural and human. http://ecotippingpoints.org/our-stories/indepth/thailand-watershed-forest-agroforestry-community-management.html
War-torn Vietnam Attempts to Replant its Forests
There are few regions around the world that have seen less battle in the last 50 years than Vietnam. The conflict during the 1960s and early 1970s left a huge impact of the country's natural ecosystems. Then after the war, agriculture and the logging industry destroyed even larger areas. Now, a consensus on how to replant the forests remains elusive. http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/41974 |
Wetland Restoration
Florida: Economic Analysis Predicts Minimum 4-1 Return on Restoring the Everglades Ecosystem
In the worst-case scenario, spending $11.5 billion on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan would generate another $46.5 billion in jobs, tourism dollars, and higher home values, according to foundation officials. The best-case scenario outlined in the study performed by Mather Economics boosts that return to $123.9 billion.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2010/10/economic-analysis-predicts-minimum-4-1-return-restoring-everglades-ecosystem7098
Community-based conservation program wins World Wetland Network "Blue Globe"
Mizubeni Asobu Kai (headed by Yukiko Ashikaga), a community-based conservation program to restore and protect Nakatsu Tidal Flats won a World Wetland Network "Blue Globe" for best practices and wetland restoration in Nagoya.
http://tenthousandthingsfromkyoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/mizubeni-asobu-kais-community-based.html
Arizona: Yuma provides a model for wetlands restoration
More recently, Yuma has been the site of another important effort - one of transformation. October marked a decade since Congress designated the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, kicking off our work to conserve, enhance and interpret the natural and cultural resources of our community. Over the past 10 years, the Yuma East Wetlands has been restored from a waste-filled, neglected area to an ecologically rich home for wildlife and a destination for recreation and tourism.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2010/11/05/20101105flynn06.html |
River & Watershed Restoration
Arizona: Fossil Creek: A Model System For Ecosystem Restoration
Streams and lakes around the world have been degraded by pollution, use of fresh water by humans, and the introduction of non-native exotic species to an ecosystem that resulted to a mass destruction of natural resources and considerable losses to native species. Can an ecosystem that has been affected with such alarming occurrences bounce back and undergo a complete restoration process? In Arizona, scientists and natural resources managers have achieved such and effort through the Ecosystem Restoration project at Fossil Creek, Arizona. Fossil Creek in Arizona is one of the best examples of an effective riparian restoration project in the Southwest.
http://healthyhomesmart.com/2010/11/03/fossil-creek-a-model-system-for-ecosystem-restoration-2/
India: Restored Adyar Poonga drawing animals, birds
The Adyar Poonga (park), which will be inaugurated in January by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has become a model project for restoration of neglected wetlands, as birds and reptiles are staging a comeback here after many years, even as work is still in progress.
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/restored-adyar-poonga-drawing-animals-birds/219011.html
Massachusetts: Briggsville Dam Deconstruction at Halfway Mark
The Briggsville Dam was designated a hazard since the state did a risk assessment of its 3,000 dams six years ago, prompted by the condition of the Taunton Dam after a record October rainfall. While the Office of Dam Safety has been involved with some removals, the state's Division of Ecological Restoration has done a half-dozen or so removals in partnership with local and state river organizations.
http://iberkshires.com/story/36708/Briggsville-Dam-Deconstruction-at-Halfway-Mark.html?source=top_stories
Arizona: Growing environmental restoration project living proof of Yuma's river renaissance
Nearly a century ago, this desert town became the site of the first dam on the Colorado River. That project was the first step on a path that transformed the Southwest. But the taming of the Colorado exacted a heavy price. So it's only fitting that Yuma is now home to one of the largest and most ambitious environmental restoration efforts in the Southwest.
http://www.cisionwire.com/yuma-visitors-bureau/growing-environmental-restoration-project-living-proof-of-yuma-s-river-renaissance46885 |
Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
Video: Seeds of Change The RAE Charitable Trust has worked with local Kenyan communities for over two decades to successfully transform degraded drylands into profitable rangelands for the benefit of the people and the environment. http://www.raetrust.org/ |
Coastal & Marine Restoration
$3.4 Million Awarded to 34 Local Restoration Projects Throughout Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Thirty-four environmental projects in all six Chesapeake Bay states and the District of Columbia have been awarded more than $3.4 million to help reduce pollution to local streams, creeks and rivers and the Bay.
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/news_swg10.aspx?menuitem=54464
California: Upper Newport Bay restoration project celebrated
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, sat side by side Saturday to celebrate the completion of the 10-year, Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project, over the arresting backdrop of picturesque Upper Newport Bay.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/project-274798-newport-restoration.html |
Wildlife Restoration
India: Locals help to restore KNP's animal corridors
In a novel initiative, the local tribal community has joined hands with WWF-India and the Forest Department for restoration of degraded animal corridors linking Kaziranga National Park with the Karbi Anglong hills.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=oct2210/at095 |
Urban Restoration
Evaluating Restoration Success in Urban Forest Plantings in Hamilton, New Zealand
To evaluate the success of restoration efforts in young urban plantings, we assessed 66 experimental plots in gully systems in Hamilton City, New Zealand, and adjacent areas. We compared vegetation change in restored patches planted with native species to vegetation in naturally regenerating patches and mature native forest. A range of variables was used to assess ecosystem functional, structural, and compositional attributes.
http://www.urbanhabitats.org/v06n01/hamilton_abs.html
Florida: Acquisition and Restoration of Wildlife Habitat
Once funds are raised to purchase the property, work will continue to optimize the land for wildlife habitat, including the removal of invasive non-native plants (except for some of the "historic" trees on the site) and re-vegetation with native species. SCCF's Wildlife Habitat Management staff will do pre- and post-restoration studies to track the increased use of the habitat by wildlife. We will also reach out to the City to plan for a trail to be enjoyed by residents and visitors without encroaching on the critters.
http://www.sccf.org/content/194/Acquisition-and-Restoration-of-Wildlife-Habitat.aspx |
Funding Opportunities
Terra Viva Grants develops and manages information about grants for agriculture, energy, environment, and natural resources in the world's developing countries.
http://www.terravivagrants.org/Home/view-grant-makers
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
Tamarisk Related Grant Opportunities
The Tamarisk Coalition has developed a list of available Grant Opportunities to address tamarisk issues and riparian restoration. This list was revised as part of the Colorado River Basin Tamarisk and Russian Olive Assessment.
http://www.tamariskcoalition.org/FundingResources.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
Rhode Island Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund - Closes November 24, 2010
The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council is currently seeking pre-proposals for habitat restoration project funding through its R.I. Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Program and Trust Fund. Municipalities, committees, boards or commissions chartered by a municipality, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, educational institutions and state agencies are eligible to submit a project pre-proposal.
http://www.crmc.ri.gov/news/2010_1022_cehrtf.html
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Botany in Action Fellowship Program - Closes November 30, 2010
Phipps is currently accepting proposals for its 2011 BIA Fellows program. Funding is limited to doctoral students focused on plant-based science and enrolled at US institutions; however, students' field research sites may be in the US or abroad.
http://phipps.conservatory.org/project-green-heart/botany-in-action/index.aspx
California: Funding for National Forest Projects Available in Butte County - Closes December 3, 2010
National Forest project proposals within Butte County are being sought for financial support under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Projects must have broad based support with objectives that include: road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; soil productivity improvements; improvements in forest ecosystem health; watershed restoration and maintenance; wildlife and fish habitat improvements; control of noxious and exotic weeds; reintroduction of native species, and hazardous fuels reduction. Projects can be implemented on private land if the project clearly benefits public land resources.
http://yubanet.com/regional/Funding-for-National-Forest-Projects-Available-in-Butte-County.php
Pennsylvania: WPC and Dominion Resources Seek Proposals for Watershed Mini Grants - Closes December 15, 2010
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is accepting proposals for the 2010-2011 Watershed Mini Grant program, which provides assistance to the region's grassroots watershed groups. Funding for the program is provided by Dominion. The mini-grants program supports operating costs, organizational promotion and outreach, and/or watershed restoration projects. Grants of up to $1,000 may be awarded for operating expenses. Up to $2,500 is available for promotion and outreach or restoration projects.
http://www.paconserve.org/news/view/128
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