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SER2013
October 6-11, 2013
Madison, Wisconsin |
Renew your SER membership today so you don't miss a single issue of RESTORE! |
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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
SER is now accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations at SER2013. We welcome abstracts from restoration practitioners, researchers, and advocates addressing any aspect of ecological restoration, especially those that directly relate to the conference theme, Reflections on the Past, Directions for the Future. The final deadline for abstract submissions is May 1, 2013. Program space is limited, however, and the Scientific Program Committee will review submissions on a rolling basis. We therefore encourage you to submit your abstract as soon as possible.
SER Award: Nominations Now Open!
The Awards Committee of the Society for Ecological Restoration is now soliciting nominations from SER members for our society awards which will be presented at the biannual international meeting of SER to be held in Madison, Wisconsin, USA from October 6-11, 2013. We seek nominations for four awards: The Theodore M. Sperry Award, the Full Circle Award, the Communications Award, and the John Rieger Award. Recipients may include Society members and others. Descriptions of the award criteria and a link to the on-line nomination form may be found here.
2013 Discount Opportunity: New Members Get $10 Off When They Join An SER Chapter & SER
SER is offering a new member discount until March 31, 2013 to any NEW members who joins both SER and one of our 14 regional chapters. New members simply need to enter discount code ChapPromo2013 at the end of their member form, and they'll receive $10 off their total!With 14 regional chapters serving members locally around the world, and SER's upcoming 5th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2013), now is the time to get your friends, family, and restoration colleagues involved in the Society. To find out more about the chapter in your region, click here. New members can join SER through SER's membership page. To receive the discount you must be a new member, join an SER chapter, and SER international.
NEW! Ecological Restoration 2nd Edition: Principals, Values, & Structure of an Emerging Profession
This latest SER-Island Press title by Andre F. Clewell and James Aronson offers a comprehensive and coherent account of the field for everyone who initiates, finances, designs, administers, issues government permits for, manages, and implements ecological restoration projects, and all those who serve in supportive roles. Originally published in 2007, this revised and reorganized edition brings the book up to date with new developments and current trends in the field. Enter promo code 2SER at checkout for your 25% SER member discount!
Don't forget: SER Members receive a 25% off ALL Island Press book purchase. Active SER members can enter promo code 2SER to receive the discount. |
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People in the News
Timberland Helps Haiti Plant 2 Million Trees, and Counting
Three years after committing to plant 5 million trees in five years, Timberland shares progress of improved environmental, economic and social conditions in the rural region near Gonaives, Haiti. In partnership with a local non-governmental organization, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, Timberland supports an agroforestry program to train Haitian farmers to improve crop yields - and has planted 2.2 million trees along the way.
Garden Guys Green Revolution Talk Radio
Join the Garden Guys and Randy Mandel, Restoration Ecologist and Senior Scientist for Golder Associates in Colorado and owner of an organic heirloom fruit orchard, as we discuss restoration ecology, ecovars, and everything you need to know about healthy ecological systems on the Garden Guys Green Revolution Radio Show.
Ecology Crash Course: Restoration Ecology and Conservation
Hank Green teaches Youtube waters about ecology in short 'crash courses'. Hank wraps up the Crash Course on ecology series by taking a look at the growing fields of conservation biology and restoration ecology, which use all the kung fu moves we've learned about in the past eleven weeks and apply them to protecting ecosystems and to cleaning up the messes that we've already made.
Virginia: Former Lockheed Martin CEO's Forced to Reforest his Land
Former Lockheed Martin CEO Robert J. Stevens, who lives on an estate in the Merry-Go-Round Farm community overlooking the Potomac River and the C&O Canal in Potomac, cleared trees from 35,000 square feet of land this past summer. In response, Montgomery County officials fined him $1,000 "and pledged to come up with a plan that would force him to reforest the area." But the National Park Service-which, along with the county, prohibits cutting down trees along the C&O Canal, a National Historic Park-says that's not enough to replace the tall, old oak and beech trees that were once there, and that Stevens will end up with a better view than he did before.
Massachusetts: Ecologist Allan Savory Discusses Restoring Grasslands
Restoration ecologist Allan Savory, president and co-founder of the grassland restoration organization Savory Institute, evoked the importance of reversing global warming at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy recently. Savory explained that his "Holistic Management" approach to reversing global warming involves re-introducing animals to desertification-affected areas to restore soil quality. |
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New Books & Articles
When a country emerges from violent conflict, the management of the environment and natural resources has important implications for short-term peace building and long-term stability, particularly if natural resources were a factor in the conflict, play a major role in the national economy, or broadly support livelihoods. Only recently, however, have the assessment, harnessing, and restoration of the natural resource base become essential components of post conflict peace building. The book, by thirty-five authors, offers lessons from the remediation of environmental hot spots, restoration of damaged ecosystems, and reconstruction of the environmental services and infrastructure necessary for a sustainable peace. |
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Forest Restoration
The Brazilian government is to launch a four-year tree census of the Amazon to improve understanding of the impacts of deforestation, climate change and conservation efforts. The study will also help to assess the potential value of the biodiversity under the canopy and the growth of human settlements in the Amazon region, which is home to a number of fast-expanding cities, as well as un-contacted indigenous tribes.
Bolivia has passed a land use law that aims to boost food security and slow deforestation in a region that is wracked by illegal forest clearing. Approved earlier this month, Ley 337 seeks to regulate land use in the Bolivian Amazon where deforestation for industrial agricultural production is surging. The law requires landowners who illegally deforested land prior to 2011 to either reforest or establish "productive agriculture" on the land and pay reduced fines for past transgressions. |
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Wetland Restoration
US: Trading Wetlands No Longer A Deal with the Devil
If Faust had been in the business of trading wetlands rather than selling his soul, the devil might be portrayed by the current guidelines for wetland restoration. Research from the University of Illinois recommends a new framework that could make Faustian bargains over wetland restoration sites result in more environmentally positive outcomes. U of I ecologist Jeffrey Matthews explained that under the current policies if a wetland is scheduled for development and a negative impact is unavoidable, the next option is to offset, or compensate, for the destruction through restoration of a wetland or creation of a new wetland somewhere else. Although the policies previously specified that it be a nearby wetland, regulatory agencies have begun favoring mitigation banking that does not ensure that a wetland with equivalent characteristics to the one being destroyed will be preserved.
Louisiana: Restoration Task Force Approves $57.8 Million for Wetland Restoration Projects
A federal-state coastal restoration task force on Thursday (Jan. 24) approved construction of a $26 million project to restore wetlands at the mouth of Bayou Bonfouca on the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline in St. Tammany Parish, and a $32 million project to rebuild more than 500 acres of wetlands near Lost Lake in Terrebonne Parish. The Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Task Force also approved $12.4 million for initial design work on four new restoration projects that, if built, would cost $108 million. |
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River & Watershed Restoration
California: Los Angeles Reimagines Its Waterway
The Army Corps of Engineers, which originally poured tons of concrete into the Los Angeles River about 80 years ago, is teaming up with city engineers on a $10 million study of the potential for restoring the river's ecosystem, creating wetlands for animals and hang-outs for people. The study examines an 11-mile stretch of the river on the city's east side, where some resilient plants have survived in a narrow, muddy strip of so-called soft bottom at the center of the channel. Efforts to manipulate the river's concrete form without losing its flood-control function will be a "delicate balancing act," said Josephine Axt, the Corps' local planning chief who is leading the study, known as Alternative with Restoration Benefits and Opportunities for Revitalization, or Arbor. |
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Coastal & Marine Restoration
US: Coastal Restoration Feasibility Study Nears Finish Line
A feasibility study that is designed to protect and restore Southwest Louisiana's coastline could be finished next year, nearly three years past its originally anticipated deadline, a state coastal official said in mid-January. Once the study is completed, Johnson said that could mean some coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects may qualify for some federal funding.
US: VIMS Contributes to International Seagrass Restoration Project
Denmark has made noteworthy strides in reducing nutrient pollution, a problem that has decimated seagrass beds in its own coastal waters, in Chesapeake Bay and other large estuaries, and in other near-shore ecosystems worldwide. Now, a $4.49 million grant to an international team that includes researchers Robert "JJ" Orth, Ken Moore, and Scott Marion of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, will support efforts to develop innovative techniques and tools for restoring eelgrass to areas where nutrient reductions have brought back the clear, sunlit waters this underwater plant needs to thrive. |
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Wildlife Restoration
Wood Bison to Be Reintroduced to the Wild in Alaska
We all know the story of plains bison. They once thundered across the prairies by the millions until they were nearly wiped out. But we don't all know the story of their larger forest-dwelling cousins, the wood bison. Scientists estimate that there may have been around 168,000 in Canada in the late 1800s, with numbers dropping over the course of the century to just a few hundred. And in Alaska, wild wood bison had practically disappeared. But now, Alaska wildlife officials want to boost the number of the 130 wood bison found in the state at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center by reintroducing a herd in the wild. |
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Extractive Industries
Rhode Island: Grassland Coming to Cold Spring Harbor Exxonmobil Site
For 78 years, the plot on Cold Spring Harbor's eastern shore was a fuel distribution terminal supplied by a steady stream of barges. Storage tanks and a building cluttered the property. Now the site is empty. The North Shore Land Alliance now has plans to accelerate that recovery, now that ExxonMobil has given the group the 8-acre plot. The alliance plans to create a maritime grassland and a freshwater tidal marsh. The restoration will help protect the shoreline during storms, officials said, and is another step the organization is taking to protect the harbor's health. |
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Urban Restoration
US: City Trees Grow Faster, But Seedlings Struggle to Take Root
Urban areas are growing in size-and with them, the number of trees influenced by city life. While development often leads to deforestation, there are still a significant number of trees growing in the shadow of cities. City trees have to deal with very different growing conditions than trees in more rural areas or old forests. How do trees, adapted to non-urban lifestyles, fare under these circumstances? According to the results of a study published in Urban Ecosystems, western red-cedars (Thuja plicata), coniferous trees common in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, grow more quickly but produce fewer seedlings, potentially putting these urban forest ecosystems on an unpredictable long-term trajectory.
US: To Tackle Runoff, Cities Turn to Green Initiatives
Urban stormwater runoff is a serious problem, overloading sewage treatment plants and polluting waterways. Now, various U.S. cities are creating innovative green infrastructure - such as rain gardens and roadside plantings - that mimics the way nature collects and cleanses water. |
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Get Involved
SER-MWGL Chapter Meeting: 'Ecological Restoration & Sustainability' Call for Proposals- Feb 8, 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.
Madison, Wisconsin: Great Lakes, Healthy Watersheds- February 12-14, 2013
Oregon: Assisted Migration: A Primer for Reforestation & Restoration Decision Makers- Feb 21, 2013
ELA's 19th Annual Conference: Sustainable Habitats: Building Ecological Connections- Feb 27-28, 2013
SER Northwest 20th Anniversary Celebration- March 1, 2013
Organization for Tropical Studies: The NAPIRE 2013 Research Experience- March 2013
SER Southeast Chapter Meeting- Human Dimensions of Ecological Restoration- March 12-14, 2013
SER Southeast will hold their annual general meeting at the Gulf Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on March 12-14, 2013.
Colorado: River Crossings: Linking River Communities - March 11-15, 2013
SER-Mid-Atlantic: Pieces of the Puzzle- - March 28-30, 2013
SER Mid-Atlantic is planning their 2013 Conference to be held March 28-30, 2013 in College Park, Maryland at Maryland University.
Thiess International Riverprize- Stage 1 - Applications Due March 29, 2013
IRF is now accepting Riverprize applications for 2013. For the first time ever, there are three Riverprize awards up for grabs - the Thiess International Riverprize (open to all applicants), the Australian Riverprize (open to Australian applicants only), and the IRF European Riverprize (click here for a list of eligible European countries).
New Mexico: 2nd National Native Seed Conference- April 9-12, 2013
International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) 2013- June 23-27, 2013
Vermont: 14th Annual International Agroecology Shortcourse- July 7-20, 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
5Th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER)- July 9- Aug 2, 2013
Vienna: 5th European River Restoration Conference- Call for Papers-Sept. 11-13, 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
SER Texas will hold its annual chapter meeting November 1-3, 2013 in Junction, Texas. |
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Funding Opportunities
Pacific Salmon Foundation's Community Salmon Program- Due February 15, 2013
The purpose of the program is to provide resources to enable the public to participate in Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Salmon Enhancement Program and in volunteer-based watershed stewardship activities. The application intake closes February 15, 2013.
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.
California: Ongoing Habitat Monitoring, Restoration, Weed Control and more - Due February 19, 2013
The purpose of this Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) is to continue the ongoing habitat monitoring, habitat restoration, weed control, and native plant rearing efforts for the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly and Coastal California Gnatcatcher for Defense Fuel Support Point, San Pedro, California
Delaware farmers interested in protecting and restoring their wetlands or grasslands are encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the federal Wetlands Reserve Program and Grassland Reserve Program. Applicants should submit their applications no later than Friday, March 15, to their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service office to be considered for funding in fiscal year 2013. The Wetlands Reserve Program provides an opportunity for landowners to receive financial assistance to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property.
WWF's Russell E. Train Forest Landscape Restoration Grants- Due March 1 & May 1, 2013
WWF has an ambitious goal to restore 20 landscapes of outstanding importance within priority ecoregions by 2020. In order to help accomplish this goal, WWF's Russell E. Train Education for Nature (EFN) program, with generous funding from the UPS Foundation, has launched a special grant opportunity focused on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). Local organizations from select WWF-US priority ecoregions must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant. WWF-US Priority ecoregions include: Mesoamerican Reef, Amazon, Congo Basin, Coastal East Africa, Madagascar, Eastern Himalayas, Greater Mekong, Borneo and Sumatra, Coral Triangle (www.worldwildlife.org/places). All project activities must be completed before September 1, 2013.
US: Sustain Our Great Lakes Offers Funding for On-the-Ground Habitat Restoration & Enhancement
Sustain Our Great Lakes is a public-private partnership that works to sustain, restore, and protect fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Great Lakes basin by leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and directing partners and resources toward key ecological issues. Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the program is accepting applications for competitive funding to be awarded through the 2013 funding cycle. In 2013, grant funding will be awarded in three categories - habitat restoration, delisting of beneficial use impairments within Great Lakes areas of concern, and private landowner technical assistance. Approximately $5 million to $9 million is expected to be available in grants ranging from $25,000 to $1.5 million.
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
Tamarisk Coalition, a nonprofit advancing the restoration of riparian lands throughout the American west, posts current funding and training opportunities applicable to riparian restoration on Riparian Restoration Connection. |
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