"Making Nature Whole" Book Launch 18th Jan 2012, 6:30pm - DePaul University

SER Logo Competition Open for Ten Days - Calling All Graphic Designers

The Society for Ecological Restoration in Washington D.C. is seeking an Executive Director

SER Internship: Indigenous Peoples' Restoration Network

SER Internship: Office Assistant

Coalition sponsoring free ecological training course 
The Calumet Stewardship Initiative is sponsoring its first volunteer leadership training course, slated to begin in the coming weeks. The free, five-part program is to teach participants the basics of ecological restoration, how to successfully lead a volunteer restoration workday, control invasive species, and identify native plants.

EcoSummit 2012 - Call for Abstracts Deadline January 20, 2012

6^th Annual Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration - Call for Abstracts Feb 1, 2012

Louisiana: Help Restore a Floodplain! -Jan 28 & Feb 24, 2012
The Nature Conservancy and US-Fish & Wildlife Service are looking for 50 volunteers (at least) per day to help them plant over 10,000 trees at the Upper Ouachita Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.

Strategies of Landscape-Scale Restoration in the Tropics-New Haven, CT-January 26-28, 2012
The Yale Chapter of the International Society of Tropical Forests is holding their 18^th Annual Conference in New Haven, Connecticut. The conference is free and open to the public. Registration closes Jan 15^th.

Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration Course - Florida, USA - March 1-2, 2012

Nominations now open for 2012 Thiess International Riverprize - Application Closes March 16, 2012

20th High Altitude Revegetation Workshop - Ft Collins, CO - March 6 - 8, 2012

ER Special Issue on Corridor Restoration - Call for Papers April 1, 2012

The 8th Conference of the Society for Ecological Restoration - Europe- September 9-14, 2012

2012 Conference Listingon the Global Restoration Network (GRN)
Check out our 2012 conference listing for a full year view of upcoming conferences and meetings

SER Members receive 25% off Island Press book purchases. Contact caroline@ser.org for details!

Nagpur NGO in India book of records for environment works
 "Global warming and climate change have been the theme of multiple campaigns conducted by Green Vigil, since we understand that urgent steps need to be taken to combat the changing climatic patterns that are to impact both humankind and the animal and plant life on the planet," they said. Green Vigil is part of the United Nations tree campaign and under the UNEP has planted 300 saplings of indigenous species in 2010, the 'International year of biodiversity'.

Photo team gets award for work about forest
 Thomas and Lee Ann Szelog, a wildlife and natural landscape photography team, received a Restoration Leadership Award from the conservation group RESTORE: The North Woods "for their quiet but profound commitment to protecting as well as teaching us about Maine's natural environment."

UC Davis Veterinarian Elected Chair of Science Panel for Major Ecosystem Restoration Effort
 Dr. Joseph Gaydos, VMD, PhD, has been elected to chair the Science Panel of the Puget Sound Partnership, Washington State's comprehensive effort to restore Puget Sound, the nation's largest inland sea.

Kentucky: Local author releases book on wetlands
 Normally the do-it-yourself, or DIY, trend applies to homeowners who want to remodel or spruce up the place, but suppose you could DIY a natural wetland that would serve as a sanctuary for flora and fauna and be a help to the environment?

For the Maya, the World Isn't Ending - the Environment Is
 The end of the Maya long-count calendar does not predict a global catastrophe, let alone the end of the world, say native activists and elders who spoke to IPS in Guatemala. But what are coming to an end are the world's natural resources, as a result of human activity, they warn.

Diverse ecosystems are crucial climate change buffer
 Preserving diverse plant life will be crucial to buffer the negative effects of climate change and desertification in the world's drylands, according to a new landmark study. The findings of the multi-author study, published today in the journal Science, are based on samples of ecosystems in every continent except Antarctica.

China's Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion?
China has undertaken ambitious reforestation initiatives that have increased its forest cover dramatically in the last decade. But scientists are now raising questions about just how effective these grand projects will turn out to be.

Environmental Concern Announces its 40th Anniversary on World Wetlands Day 
 Environmental Concern encourages the public to celebrate World Wetlands Day by visiting the Environmental Concern campus in St. Michaels on February 2nd to learn more about the importance of these microsystems in person; learning more about the work of Environmental Concern and wetlands online at http://www.wetland.org; visit "World Wetlands Day" under the "Activities" page at Ramsar.org to download educational materials and children' activities; or taking the time to plan and clean up a local wetland of litter, debris and other potential contaminants.

Texas: It's time to restore Houston's natural prairie
 Trees are an important part of Houston's cultural heritage. Beginning with the early settlers, humans planted and nurtured the trees that are so much a part of the city. However, the tall-grass prairie, rather than the forest, is Houston's true natural heritage.

US: Rangeland grasses grow with help of hydrogels
 Arid conditions in the Southwest make restoring degraded rangelands extremely difficult, but a USDA scientist has found a way to help native grasses survive there so they can be closely studied as restoration tools.

Cousteau: mangrove restoration 'about saving ourselves' 
 The Conservancy and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve are working with mangrove restoration expert Robin Lewis to revive the black mangroves along San Marco Road between Marco and Goodland. Roads and development have changed the way water flows in and out of the forest, which began showing signs of stress after heavy rains in 1992 and began dying in 1995. Backers of the restoration are trying to raise $750,000 to install new culverts under San Marco Road and dig tidal channels through the forest, but money has been hard to find.

Louisiana coastal restoration 50-year blueprint released
 The strategy is outlined in the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's draft five-year master plan update, which for the first time contains maps showing the location and scope of proposed projects and maps showing what the state's coastline will look like in 2061 if they're built. Lists of the projects also show their cost.

California: Restoration at Ravenswood Salt Ponds continues thanks to Save The Bay volunteers
 In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Save The Bay recruited volunteers to participate in various projects, including the continuing restoration of the Ravenswood Salt Ponds in Menlo Park. "This is the second year we've involved the community in planting native species," said Dylan Chapple, a restoration specialist with the organization that was started 50 plus years ago by three East Bay women. "The bigger scope of the project is to provide nesting islands designed for both migratory and year-round birds like Avocets and Black-necked Stilts."

New York: Over $7,000,000 to restore Jamaica Bay marshes
 A $7.3 million grant to restore Jamaica Bay's Yellow Bar Hassock Island was announced by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder. The grant, which was provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers, will fund the restoration of the approximately 50 acres of salt marsh habitat at Yellow Bar Hassock, and involve the placement of 300,000 cubic yards of dredged material there.

Washington: Healing the land, restoring a forest
 The site's needs are great, Kimmett acknowledged. Scotch broom, a highly invasive plant, covers several acres of it. Years of mud-bogging have taken a toll. But, he added, "It's very doable. ... There's a lot of restoration to be done here - and a great opportunity."

Arkansas landowners Wetlands Reserve Program - Closes Jan 27, 2012
State Conservationist Mike Sullivan with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service says Arkansas is second in the nation in the program's wetland restoration, with more than 200,000 acres restored.

Australia: New South Wales (NWS) Environmental Trust Grants-Closes Jan 31, 2012
The NSW Environmental Trust is an independent statutory body established by the NSW government to support exceptional environmental projects that do not receive funds from the usual government sources. Community groups are now invited to apply for funding for large-scale bush re-generation projects. The Community Bush Regeneration Large Project Stream is offering grants of between $200,000 and $250,000 for projects which will run for up to six years.

US: NFWF Five Star Restoration Grant Program- Closes Feb 15, 2012
 The national Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) Five Star Restoration Program provides modest financial assistance to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach, and training activities.

US: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife- Closes Feb 29, 2012
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting grant applications for the Aquatic Land Enhancement Account. The agency expects to award about $180,000 in grants from the program in the coming year. Five types of projects are funded through the program - habitat restoration, research, education and outreach, facility development and artificial production. Applications must be received or postmarked by Feb. 29.

Alabama: Longleaf Pine restoration grant available - Closes March 1, 2012
The Cleburne News

The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is currently accepting applications through its Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) to continue longleaf pine restoration efforts in Alabama. The grant was awarded through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and will be made available to qualifying landowners for longleaf pine restoration on private lands.

US: Minnesota State Funding Available for Environmental Project-Closes April 6, 2012
The Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has issued its 2012-2013 Request for Proposal (RFP) for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund beginning July 1, 2013. Approximately $31 million is expected to be available for projects being sought in environment and natural resource areas that will provide multiple ecological and other public benefits. Proposals responding to the 2012-2013 RFP are due Friday, April 6, 2012.

US: Emergency Forest Restoration Program
USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land in order to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster.

Earth Island Institute: Supporting community-based wetland restoration initiatives
Through the Small Grants Program, Earth Island Institute has been able to support locally based restoration efforts to do just that. Small grassroots efforts to restore the coastal habitats of Southern California, which have been depleted by an astounding 98%, have been slowly working to bring our wetlands back from the brink of extinction. By supporting and empowering the new restoration leaders, we ensure our collective success in restoring some of the earth's most fragile ecosystems.

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation's Community-based Restoration Partnershiphas reached a milestone by providing grants for now more than 75 different projects in coastal areas throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Restoring a total of about 15,000 acres over the past decade, these CRP projects have improved a wide variety of habitat types, including coastal dunes, coral reefs, oyster reefs, marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests and artificial reefs. Funding from NOAA and EPA make it possible for the GMF to provided more than $3 million to projects. Other partners have contributed an additional $5.5 million in funding.  The GMF is offering a new round of CRP funding for 2012.

 Terra Viva Grants develops and manages information about grants for agriculture, energy, environment, and natural resources in the world's developing countries. 

 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.

 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.