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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 Award Nominations - CLOSING MARCH 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.
SER and Island Press Student Video Contest- "Why Restore?"
In conjunction with SER2013, SER and Island Press are inviting students and early career professionals (members and non-members) to create a short, 1-4 minute video describing an ecological restoration project which shows how restoration impacts the community at large. Winners will receive a $500.00 travel scholarship to the conference and the potential to work with an Island Press publishing team to author a short E-ssential on restoration. Submissions are due September 1, 2013. The top five videos will be chosen by public vote and the winner will be selected by a panel of expert judges. Later, the winner will be announced at SER2013!Click here to learn full details on how to submit your prize winning video. Spread the word and get filming!
New Member Discount: Sign up Today for SER & an SER Chapter - Get $10 Off!
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. Simply enter discount code ChapPromo2013 at the end of your application form, and receive $10 off.To find out more about the chapter in your region, click here. Join SER through SER's membership page. **To receive the discount you must be a new member, join an SER chapter, and SER international. **
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".
SER2013 Online Registration Now Open
Early registration is now open for SER2013. SER members receive a generously discounted registration to the conference.
SER Member Directory
The SER Member Directory gives members access to a number of exciting functions requested by the SER community. The Directory will help you stay up-to-date with your SER membership while connecting with other members in your region and around the world. Perform targeted searches, manage and edit your profile, and privately connect with other SER members. Click here to login and get started.
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
Q&A: Master Reforestation Plan to Save Haiti
Droughts and floods, devastating hurricanes and soil erosion with a drastic impact on food security make Haiti extremely vulnerable to climate change and in need of enormous adaptation efforts. In a recent interview, Haitian Environment Minister Jean François Thomas discussed a new master plan for reforestation and land management launched in January. The plan is meant to tackle Haiti's environmental vulnerabilities.
Washington: Restoration Ecology Network recognized by SER-NW
The Society for Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter has awarded its 2013 Special Award to the University of Washington (UW) Restoration Ecology Network. Through the network UW students conduct capstone projects in cooperation with community partners to restore degraded sites. The program was founded in 1999 by Warren Gold, associate professor at UW Bothell, and Kern Ewing, professor of environmental and forest sciences. Mr. Ewing received the award March 1 from SER-NW. |
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New Books & Articles
Ronald Bailey on Peak Farmland and the Coming Great Ecological Restoration
"Humanity now stands at Peak Farmland, and the 21st century will see release of vast areas of land, hundreds of millions of hectares, more than twice the area of France for nature," declared Jesse Ausubel, the director of the Program for the Human Environment at Rockefeller University, during a December lecture. Ausubel was outlining the findings in a new study he and his collaborators had done in the Population and Development Review. Unlike other alleged resource "peaks," peak farmland reflects not the exhaustion of resources but the fruits of human intelligence and growing affluence. The trend toward reducing farming's impact on nature took off with the Green Revolution of the 1960s. Since then population growth and the trajectory of rising agricultural productivity has continued. What about the future? In their study, the authors conservatively conclude that in 2060 "some 146 million hectares could be restored to Nature, an area equal to one and half times the size of Egypt, two and half times France, or ten times Iowa."
US: National Survey Studies the Willingness to Pay for Wetland Restoration in Louisiana
In a nationwide survey researchers studied the willingness of individuals to pay for large-scale wetland restoration projects in coastal Louisiana. The survey indicated that confidence in government agencies, political leanings, and "green" lifestyle choices were significant factors. All three ecosystem services significantly affected project support, with increased fisheries productivity having the largest marginal effect, followed by improved storm surge protection and increased wildlife habitat.
Redefining Sustainable Development in the Anthropocene
As a United Nations working group negotiates a set of "sustainable development goals," 10 scientists and development analysts have proposed a fundamentally different way to frame this concept. Over the last several decades, sustainable human development has been conceived largely as the outcome of balanced work on three "pillars" - economic and social development and environmental protection. The authors, building on arguments that have been brewing for a while, say that these concepts are instead nested one inside the next, not within separate free-standing realms. The commentary was published in Nature March 21. |
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Forest Restoration
Haiti - A Socially Responsible Reforestation ProjectDuring their recent visit to Haiti, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus , founder of Yunus Social Business, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Unite, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, announced the launch of a new social initiative called Haiti Forest. The partnership aims to solve social and environmental programs in Haiti by bringing responsible forests to the country. The new initiative's four main objectives are: (1) to re-forest Haiti; (2) provide sustainable livelihoods to farmers; (3) over the long term help mitigate Haiti's dependency on food imports; and (4) help identify alternative fuel sources to reduce usage of charcoal. To ensure that the benefits of re-forestation are lasting and durable, Haiti Forest will empower micro-entrepreneurs and local communities to preserve and maintain their country's forests sustainably.
Online Workshop on Reforestation in VietnamThe Vietnam Development Communication Centre (VDIC) of the World Bank in Vietnam in co-ordination with the Republic of Korea Development Institute (KDI) and members of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) held an online workshop themed 'Reforestation' in Hanoi on March 13. The workshop aimed to share the RoK and Japan's experience in forestation to promote sustainable development on a large scale, and the sharing of reforestation information among the countries, including Vietnam.
The government will plant a quarter of a million ash trees in an attempt to find strains that are resistant to the fungus responsible for ash dieback. The £1.5m project is part of the long term management plan, unveiled by the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson. Funding will also be made available to woodland owners to help them remove infected ash saplings. |
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Wetland Restoration
Illinois: Science at Emiquon - Restoring a "Wetland of Dreams"
Just six years ago, what is now the Emiquon Preserve - a 6,600-acre wetland - was cornfields and cattle feedlot. The Emiquon Preserve sits along the Illinois River and it one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the Midwest United States. Yet behind the idea 'build it, and they will come', is an extensive science program. Like so many river floodplains, this one was leveed and ditched, and cleared for farmland. In 2000, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased the property and began studying how it could be restored. In spring 2007, TNC turned off the pumps that had drained Emiquon since the 1920s.
UK: Salt Marsh Restoration Could Bring Carbon Benefits
Allowing farmland that has been reclaimed from the sea to flood and turn back into salt marsh could make it absorb lots of carbon from the atmosphere, a new study suggests, though the transformation will take many years to complete. In 2010 researchers looked at how carbon moves between soil and air at the site, and at the total amount of carbon accumulated in the soil. They compared the results to nearby natural saltmarsh and farmland. Their results show that the Tollesbury site exchanges carbon with the atmosphere at a similar rate to the natural marsh, absorbing around 0.92 tons of carbon per hectare per year. But even after 15 years its total carbon content is far smaller and its general biological functioning is still very different - the authors think it could take a century or more to catch up.
California: Restoration Plan Pushed for Lake Tahoe's Largest Wetland
The California Tahoe Conservancy is pushing a new plan to restore the largest remaining wetland in the Lake Tahoe basin, nearly 600 acres of marsh where the Upper Truckee River empties its cold Sierra waters into the south end of the mountain lake. The wetlands are located west of the Nevada-California line and just west of the Tahoe Keys. Beginning in the late 1950s, portions of the river were straightened and channelized to facilitate construction of the Keys and recreational access to the lake. In the process, developers destroyed one of the last lines of defense against thousands of tons of sediment that now enter the lake annually. Public comment on the plan is being accepted through April 8. |
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River & Watershed Restoration
India: Chennai Works towards Core Restoration of City's Waterways
Various agencies met with municipal administration and water supply officials this week to finalize the contours of the Chennai Waterways Rehabilitation Program. The Chennai State government is considering the option of spending Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of 10 years to clean Chennai's waterways, including the Adyar River and Buckingham Canal. The Cooum will be the central focus of the rehabilitation program. The rehabilitation program will cover planning, preventative and intervention measures to protect the health of the city's waterways and their surroundings.
Midwest US: Restoration and Recommendations for Flood-Damaged Bottomlands
Although the 2012 drought in the Midwest may have dimmed the memories for some of the 2011 Ohio and Mississippi River flood, engineers, landowners, conservationists, crop scientists and soil scientists haven't forgotten. They are working hard to repair levees and restore the flood damaged Birds Point-New Madrid floodway in preparation for the next big flood. Restoration has required substantive financial resources and collaborative efforts among public and private agencies.
Canada: (VIDEO) Stream Ecology and Restoration on Vancouver Island
The Central Westcoast Forest Society, and SER member, recently released a new film highlighting stream ecology and the restoration work performed by The Society on the west coast of Vancouver Island. |
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Coastal & Marine Restoration
Gulf Coast: NOAA Releases Draft Restoration Plan for Public Comment
The draft plan, released March 18, describes the steps NOAA has taken to see if natural resources, such as marine habitats, were injured by the oil spill. The draft plan also describes environmental restoration proposed by NOAA to compensate the public for environmental injuries resulting from the oil spill. To help address this, NOAA has proposed estuarine shoreline protection and a salt marsh creation project at the Texas Chenier Plain National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Galveston Bay. Once the plan is finalized, NOAA will apply to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund -- which is funded through costs and penalties recovered from polluters as well as taxes on the petroleum industry. |
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Extractive Industries
Civil Society Seeks to Influence Mexican Mining Law Reform
Two separate bills to reform Mexico's mining laws, one from the government and the other from academics and NGOs, agree on the urgent need for major changes in the rules governing the industry. The two proposals part company when it comes to the mechanisms and goals of the changes to the 1992 mining law. The government's priority is to secure a greater share of the profits of the lucrative mining industry, while civil society's aim is to protect the environment and local communities in mining areas. The bill, which was drawn up over the space of a year by social groups and independent experts, proposes a ban on opencast mining, a scheme for royalty payments on minerals and metals. |
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Urban Restoration
Urban Greening May Reduce Crime Rates in Cities
Urban planning is not only important to the strategic design behind a city's infrastructure, but now one study finds that the landscaping itself which emphasizes urban greening and the introduction of well-maintained vegetation, can lower the rates of certain types of crime such as aggravated assault, robbery and burglary, in cities. According to a Temple University study, "Does vegetation encourage or suppress urban crime? Evidence from Philadelphia, PA," researchers found that the presence of grass, trees and shrubs is associated with lower crime rates in Philadelphia. |
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Get Involved
SER-Mid-Atlantic: Pieces of the Puzzle - March 28-30
SER Mid-Atlantic is planning their 2013 Conference to be held March 28-30, 2013 in College Park, Maryland at Maryland University.
New Mexico: 2nd National Native Seed Conference- April 9-12
Building Our Regenerative Future: A 6-Week Certificate Program - Application Due April 15
2013 International Congress for Conservation Biology- July 21-25
5Th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) - July 9- August 2
Call for Papers - Restoration Agroforestry- Due August 16
the International Journal of Forestry Research is seeking paper submissions on the topic of restoration agroforestry.
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
SER Texas will hold its annual chapter meeting November 1-3, 2013 in Junction, Texas.
SER 2013 Conference 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
2013 Conservation Easement Applications for Wetlands and Grasslands- Due April 5
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California has set April 5, 2013, as the deadline for considering projects for the 2013 Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) funding. WRP is a voluntary program that provides farmers, ranchers and other private landowners compensation for land placed in wetland conservation easements, and cost-share funding for restoring degraded wetlands. WRP includes permanent easements that pay 100 percent of the easement value and restoration costs, and 30-year easements that pay up to 75 percent of the easement value and restoration costs. WRP also offers a 10-year restoration-only option without an easement.
Ontario: Funding for Community Clean-Up Projects- Due April 26, 2013
The Ontario government is accepting grant applications from community groups trying to carry out projects organized to clean up or protect local beaches, shorelines or wetlands. The fund provides grants to community groups for grassroots activities, such as cleaning up a beach or shoreline, or restoring a wetland to help protect and restore the ecological health of the Great Lakes. Applications for funding are being accepted until April 26. The Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund, launched in 2012, provides up to $25,000 per project to restore and protect the Great Lakes and the streams that flow into them. In 2012, 80 applicants worked on projects to improve coastal areas of the Great Lakes. Interested groups can get more details during one of the Webinars and teleconference sessions scheduled March 14 and 26 and April 10 and 18. To reserve a spot at the information sessions, interested groups should phone 416-325-4000 or email GreatLakesFund@ontario.ca.
WWF's Russell E. Train Forest Landscape Restoration Grants- Due 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 collective 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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