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SER2013
October 6-11, 2013
Madison, Wisconsin |
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Restoration Ecology
SER members recieve a signficantly discounted rate to SER's peer-reviewed journal - Get your Print & Online access today. |
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RESTORE is a free bi-weekly e-bulletin provided to current members of SER. RESTORE links you to the latest breaking news stories keeping you up-to-date on a wide variety of topics related to ecological restoration. To contact the editors, please email info@ser.org. |
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SER in the News
Hurry! The SER2013 Call for Proposals Closes DECEMBER 15, 2012
The Call for Proposals for Symposia, Workshops, and Training Courses for SER's 5th World Conference on Ecological Restoration closes December 15, 2012. We encourage you to review the call and submit a proposal before the deadline by clicking here.
Don't forget: SER Members receive a 25% off ALL Island Press book purchases. Contact leah@ser.org for details! |
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People in the News
China: The Mountain Queen
Zhang Jiao became known as the "mountain queen" because of her determination to protect the flora and fauna in her kingdom - an afforested range of alpines in Beijing's Yanqing county. The millionaire has given up her fortune and dedicated 17 years of her life to restore a barren alpine range. Although she has already restores thousands of hectares of barren mountains to lushness, the deed to the mountain has come at a high price.
US: Chicago Wilderness Launched the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program
Chicago Wilderness recently announced the new Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program (EERP), an accreditation program designed to recognize high-quality restoration sites and develop professional standards of excellence in natural resource management and ecological restoration. The primary purpose of the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program is to establish best management practices, which will improve the ecological restoration management efforts in the Chicago Wilderness region and across the nation through a voluntary comprehensive assessment process.
The Heart of the Jungle
Jane Goodall is well known for revolutionizing the conservation movement. At 78, Goodall's work has a new - more urgent - focus through the Roots & Shoots program. Goodall was recently in Shanghai coinciding with the conclusion of a local Roots & Shoots project- the planting of 1 million trees on the edge of the desert in northern China to help stop desertification. Over the past six years, thousands of volunteers have travelled to the barren landscape to plant the trees, with the result that the project was completed two years ahead of schedule. Roots & Shoots collaborators have already started work on the next million.
Minnesota: Schultz's Prairie: Professor's Restored Grassland Offsets School's Carbon Emissions
Six years ago, Peter Schultz and his wife, Darcie, purchased a 160-acre piece of land that soon became a full-fledged restoration project. They rolled the land into the Wetlands Reserve Program, and their parcel, named Longspur Prairie, now connects three different sections to help create a 2000-acre site of native prairie land. The restored prairie currently offsets the carbon produced by flights to Greece for 30 students and 4 faculty members by 200 percent annually. |
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New Books & Articles
Oregon: Bringing the River Back: Working with Landowners on Willamette River Restoration
The Willamette River has gone through extensive changes since Euro-American settlement - changes that have reduced channel connectivity, destroyed important habitat for species and vastly undermined floodwater storage capacity. This report is part technical guide, part story based on interviews conducted by the authors with different interests. The authors have separated out the landowners' viewpoints and experience to make clear the importance of understanding that critical central element in restoration planning.
Carnegie Debuts Revolutionary Biosphere Mapping Capability At AGU
Researchers from the Carnegie Institution are rolling out results from the new Airborne Taxonomic Mapping System, or AToMS, for the first time at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meetings in San Francisco. The groundbreaking technology and its scientific observations are uncovering a previously invisible ecological world. AToMS, which launched in June 2011, uniquely combines laser and spectral imaging instrumentation onboard a twin-engine aircraft to derive simultaneous measurements of an ecosystem's chemistry, structure, biomass, and biodiversity. |
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Agro-Ecology
Wisconsin: The Giving Tree: Agroforests Can Heal Food Systems and Fight Climate Change
For Mark Shepard, the owner of New Forest Farm, a farming consultant, and author of the recently published "Restoration Agriculture", long-lived chestnuts are a central feature in the ideal farm landscape. His 106-acre farm in southwestern Wisconsin is filled with hazelnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, currants, berries, apples, and much more. Shepard calls his approach "restoration agriculture" and his hope is to mimic nature as much as possible to produce high-quality crops while restoring the health and fertility of the land. |
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Biodiverity & Climate Change
UK: Biodiversity Offsetting Will Unleash a New Spirit of Destruction on the Land
George Monbiot comments on how biodiversity offsetting involves trading places: allowing people to destroy wildlife and habitats if, in return, they pay someone to create new habitats elsewhere. In April, the UK government launched six pilot projects to test the idea, which would run for two years. A year and a half before the pilot projects have been completed, the new spirit of destruction is roaming the land. A place of outstanding wildlife value is now being considered for demolition, and biodiversity offsetting is being mooted as the means by which it can be justified. |
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Forest Restoration
Can Lebanon Ever Be Green Again?
The cedar at the center of Lebanon's national flag may indicate a country filled with luscious forests, and while that once was the case, the symbolic tree belies the toll that decades of mismanagement, conflict and urban development have taken on the landscape. In 1980, forests covered 30 percent of the entire country, but by 2011 this figure had fallen to just 13 percent. In 2010, the Agriculture Ministry set the rather daunting target of achieving 20 percent forest coverage by 2020, which would represent the addition of some 2 million trees each year. There are various organizations working alongside the ministry to develop Lebanon's forests, but is this 20 percent target achievable?
Lawmakers Threaten To Quash Indonesia Reforestation Plan
Indonesian lawmakers on Friday staged a mini revolt in the House of Representatives over the $1 billion USD incentive Norway has pledged if the Southeast Asian country meets certain milestones towards curbing deforestation. Members of the opposition United Development Party (PPP) said the amount Norway has offered does not equal the harm to the economy and that they would move to freeze the budget for reforestation projects, according to a report in the Jakarta Post.
Landscape Restoration Movement Reaches 50 Million Ha With El Salvador & Costa Rica Commitments
The global movement to restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020 - the "Bonn Challenge" - gained further momentum at the UN Climate Talks in Doha, as Costa Rica and El Salvador each commit up to 1 million hectares. The 50 million hectare mark - or one third of the target - is now within reach, amid broad acknowledgement that the largest restoration initiative in history is truly underway.
India: 'MyBabyTree' Program Makes Digital Reforestation a Real World Reality
Nature lovers around the world can now "adopt" a tree to be planted along the catchment area of the Ciliwung River, through a high-tech reforestation program, called MyBaby Tree, launched in Bogor. Anwar Purwoto, WWF Indonesia's program director for freshwater, forest and terrestrial species, said MyBabyTree allowed donors across the world to monitor the growth of their "baby trees" from the their computers. "For every virtual tree they plant, we plant a real one," he said.
Amazonian Head Scratcher: How Deforestation Leads to Reforestation
According to The New York Times 19 Brazilian cities have doubled in population between 200 and 2010, while Brazil as a whole grew 12 percent. For years, the Brazilian government has allowed colonization of the Amazon for security reasons. But can deforestation in some areas reduce forest loss in others? It's not an easy question to answer, but Mitchell Aide, a University of Puerto Rico biology professor, led a group of scientists in a study that examined the topic. Aide said that most people wrote off the Puerto Rican reforestation as being an exception and that viewpoint was one of the motivations behind the research he and his colleagues undertook.
Norway Payments To Brazil For Reducing Deforestation Reach $670 Million
Norway will deposit another $180 million into Brazil's Amazon Fund after the Latin American giant reported a third straight annual drop in deforestation, reports Bloomberg. The payment comes despite a high-profile dispute over who verifies reductions in emissions from deforestation - Norway believes emissions reductions should be measured by an independent third party, but Brazil disagrees. |
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Wetland Restoration
Wetlands plan boosts hopes for troubled Ohio lake
Manmade wetlands could help ease manmade problems in what was once the world's largest manmade lake. The sprawling Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio was hit by a toxic algae bloom two years ago that damaged the region's tourism business while highlighting problems caused by phosphorous runoff from farms. A planned system of wetlands around the lake should help soak up phosphorous. The first in place is a nine-acre complex that pumps water through two treatment ponds to filter it before it feeds the lake. |
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River & Watershed Restoration
Brazilian Communities Revitalize the São Francisco River Through Its Tributaries
José Geraldo Matos fondly recalls the massive traíras (Hoplias sp), carnivorous freshwater fish found in the lagoons and rivers of Brazil, that he used to catch in the Dos Cochos River just a few meters from his house. Saving the Dos Cochos and other small rivers is key to revitalizing the São Francisco River, the largest waterway in northeastern Brazil. The population living along the banks of the Dos Cochos - 300 families or around 1,500 people - began to react to the deterioration of their river in 2001. Beginning in 2004, they constructed 850 "barraginhas", small circular dams near highways and other roads where the water from river flooding or heavy rains flows. This prevents sediment, which is abundant because of the sandy soil in the area, from being washed into the river and continuing to block it.
Hungry Salmon a Problem for Restoration Efforts according to a New Study
Well-functioning food webs are fundamental for sustaining rivers as ecosystems and maintaining associated aquatic and terrestrial communities. The current emphasis on restoring habitat structure-without explicitly considering food webs-has been less successful than hoped in terms of enhancing the status of targeted species and often overlooks important constraints on ecologically effective restoration. Taking hatchery fish and wild fish together, there are twice as many young salmon in the system today as there were before major hatchery and dam construction, say scientists in an article that went online today (Nov. 28) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences early edition. |
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Desertification & Arid Land Restoration
China's Unsustainable Water Demand and its Desertification Crisis
Recent comments by Chinese officials detailing progress in the ongoing battle against desertification (encroaching deserts) has highlighted the role excessive and unsustainable water demand plays in exacerbating the ecological crisis. In comments made at a media conference in China earlier this month, officials estimated it would take over 300 years to return some 530,000 square kilometres of desert areas in the country to grassed, arable land. However it is the link between water resources - the lack of rainfall and over extraction of groundwater - that has been a key factor in the spread of desertification. Excessive groundwater extraction coupled with a lack of rainfall had exacerbated the situation, contributing to the growth of desert areas in the northwest part of Sichuan province and areas in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. |
Lake Restoration
Minnesota: Citizens' Group Sues DNR over Shrinking White Bear Lake
The White Bear Lake Restoration Association has sued the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over low water levels in White Bear Lake, arguing that the lake's shrinkage is due to the agency's approval of increasing water use by surrounding cities. The group alleges that the DNR has violated state environmental standards in allowing surrounding cities to more than double their withdrawals from an aquifer beneath the lake since 2000. It asks the court to establish protected water levels for both the lake and the Prairie du Chien aquifer, which feeds the lake. |
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Coastal & Marine Restoration
Vietnam: Red Cross Reaps the Benefits of Long Term Partnership in Mangrove Restoration
For nearly 16 years, the Japanese Red Cross Society has been funding a mangrove reforestation project run by the Vietnam Red Cross in Vietnam. The project, which aims to reduce the vulnerability of communities to disasters, has been carried out in six coastal provinces and successfully resulted in more than 1,600 hectares of mangroves. Mangrove forests help balance the ecosystem. Mangrove forests, a rich source of crabs and shrimp, also provide poor families with additional means of livelihoods through aquaculture and honey production.
US: Sand Dunes Alone will not Save the Day
In the eye of a storm, not all beaches are created equal. But as some experts point out, storm-buffering sand dunes alone will not save the day. An array of efforts are needed to effectively reduce storm damage to coastal communities. "If I was king, we would restore dunes, but we wouldn't rebuild destroyed homes close to the beach, and we'd move some buildings back anyhow," said Orrin H. Pilkey, the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University. Of course, some dunes are better than no dunes, even if other mitigation efforts are lacking. The Netherlands, for example, employs a mix of approaches from dike systems to a recent $170 million 32 foot high dune in the Hague.
Long Island: Clams and Grass to the Rescue
Shinnecock Bay, a wide stretch of water on the south shore of eastern Long Island, is lovely to look at but sicker than you'd think. Once-lush beds of eelgrass, shelter for the little fish that feed bigger ones, have largely disappeared from the western part of the bay. What Shinnecock Bay has going for it are scientists working to restore its waters and tidal flats to health. The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program, run by Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and its Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, means to fix the problem, not just study it. The program has already covered the bottom with two million seed clams, 500,000 seed oysters and 150,000 adult clams. |
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Wildlife Restoration
India: Giving New Life to Vultures to Restore a Human Ritual of Death
Fifteen years after vultures disappeared from Mumbai's skies, the Parsi community here intends to build two aviaries at one of its most sacred sites so that the giant scavengers can once again devour human corpses. Construction is scheduled to begin as soon as April, said Dinshaw Rus Mehta, chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. If all goes as planned, he said, vultures may again consume the Parsi dead by January 2014. The plan is the result of 6 long years of negotiation between the government and Parsi leaders, and along the way, both sides hope the effort will contribute to the revival of two species of vulture that are nearing extinction. |
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Urban Restoration
US: Urban Forests Case Studies
This publication represents extensive research, interviews and examinations into 12 cities that have begun - or are continuing - to make an investment in their urban forests in order to reap future gains. Unsurprisingly, every city on this list is unique, with its own complex history, agendas, governments, needs and challenges. Despite their differences, though, there are some common threads throughout their tales and lessons to be learned. 1) Urban forests are a cost-effective way to address some of the expensive problems cities face. 2) No man is an island. 3) No one can effectively implement change alone. 4) Funding tree planting can be easy; funding maintenance shows real commitment to a city's future.
Washington: Seattle's Forest Ecosystem Values: Analysis of Structure, Function, & Economic Benefits
This publication by the Green Cities Research Alliance is the result of 3 years of work and research into the environmental benefits provided by Seattle's urban forest. By measuring trees in over 200 randomly selected plots, researchers were able to quantify how Seattle's trees contribute to reducing pollution, storing carbon, and saving energy. This research also provides important management information on factors such as species and size distribution and susceptibility to pests. Data was analyzed using the state-of-the-art- tree program. |
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Get Involved
SER-Ontario: SERO 2013 Scholarship Opportunity- Due December 14, 2012
SERO is offering students involved in ecological restoration who are enrolled in local Ontario colleges, or undergraduate programs, a $2,000 scholarship opportunity. To apply send in a paper application and letters of reference by December 14, 2012. Applications are available here.
Nevada: Invasive Plants - Managing Controversy, Creativity & Conservation Workshop- Dec 17
The call for oral and poster presentations for this one day workshop 'Invasive Plants: Managing Controversy, Creativity, and Conservation' are due to organizers by December 17, 2012. The workshop will be held on July 21, 2013 at the Resilient Landscapes conference in Nevada.
5th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) - Call for Abstracts- Due Jan 7, 2013
Northern California Botanists 2013 Symposium- January 14-15
California: 2nd Annual Rangeland Science Symposium- January 24-25, 2013
UNCCD Latin America & Caribbean Regional Media Workshop on Land Degradation- Jan 30 2013
Special Issue of Forests: "Forest Restoration and Regeneration"-Deadline February 2013
Organization for Tropical Studies: The NAPIRE 2013 Research Experience- March 2013
Organization for Tropical Studies needs volunteer research mentors (ABD or PhD only) to guide Native American and Pacific Islander undergraduate students in tropical ecological research. Room, board, station use, research permits, transportation and some money for equipment and supplies are available through the NSF LSAMP grant. The NAPIRE 2013 Research Experience will take place at the OTS Biological Research Station and Wilson Botanical Gardens, Costa Rica. NAPIRE Research Mentors are most needed from the 24 of June to the 5 of august 2013, 23 June to 4 August 2014, and 24 June to 6 August 2015.
Colorado: River Crossings: Linking River Communities - March 11-15, 2013
SER-MA: Pieces of the Puzzle- From Backyard Habitat to Landscape Scale- Mar 28-30, 2013
SER Mid-Atlantic is planning their 2013 Conference to be held March 28-30, 2013 in College Park, Maryland. SER-MA is currently seeking papers and posters. Abstracts are due January 23, 2013.
New Mexico: National Native Seed Conference- April 9-12, 2013
SER-MWGL Chapter Meeting: 'Ecological Restoration & Sustainability' April 12-14, 2013
The SER-MWGL chapter will hold them annual meeting in Wooster, Ohio, April 12-14, 2013. The theme of this meeting is "Ecological Restoration and Sustainability - Partners for the Future". The call for proposals, workshops, and abstracts will be released in December.
International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) 2013- June 23-27, 2013
Rwanda: Ramsar Forum - Wetlands and Livelihoods- July 8-12, 2013
Nevada: Resilient Landscapes: Planning for Floor, Drought & Fire- July 21-24, 2013
2013 International Congress for Conservation Biology- July 21-25, 2013
SER2013: 5th World Conference on Ecological Restoration- October 6-11, 2013
SER will hold its 5th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, on October 6-11, 2013. This event marks the 25th Anniversary of SER and will celebrate the conference theme of "Reflections on the Past, Directions for the Future."
SER-Texas Annual Conference- November 1-3, 2013
2012 Conference Listing on the Global Restoration Network (GRN) |
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Funding Opportunities
US: Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act- Due December 17, 2012
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requests interested entities to submit restoration, research and Regional Project proposals for the restoration of the Great Lakes Basin fish and wildlife resources, as authorized under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (16 USC 941c). The purpose of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (GLFWRA) is to provide assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Pre-proposals and Regional Project proposals are due on Monday, December 17, 2012 by 9:00 PM EST.
US: Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative (for OR, WAS & ID)- Due December 17, 2012
The Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative is a public-private competitive grant program that focuses on salmon habitat restoration efforts in areas of high ecological importance in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Started in 2007, the Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI) is a partnership between Ecotrust, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, USDA Forest Service, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Restoration Center, the Bureau of Land Management and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Each of the state and federal agency partners contributes restoration dollars to the Initiative. Ecotrust then makes this pooled fund available as grants to local groups for on-the-ground restoration work. Proposals for 2013 funding are now being accepted. Applications are due by December 17, 2012 at 5:00 pm PST.
Washington State Urban Forestry Restoration Project- Due December 31, 2012
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing assistance to local governments starting in Clark, King, and Pierce counties that want to improve the health of their urban forests. Other cities or counties may apply for the same type of projects. The Urban Forestry Restoration Project is an exciting opportunity to increase the health of urban forests in the Puget Sound Basin and southwest Washington areas. The project will help to enhance effectiveness of urban forests in managing stormwater and improving water quality. DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program will provide crews from Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and Puget SoundCorps to assist city and county governments with urban forestry activities that help restore urban forests. Projects may be submitted for assistance through December 31, 2012. All projects must completed by June 30, 2013.
US DOD Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP)- Due January 8, 2013
The Department of Defense's (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is seeking to fund environmental research and development proposals. SERDP is DoD's environmental science and technology program, planned and executed in partnership with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, with participation by numerous other Federal and non-Federal organizations. The Program invests across the broad spectrum of basic and applied research, as well as advanced development. Proposals responding to focused Statements of Need (SON) are requested in the following areas: environmental restoration and Resource Conservation and Climate Change among others.
NOAA: Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Funding Opportunities- Due February 19, 2013
NOAA's Restoration Center recognizes that healthy habitat is critical to recover and sustain fish populations. To that end, NOAA is currently soliciting applications for restoration projects that use a habitat-based approach to foster species recovery and increase fish production. The funding opportunity will focus on projects that will aid in recovering listed species and rebuilding sustainable fish populations or their prey. Awards will likely range from $500,000 to $5 million over three years. NOAA will accept one, two, or three year proposals.
NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Regional Partnership Grant- Due January 15, 2013
The principal objective of these NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Regional Partnerships is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to organizations that have the capacity and expertise to identify, evaluate, fund, and administer coastal habitat restoration projects in U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). These projects must meet NOAA's mission to restore coastal habitats and must also support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan.
US: DEP Grants to Restore & Protect Coastal Zones in Pennsylvania- 2013 Applications Open
The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded more than $900,000 in annual coastal zone management grants to organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving Pennsylvania's coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary. The agency is now accepting applications for 2013. Coastal zone management grants support programs that measure the impact of various pollution sources; improve public access; preserve habitats; and educate the public about the benefits of the state's coastal zones.
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.
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. |
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