SER Urges Obama to Hold a National Summit on Climate Change
 On February 8^th SER's Executive Director, Steven Bosak, joined with the leaders of the Society for Conservation Biology, American Fisheries Society, The Wildlife Society, American Meteorological Society, and the Ecological Society of America in order to ask President Obama to hold a national summit on climate change. In a letter to the White House, our organizations - representing thousands of scientists and professional members - urged the President to consider a summit to identify policies and actions that federal agencies, state and local governments can implement to address the causes and effects of climate change. To read our full letter to President Obama, click here.

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.

SER Awards: Nominations Close March 31, 2013
 The Awards Committee of the Society for Ecological Restoration is now soliciting nominations from SER members for our society awards.  vseek 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.

NEW! Ecological Restoration 2^nd Edition: Principals, Values, & Structure of an Emerging Profession
 The 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!

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 join 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!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.

Don't forget: SER Members receive a 25% off ALL Island Press book purchases. Active SER members can enter promo code 2SER to receive the discount.

Q&A With Kemba Shakur on Urban Reforestation
 In 1990, when Kemba Shakur moved to Oakland, there was not a single tree on her block. So she began to plant them herself. Now her organization, Urban Releaf, has planted over 15,000 trees throughout East Bay communities, working to improve the quality of life in ecologically disadvantaged neighborhoods and at the same time enhance community involvement and employment, especially amongst at-risk youth. Sierra Magazine sat down with Shakur, locally known as "Tree Lady," at her quaint neighborhood office in Oakland.

Agroforestry Crucial to Ensure Food Security of Millions, Says UN Agency
 On February 5^th, The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called on countries to boost and promote agroforestry efforts, a practice that combines forest management with crop and/or livestock production. The UN stresses that agroforestry can help millions of people escape poverty and prevent environmental degradation, making it crucial to ensure food security in the future. In a new guide aimed at decision-makers, non-governmental organizations and governmental institutions, FAO shows how agroforestry can be integrated into national strategies and how policies can be adjusted to specific conditions.

TEEB: For Water and Wetlands
 Wetlands are a fundamental part of local and global water cycles and are at the heart of this nexus, providing numerous ecosystem services to humankind. Nonetheless, wetlands continue to be degraded or lost and, in many cases, policies and decisions do not sufficiently take into account these interconnections and interdependencies. This report presents insights on critical water-related ecosystem services in order to encourage additional policy momentum, business commitment, and investment in the conservation, restoration, and wise use of wetlands. It presents recommendations on how the value of water and wetlands can be translated into solid decision making processes.

Oregon: Large, Ancient Landslides Delivered Preferred Upstream Habitats for Coho Salmon
A study of the Umpqua River basin in the Oregon Coast Range helps explain the natural processes behind various widths of valleys and provides potentially useful details for river restoration efforts designed to improve habitats for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). While geologists and hydrologists long ago documented how river-channel width and depth varies, little had been done to understand how valleys beyond the channels form, and why they may be narrow or wide. The study -- appearing online ahead of print in the journal Geology -- combined on-the-ground observations and a remote-sensing technology known as airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR).

Oregon Land Use Bills Aim to Limit Wetland Restoration
 Three Oregon legislators have introduced bills on behalf of the Oregon Farm Bureau that will require the retention of land use permits for wetland restoration on farmland. As noted in this article, the Farm Bureau believes that this legislation is necessary to prevent restoration activities from taking land out of agricultural production. House Bill 2173 and Senate Bill 338 would make "creation, restoration or enhancement of wetlands" a conditional use in the Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zone.

Louisiana: Construction Set to Begin Wetland Restoration Pipeline
Work will likely begin this year on a long-distance pipeline designed to carry sediment from the Mississippi River to restore wetlands east of Lafourche Parish. The project consists of a corridor and pipeline that will bring sediment from the nutrient-rich Mississippi River over the levee, under roads and bayous before spewing it out along its corridor to the Barataria Waterway. Strategically spreading enough sediment will create marsh in open water and bolster the surrounding wetlands threatened by lapping waves.

Kentucky Wetland Restoration Attracts Endangered Cranes
 A wetland restoration project completed by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kentucky has attracted the fancy of a pair of endangered whooping cranes. In early November, a pair of whooping cranes was discovered on a property in western Kentucky that was recently restored with NRCS' help. The restoration to bottomland hardwood wetlands included tree planting and the creation of shallow water areas for migratory wildlife on nearly 900 acres of former cropland that was put into a conservation easement.

Why Canada's Wetlands Matter to the World
 Perhaps the most pristine of the world's largest wetlands are the wilderness wetlands of the Mackenzie River Basin and the Hudson Bay-James Bay lowlands. Ontario recently renewed a partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) on wetland conservation, restoration, protection and management as part of DUC's 75th anniversary. Despite these efforts, numerous threats remain. Oil and gas extraction, logging, mining and hydroelectric development all pose enormous threats to the wetlands.

Africa: Saving a Shrinking Lake
 Approaching the Lake Chad basin from Gulfe, a small locality 45 kilometers from Cameroon's Far North Regional capital Maroua, the atmosphere of despair is palpable: dusty air, fierce and unrelenting winds, wilting plants and sand dunes suggest that this once lush area is undergoing a terrible change. Bordered by Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria, Lake Chad once spanned 25,000 square kilometers but in the last half century it has shrunk by 90 percent, its total surface area now covering a mere 2,500 square kilometers. In an effort to implement more sustainable solutions, member countries of the LCBC - Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and the Central African Republic (CAR) - have developed an ambitious plan to replenish the lake with water from the Obangui, a tributary of the Congo River.

India: Hope Springs for Vellayani Lake
Even as a severe drought is brutally taking its toll on the Vellayani Lake, a glimmer of hope has begun shining from one corner for the beleaguered freshwater body in the form of a 26 million rupee restoration project, for which an agreement has been signed and is expected to be put in motion shortly. The project, originally proposed by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) through the Department of Environment and now to be implemented under the aegis of the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat, aims for the ecological restoration of the Vellayani Lake phased over a period of 5 years.

New York Governor Wants to Return Sandy-damaged Neighborhoods to Nature
 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is proposing to spend as much as $400 million to purchase homes wrecked by Hurricane Sandy, have them demolished and then preserve the flood-prone land permanently, as undeveloped coastline. The purchase program, which still requires approval from federal officials, would be among the most ambitious ever undertaken, not only in scale but also in how Mr. Cuomo would be using the money to begin reshaping coastal land use. The land would never be built on again. Some properties could be turned into dunes, wetlands or other natural buffers that would help protect coastal communities from ferocious storms; other parcels could be combined and turned into public parkland.

Louisiana: New Orleans Heralds Recovery from Hurricane Katrina Disaster
 Away from the Super Bowl scrimmage, a city is marveling at new flood defenses built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It has taken almost three years to complete, with a $1.2bn investment, but now the world's longest-length single tidal barrier is ready for action. Even environmental groups were impressed by the efficiency and speed of the build process, with pressure group America's Wetland Foundation coming out in support of the Corps, although it said the government is still dragging its feet over the long-term restoration of the vast wetlands area south of the city, which is another crucial battlefield in protecting southern Louisiana.

US: NASA Demonstrates New Tools to Help Rebuild Our Coast
 NASA is easily recognizable for its legendary breakthroughs in exploring and developing technology in space. But much of their work also focuses on areas here on Earth, like Louisiana's coast. One such effort is NASA's Gulf of Mexico Initiative (GOMI). GOMI utilizes NASA Earth science assets to addresses regional priorities defined by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA). At a recent workshop in New Orleans, NASA unveiled the results of 48 projects related to GOMI, which integrate satellite imagery, modeling and other techniques to monitor the Gulf of Mexico. It is hoped these results can aid decision-makers in planning resource management and restoration strategy in the Gulf region.

UK: War on The Seabed- The Shellfishing Battle
In the fertile inshore waters of the west coast, conflict is brewing between small-boat fishermen and the industrial trawlers, with tales of sabotage, bullying and livelihoods at stake. Dragging the sea-bottom for scallops and langoustine - also known as Dublin Bay prawns, or scampi - is Britain's most valuable inshore fishery, and the least sustainable. It has been called total war fishing. A few miles to the east, Guy Grieve operates a small diesel-engine boat from which he and a partner dive to forage through the marginal places, looking for scallops in the nooks and crannies the dredging boats missed. Grieves is a creeler. There is no bycatch, no waste, and scallops considered "small", though still legal, are thrown back. A war of harsh words and sabotage is raging between creelers and trawlers while the arguments about how to restore the wealth of the Clyde continue. Michael Kaiser, a professor of marine conservation ecology at Bangor University, believes that sustainable management of the seabed and scientifically targeted fishing can help the Clyde regenerate from the "wild west."