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SER2013
October 6-11, 2013
Madison, Wisconsin |
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Restoration Ecology
SER members recieve a drastically discounted rate to RE |
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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 to Launch its New Member Directory on Thursday, February 28, 2013!
The SER Member Directory is here! The new Member Directory gives members access to a number of exciting functions requested by the SER community. As a new member-only benefit, the Member Directory will help you stay up-to-date with your SER membership, connect with other SER members in your region and around the world, as well as help you to share your restoration experiences with the SER member community. Members will be able to perform targeted searches, manage and edit their own profiles, and privately connect with other SER members. The Directory gives members access to a unique space where they can connect with others who are passionate about the field of ecological restoration. Keep an eye out for instructions on accessing the Directory tomorrow.
SER2013 Online Early Registration Now Open!
Early registration is now open for SER2013. Registration fees for the SER2013 World Conference include full access to all scientific sessions, conference materials, lunch and coffee breaks on all four days of the scientific program, a Welcome Reception on Sunday evening, poster reception, and evening screening of the film Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time. SER members receive a generously discounted registration to the conference.
SER Awards: Nominations CloseMarch 31, 2013
The Awards Committee of the Society for Ecological Restoration is now soliciting nominations from SER members for our society awards. 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 as well as others outside of the SER community. Descriptions of the award criteria and a link to the on-line nomination form may be found here.
SER2013: Call for Abstracts for Oral and Poster Presentations Closes May 1, 2013
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.
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 purchase. Active SER members can enter promo code 2SER to receive the discount. |
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People in the News
US: Help The Wildlands Network Protect America's Disappearing Wildlife Habitats Corridors
President of the Board of the Wildlands Network and SER member, Keith Bowers, is asking SER members to join in the singing of a petition to the U.S. Congress, BLM, and the U.S. Forest Service to protect America's fast-disappearing wildlife habitat corridors. The Wildlands Network, a partner of SER, needs 1,000 signatures to get the attention of these agencies and demonstrate to them that wildlife and restoring their habitat is important to the health, welfare and security of our country. Please jump on now and sign the petition, and then pass this along to your friends and ask them to do the same. It's easy and simple.
Restoring Lebanon to the Forest Business
An old American story tells of Johnny Appleseed, who carried a large bag of seeds with him, planting them wherever he ranged. Levantine native Maurice Zard is offering much the same in Lebanon by giving away fast-growing Paulownia saplings to farms, municipalities, schools or anyone else who wants them. Forests covered 30 percent of Lebanon in 1980 but by 2011 had fallen to 13 percent, the Ministry of Agriculture reports.
Redwood Forests: Can Reforestation Efforts Save the World from Global Warming?
The redwood forests have long represented Continental America, dominating the northwest coastal region with some of the world's tallest trees resiliently living up to 2,000 years. However, America's famous forests are not as grand as they once were. According to data from the U.S. National Park Service, "96 percent of the original old-growth coast redwoods have been forested." David Milarch, co-founder of the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is determined to save the redwoods, and in the process, reduce the effects of greenhouse gases, ultimately with the hope of halting global warming.
Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project Aims To Plant One Million New Trees By 2017
This March, residents of New York City's five boroughs will have the opportunity to receive free trees for their yards and neighborhoods courtesy of the New York Restoration Project, which aims to plant a million trees in the city by 2017, and Toyota, which sponsored 4,500 trees for this year's effort.
US: New Director for IUCN Office in Washington D.C.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Washington D.C. recently lost longtime Director, Mary Beth West. Beginning April 1, 2013, the DC office will welcome new Directory Dr. Frank Hawkins. Hawkins is a conservation biologist and policy advisor with many years of experience working with governments, civil society and local communities in Africa and around the world. Prior to joining IUCN, Frank was Senior Vice-President at Conservation International (CI). |
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New Books & Articles
Australia: The Koalas Won't Come Back
In a study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, Romane Cristescu and colleagues note that rehabilitation of degraded and disturbed landscapes, notably those used temporarily for mining, has become critical for counteracting habitat and biodiversity loss. But the success of rehabilitation projects has been judged on achieving goals that focus either on non-living criteria - such as landform, stability, erosion and water quality - or on restoring complex plant communities. The authors decided to test scientifically for the first time whether the criteria for a successful restoration of flora translated into success for fauna. Studying the rehabilitation of an Australian mining site, researchers asked a simple question: If we built great flora, would the koalas come back?
Green versus Gray: Nature's Solutions to Infrastructure Demands
Substitution of nature's services with technological alternatives has been pursued with almost religious zeal as societies have industrialized over the past three centuries. But the time for reverse substitution may be upon us. In a wide variety of settings, from water purification to climate change adaptation, investors are increasingly considering the worthiness of green infrastructure solutions, such as mangrove restoration, rather than conventional gray investments, such as sea walls, to achieve the same environmental quality outcomes. But in times of fiscal austerity, cost-effectiveness is paramount.
NEW! Ecological Restoration 2nd 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! |
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Agro-Ecology
Philippines: Reforestation Program Is Paying Off
A reforestation program that was initially intended to help preserve forestry resources that are being utilized by tobacco farmers for curing tobacco leaves has not only sustained the fuelwood requirements of the tobacco industry, it has also helped tobacco farmers, through cooperatives, earn additional income while doing their share in caring for the environment. The program, called Reforestation through Cooperative Organizing and Capacity Building for Tobacco Farmers in the Ilocos Region and Region 2 spearheaded in 2001 by then Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI), in partnership with its leaf suppliers, Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI), and Cordillera Green Network (CGN) has now planted a total of 3,650,000 trees.
Australia: Pasture Cropping: A Regenerative Solution from Down Under
Since the late 1990s, Australian farmer Colin Seis has been successfully planting a cereal crop into perennial pasture on his sheep farm during the dormant period using no-till drilling, a method that uses a drill to sow seeds instead of the traditional plow. He calls it pasture cropping and he gains two crops this way from one parcel of land-a cereal crop for food or forage and wool or lamb meat from his pastures-which means its potential for feeding the world in a sustainable manner is significant. As Seis tells the story, the idea for pasture cropping came to him and a friend from the bottom of a beer bottle. Ten of them, in fact. |
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Forest Restoration
More than 4,000 residents of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental affected by Typhoon Pablo in December will be hired to assist in the government's reforestation effort in the disaster-hit areas, the government said on Tuesday. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has earmarked P229.8 million to employ 4,206 residents of the two provinces hardest hit by the typhoon which killed more than 1,000 people, left scores more missing, and destroyed billions of pesos in crops and infrastructure. |
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Wetland Restoration
Washington: Case Study Report: Socioeconomic Benefits of the Fisher Slough Marsh Restoration
The Fisher Slough marsh restoration project in Washington State improved fish passage to 15 miles of stream and restored 60 acres of freshwater marsh habitat. The habitat improvements had the immediate benefit of supporting 23 jobs and increasing flood protection for local farmers and their neighbors. In fact, a recent study found that the $7.7 million invested in the project may provide $8-$21 million in benefits to the community over the next several decades. The improvements made at Fisher Slough are estimated to support an additional 16,000 young Chinook salmon. |
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River & Watershed Restoration
Argentina: River Restoration Remains Out of Reach
The process of cleaning the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin, which in its final flow borders the Argentinian capital, shows remarkable progress. But the biggest challenge remains the cleaning of the watercourse, which has been damaged by centuries of neglect. Since Matanza-Riachuelo Basin Authority's (ACUMAR ) intervention, the margins of the riverare clear, have woodlands, and no garbage or irregular human settlements. The junk in the bed was removed, and systematic checks of industries and construction works are conducted to treat wastewater.
UK: It's Time to Take Care of Essex's Rivers
The rivers of Essex are canalized, diverted, turned into 'navigations' and generally mucked around with: so it is a small wonder they misbehave. To travel the lanes in this part of Essex is to splash through an infinity of runlets and rivulets, all nosing their way to one or other of these four rivers; every tiny watercourse knows where it's going and can go nowhere else, because river catchments cannot overlap, but it is probably a safe bet that most of the householders in the area neither know nor care which catchment they are living in. All four have been mercilessly mucked about with, diverted, straightened, canalized and turned into "navigations" according to the whim of the moment.
Utah: Ogden to Expand Restoration Work on Local Rivers
Last spring, the city wrapped up the restoration of more than a mile of the Ogden River as it travels through the heart of downtown, but the work on local rivers isn't finished yet. When the city finished work on the $6 million Ogden River restoration project, thousands of tons of concrete, glass, rusted shopping carts, auto parts, tires and even full cars had been removed from the river between Washington Boulevard and the Union Pacific railroad. Work was also performed to build interior flood plains, stabilize the river's banks, improve water flow and offer 25 new pedestrian access points. |
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Grassland Restoration
Ontario: The Greater The Biodiversity, The Better The Grassland Restoration
University of Guelph researchers are recommending growers consider adding several species of vegetation if considering restoring marginal fields to grasslands. Dr. Andrew MacDougall, a professor and grasslands specialist at the university said a 10-year study conducted on Vancouver Island shows that encouraging several species of vegetation on marginal fields and woodlots will provide a beneficial crop cover, whereas having just one or two species of plants may not survive in the case of a major disturbance such as fire, flood or drought. Researchers wanted to determine what, if any, were the effects of the loss of biodiversity. |
Lake Restoration
Middle East: Peace and Dead Sea at a New Low
This is the second of a two-part report on environmental and political issues over the proposal to feed the Dead Sea with water from the Red Sea. Two of the three main objectives of the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal project grapple with how to "save the Dead Sea" and "build a symbol of peace in the region." With Israeli-Palestinians relations and the Dead Sea at an all-time low, questions arise whether the 'Red-Dead Canal' could save not only the hyper-saline desert lake but peace itself. So, is a new dawn rising on the desert? Not as fast as the Dead Sea succumbs to lower and lower man-made tides, vanishing in the glistening mirage of its own restoration. |
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Coastal & Marine Restoration
Netherlands: To Control Floods, The Dutch Turn to Nature for Inspiration
The Netherlands' system of dikes and sea gates has long been the best in the world. But as the country confronts the challenges of climate change, it is increasingly relying on techniques that mimic natural systems and harness nature's power to hold back the sea.
Florida: Restoration Planned for Shoreline Protecting NASA's Kennedy Space Center Infrastructure
Late last October, one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the United States bashed the beaches of Brevard County in Florida, including the shoreline of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Scientists are assessing damage along a 1.2 mile stretch of shoreline near Launch Pads 39A and B and developing restoration plans.
New Maps Depict Potential Worldwide Coral Bleaching by 2056
In a study published February 24 in Nature Climate Change researchers used the latest emissions scenarios and climate models to show how varying levels of carbon emissions are likely to result in more frequent and severe coral bleaching events. In the article in Nature Climate Change scientists from NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies show maps that illustrate how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs, including those in Polynesia, in the form of annual coral bleaching events under various different emission scenarios. Their results emphasize that without significant reductions in emissions most coral reefs on the planet are at risk for bleaching within the next several decades.
Louisiana: Gulf Coastal Restoration Ideas Sought
A new state program will gather ideas to improve the results, lower the cost and cut the time required to build projects under Louisiana's master plan for coastal restoration. The Coastal Innovation Partnership Program's first round of applications will be accepted from March 1 through March 22, with a one-page application starting March 1. According to Natalie Peyronnin, senior scientist with the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the program will be a more formal way to review ideas that get presented to the state and is a recognition that the state doesn't have all the answers when it comes to coastal restoration and protection, she said. |
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Extractive Industries
Nigeria: Beyond Environmental Restoration in Ogoniland
Chineme Okafor writes that beyond environmental restoration, Ogoni people are clamoring for socio-economic restoration. The United Nations Environmental Program's (UNEP's) report on oil pollution in Ogoniland in 2011 noted that Ogoniland has a tragic history of pollution from oil spills and oil well fires. Specifically, the UNEP report noted that Ogoni would need the world's largest ever oil cleanup, which could take up to 30 years to be completed. Covering around 1,000 km in Rivers State, Ogoni has been the site of oil industry operations since the late 1950s. |
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Urban Restoration
New Jersey: Tree Reforestation Program Under Way after Turnpike Widening
When land around the New Jersey Turnpike was cleared for the ongoing $2.5 billion widening project, hundreds of acres of trees disappeared, too. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority will replant about 150 acres in its own right-of-way and an additional 125 acres on wetlands mitigation sites, and will spend about $19 million for the reforestation of 300 acres in several towns, including Chesterfield and Mansfield. |
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Get Involved
SER Northwest 20th Anniversary Celebration- March 1, 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.
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
New Mexico: 2nd National Native Seed Conference- April 9-12, 2013
2013 International Congress for Conservation Biology- July 21-25, 2013
5Th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER)- July 9- Aug 2, 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.
SER 2013 Conference & Events Listing on the Global Restoration Network (GRN)
For more listings, visit SER's Calendar of Events. Posting to the Calendar is a member benefit. |
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Funding Opportunities
Delaware: Restore And Protect Land Through Conservation Easements- Due March 15, 2013
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.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority is now accepting applications for grants under the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund Programs covering abandoned mine drainage abatement and treatment, watershed restoration and protection, water quality data, greenways, trails and recreation and orphan and abandoned well plugging programs. Applications are due July 31 and will be considered at the CFA's November 13 meeting. For more information, contact Brian Eckert or Matthew Karnell at 717-787-6245 to discuss potential projects before commencing the application process.
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: Wildlife Restoration Program- Region 5 Grants- Applications Due August 31, 2014
WR provides Federal grant funding to the 50 States, Commonwealths, and territories for the selection, restoration, rehabilitation, and improvement of wildlife habitat; wildlife management research; wildlife population surveys and inventories; land acquisition; hunter education and safety programs; coordination; development of facilities; facilities and services for conducting a hunter education and safety programs; and provisions for public use of wildlife resources.
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
The 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 are ensuring the ollective success of 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. By 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 non-profit advancing the restoration of riparian lands throughout the American west, posts current funding and training opportunities applicable to riparian restoration on the Riparian Restoration Connection. |
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