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Florida: Environmental Groups Launch Amendment Drive to Protect Environmental Funds
The Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign has launched a petition drive to put an amendment on the November 2014 ballot that would guarantee a stable source of money for environmental protection. Since 2009, legislators have cut funding for the state's Florida Forever program by 97.5% to $23 million for land management and ecological restoration, including the Everglades.

Texas: Dr. Pepper Invests $1.1 Million to Save Prairies
Nearly 7,500 acres of wilderness in Texas will be protected thanks to a somewhat unexpected source: the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS). The beverage company has invested $1.1 million in The Nature Conservancy for preservation and restoration of five natural areas. The preserves are all major watersheds in Texas.

India: Paradise Lost and Regained: Lessons from the National Parks of India
In 1985 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated two world heritage sites in the tiny, mountainous province of Assam in northeastern India. Yet these two parks, just 100 miles apart, and once joined by dense forest, were to experience very different fates over the following 25 years. Where Kaziranga has thrived, and its population of flagship rhinos quintupled, poachers have wiped out Manas' own rhino population and its habitat has been pillaged. This tale of two parks offers an important lesson on how to maintain healthy ecosystems: the welfare of local people, their engagement, and the alignment of political will across geographical scales are often critical to a park's long-term success.

Resilience Practice-Building Capacity to Absorb Disturbance and Maintain Function
In 2006, Resilience Thinking addressed an essential question: As the natural systems that sustain us are subjected to shock after shock, how much can they take and still deliver the services we need from them? Now, in Resilience Practice, authors Brian Walker and David Salt take the notion of resilience one step further, applying resilience thinking to real-world situations and exploring how systems can be managed to promote and sustain resilience. This book offers an easy-to-read but scientifically robust guide through the real-world application of the concept of resilience.

Texas: Extension Publication Gives Guidance on Grassland Restoration
To aid landowners in the middle Trinity River basin and similar areas, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service has produced a publication with step-by-step instructions on how to restore native grasslands. Topics addressed in the publication include the use and benefits of native grasslands, site selection and preparation, establishment of native vegetation, seed selection, reseeding methods, seeding rates, depth and timing, and using native grass hay for seeding.

Elephant Ancestors and Africa's Bigfoot: Initiative Works to Preserve a Continent's Wildest Tales
Paula Kahumbu, the Executive Director of WildlifeDirect and a 2011 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, is on a mission to reconnect young Africans with the natural world through storytelling. In a new initiative dubbed Africa's Wildest Stories, Kahumbu and others are recording the wit and wisdom of African elders in Kenya as they share their love of nature and the way in which Africans, for millennia, have co-existed with their environment and its astounding wildlife.

France: Trees Breathing New Life into French Agriculture
The tips of young walnut trees are just visible above the ready-to-harvest wheat. Further away, oaks, ashes and cherry trees are growing in fields of sunflowers and broad beans, all signs of the return to agroforestry in La Bergerie de Villarceaux, an organic experimental farm in the Vexin region of north-west France. Olivier Ranke and his team are pioneers. Ten years ago they started replanting hedges in a part of France where intensive farming is the norm and there is scarcely a shrub on the horizon. In 2011 they took the next step by launching the most ambitious agroforestry project in northern France and planted more than 600 trees in 23 hectares of farmland.

Conversation Helps Build Website for Global Climate Change Awareness
Conversation, a marketing agency located in midtown Manhattan, is helping to build a new website for the Blue Carbon Initiative, a collaborative effort between three conservation organizations (CI, IUCN, IOC-UNESCO). The Initiative is an integrated program with a comprehensive and coordinated global agenda focused on mitigating climate change through the conservation and restoration of coastal marine ecosystems. The website will serve as an informative resource to support the work of the Blue Carbon Initiative.

Australia: Can Swan River Survive Climate Change?
It's been called Perth's greatest natural asset, but the stunning Swan River that winds through Western Australia's capital is under increasing pressure from deadly algal blooms caused by the state's drying climate. The government has spent just $40 million over five years to try and save the Swan and Canning rivers while having spent nearly $440 million to transform Perth's central riverfront in a smaller version of Sydney's Circular Quay (a pedestrian water front area). The government has spent an additional $3.3 million over three years to establish nutrient catchments through tree planting and wetland restoration.

California to Proceed with Malibu Lagoon Restoration
The California Coastal Commission will move ahead with the restoration of the polluted Malibu Lagoon, despite objections from environmental activists. The commission voted Wednesday to deny a request to revoke the restoration permit granted to California State Parks.

UK: A Tale of Two Bogs
Prepare to be bogged down. The good news first, work has finished successfully on the first, £170,000, phase of a Forestry Commission project to restore one of England's most fragile and threatened areas of bog and mire on the North York Moors. Nearly twice as many hectares of the bog were restored than originally planned for by removing trees and blocking drainage channels to help the site retain water. Meanwhile, a second Yorkshire bog at Hebden Bridge, was in the news after a devastating flood caused severe damage and drainage. Additionally, long time vegetation burning to create ideal conditions for grouse shootings has cause major issues for the wetland.

Illinois: Rebirth of a Wetland: Emiquon Restoration Receives International Recognition
In 2000, the Conservancy completed an $18.6 million deal to purchase about 7,600 acres along the middle Illinois River. The project was funded by private donations as well as financial assistance from the Wetlands Reserve Program. Soon, the effort to restore the wetlands at the Emiquon Preserve was underway. By 2008, some 300,000 native trees had been replanted and 8,000 pounds of grassland seeds spread throughout the preserve. Most importantly, the pumps that drained the land were turned off. When this happened, a natural lake returned to life as it filled with water.

Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar Signs up Nature's Engineers to Restore River
Ulaanbaatar is importing foreign experts to combat falling water levels in Mongolia's third longest river. Qualifications include sharp incisors, flat tails and webbed toes. Meet the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). If all goes according to plan, the task of restoring the headwaters of the Tuul River will be left to these rotund rodents, with extra thanks to Germany and Russia. At home, due to poaching, their numbers have declined sharply in the past 20 years. But in May, Germany gifted 14, and Russia another 30-just for this special task.

UK: New stream of funding to restore East Lancashire's rivers
River campaigners have received £1.4million to help restore several pollution-hit waterways across East Lancashire and beyond. Three major projects, marshalled by the Ribble Rivers Conservation Trust, will benefit from the Environment Agency cash injection.

Florida: Water District endorses buying Mecca Farms for $55M
A biotech blunder that has cost more than $100 million soon could be resolved - at a huge loss to taxpayers. Palm Beach County sunk a fortune into trying to turn Mecca Farms into a biotech industry hub. It failed. Now a new $55 million deal that surfaced in May calls for the South Florida Water Management District board to acquire the former citrus groves and use the land to store water that would help replenish the Loxahatchee River. On Thursday, the district board agreed to pursue buying Mecca Farms as part of the larger $880 million Everglades restoration plan aimed at cleaning up South Florida water pollution.

Oklahoma: $100,000 Grant to Restore Migratory Bird Habitats
The Nature Conservancy announced that ConocoPhillips has awarded a $100,000 grant to help preserve habitats for migratory birds at the J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve, a 17,000-acre site in the Oklahoma Ozarks overlooking the Illinois River. The open areas now in the preserve were once converted to non-native pasture grasses such as Bermuda and fescue. Restoration of the grasslands will restore up to 100 native grasses and wildflowers, including purple coneflowers and Maximillian sunflowers.

Tennesse: Meadow Gone Wild: Habitat Restoration Creates a Wildlife Oasis at Botanical Garden
With a razor-thin budget and just two employees, Brian Campbell, director of horticulture, was struggling to mow and maintain the 50 acres that comprise the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum. So Campbell stopped mowing a 15 acre plot of the grounds and when he discovered it was only 35% native, he decided to replant the meadow with natives. Campbell says since the rewilding experiment, the wildlife population has shot up as has visitor enjoyment.

Kenya: (VIDEO) Restoring Earth Degraded Land 
This short documentary shows the environmental impacts of land degradation and their link to the social conflicts in northern Kenya. The focus is the Pokot people who depend on cattle for their livelihoods. In recent years violence between communities has escalated but workshops on sustainable development are a promising chance to bring peace.

Mexico: Building Sustainable Global Research Partnerships - And Saving the Puma
A UK-funded conservation project in Mexico has involved local landowners, universities and a Grammy award-winning band to achieve a triple bottom line of sustainability. The University of Leeds has just completed a three year project in the La Primavera Biosphere reserve in Mexico where they working closely with the reserves management authority, local universities, Mexican NGOs and agricultural land-owning community groups called 'ejidos'. Negotiations were held with the ejido of Ahuisculco located in a biological corridors connecting La Primavera to Sierra de Quila to create a conservation and reforestation project. The project was designed for a 10-year period and will provide resources to conserve more than 1000 hectares of forest and reforest more than 100 hectares. New wildlife corridors will create pathways for the Puma and other animals and create economic and social sustainability by creating community health and education initiatives.

California to Receive $11 Million in Grants for Habitat Restoration
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced $11 million in federal grants for California agencies for habitat restoration and other wildlife protection. The grants, funded by the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, are among $33 million in funding awarded to 21 states.

Montana: Trumpeter swans released on restored wetlands in Madison Valley
Five young trumpeter swans were released into southwestern Montana's Madison Valley this week, marking a milestone in an effort to restore the swans to the valley northwest of Yellowstone National Park.

How your science teacher may be spreading invasive species
Potential invasive species may get a helping hand from an unlikely source: science teachers, a new study indicates. The study involved a survey of nearly 2,000 teachers in Florida, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, California, Connecticut, British Columbia and Ontario, as well as interviews with curriculum specialists, focus groups involving 84 teachers and information from biological supply houses.

FWS awards $1 million grant for restoration at new urban park, Chicago Millennium Reserve
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it will give $1 million toward restoration and conservation projects at a major open space project on Chicago's southeast side. The 140,000-acre Millennium Reserve project is a joint effort by state, federal and local officials to restore onetime industrial land into recreational space. USFW Service officials say the grant will support projects in the Calumet region of the reserve. That includes planting 100,000 trees on 60 acres, restoring native migratory bird habitat and restoring coastal wetlands.

Special Issue of Forests: "Forest Restoration and Regeneration"-Deadline February 2013
Forests, an open access international peer-reviewed journal, is inviting authors to submit their manuscripts for an upcoming special issue on "Forest Restoration and Regeneration." This issue will target papers dealing with restoring old-forests attributes. This includes regeneration of vulnerable species or species that were previously more abundant, as well as practices to modify the structure of existing stands or to improve tree quality in high-graded stands. In the planned special issue, Forests can accept both research papers and comprehensive review articles.

Delaware Bay: Project PORTS-Oyster Restoration Volunteer Activities- Aug. 20 & Aug. 24
The American Littoral Society is recruiting volunteers for their upcoming Project PORTS where volunteers will help transplant 2,300 bags of spatted shells to a restoration site in the upper bay.

Veracruz: Diplomado en Restauración del Bosque de Niebla 2012
Certificate Course in Cloud Forest Restoration- Pre-Registration for 2012 is now Open.

Fundamentos de la Restauración Ecológica -- New Online Course for Spanish Speakers (fecha límite 17 de agosto de 2012)

 SER-Texas: 2012 Annual TxSER Conference- Call for Papers- Due Aug 31
TxSER will hold their annual conference from Nov. 2-4, 2012 in Weslaco, Texas.

Intermountain Center for River Restoration and Rehabilitation Events- Aug. 6, Oct. 22, Oct 17
The Utah State University Intermountain Center for River Restoration and Rehabilitation holds a number of restoration events each year. Check out their website for a full listing of events in August and Oct.

SER-Europe: The 8th European Conference on Ecological Restoration-Sept 9-14

 Colorado: Boulder County Citizen Ranger Corps Volunteer Position- Deadline Sept 15
Boulder County is looking for volunteers to join their Citizen Ranger Corps program. Volunteers will attend six monthly trainings and get to work outside.

Great Lakes Restoration Conference/Areas of Concern Annual Meeting-Sept 11-14

Idaho: East or West: Water Defines Us All- Sept 19-21

EcoSummit 2012-Ecological Sustainability- Sept. 30- Oct. 5

Stream Restoration in the Southeast: Innovations for Ecology- Oct. 15-18

6^th Annual Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration- Oct. 20-24

Florida: Creation and Restoration or Wetlands Workshop- November 8-10

SER-Australasia: Inaugural Conference -Nov 28-30

SER2013: 5th World Conference on Ecological Restoration- Oct 6-11, 2013
SER will hold its 5th World Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, from October 6-11 ,2013.

2012 Conference Listing on the Global Restoration Network (GRN)

BLM UT Watershed Restoration Science Planning and Implementation-Closes Sept. 7, 2012
The Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would like to work cooperatively with a partner to develop and implement watershed restoration across BLM lands. This would include but not be limited to watershed assessment, aquatic habitat inventories and assessments, hydrologic and geomorphic analysis, riparian area delineation, riparian vegetation mapping, aquatic species sampling, development and implementation of science based restoration plans, and development and implementation of monitoring plans.

Minnesota: Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program Fall Funding Cycle- Closes Sept 26, 2012
Applications for grants to help fund projects that restore, enhance or protect Minnesota's prairies, forests and wetlands through the Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) program will be accepted beginning Wednesday, Aug. 15. Local, state and national non-profit organizations and governmental entities that want to complete conservation work that benefits habitat for fish, game and wildlife on public or permanently protected lands are eligible for funds. Three levels of project funding from the $4.6 million program are available this year. The application system will open Wednesday, Aug. 15, and close Wednesday, Sept. 26. Expedited Conservation Projects grants will be accepted continuously until May 15, 2013.

UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew -- Small Grants- Sept 30, 2012
Through the Bentham-Moxon Trust, Kew Gardens (UK) makes 30 to 40 small grants per year to botanists and horticulturalists for plant collection and field research; international visits or work at Kew; travel and conferences; and other project support. Preference is for grants that involve a developing country. The closing date for applications is 30 September 2012.

Virginia: The Chesapeake Bay Restoration & Education- Oct 1, 2012
A legislative committee that oversees Chesapeake Bay restoration funds says nearly $372,000 is available for education and conservation efforts to benefit the bay. The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Advisory Committee says it's accepting applications for grant funding for project proposals from nonprofit conservation groups, government agencies and schools and universities. The application deadline is Oct. 1, and the state will award the grants next May and June.

California: Central Valley Project Improvement Act Habitat Restoration Program Grants- Oct 5, 2012
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation today announced the availability of over $2.2 million in grants to improve conditions for federally- imperiled species and their habitats impacted by the Central Valley Project (CVP). The 2012 grants continue 18 years of funding projects. This year, four categories of projects will be funded: land acquisition (fee title and conservation easement); habitat restoration; research; and captive breeding.

US: Conservation Reserve Program Initiative to Restore Grasslands, Wetlands and Wildlife
USDA's CRP has a 25-year legacy of successfully protecting the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States. Rather than wait for a general sign-up (the process under which most CRP acres are enrolled), producers whose land meet eligibility criteria can enroll directly in this "continuous" category at any time.

New Hampshire: Grant Funding for Wetlands Restoration & Drinking Water Protection- Aug 30
The Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund grants are available for eligible wetland restoration, land protection or habitat improvement projects; and drinking water supply protection grants are available for lands in the southern I-93 corridor and Lake Massabesic Watershed. Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund payments are collected according to nine service areas.

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 Partnership Funding for the 2012 cycle of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation's Community-based Restoration Partnership (CRP) is now available. The CRP has 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

 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.