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SER2013
October 6-11, 2013
Madison, Wisconsin |
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Restoration Ecology
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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
Oral & Poster Abstracts Due May 15, 2013!
SER is accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations at SER2013 until May 15, 2013. Please submit your abstracts as soon as possible.
SER Relaunches its Student Association Program
SER's Student Association Program connects budding restoration professionals with SER's global community. Students are provided with the possibility to gain hands-on experience organizing activities in their own communities and pursue professional development opportunities as a collective. Organized and run entirely by students themselves, student associations can be formed by students at any accredited academic institution. Previously $250 USD, student associations can now join SER for $160 USD per year. Visit SER's student association webpage to learn more and read about our active student associations. If you would like to form a student association, please contact leah@ser.org.
SER and Island Press Student Video Contest with $500 Scholarship- "Why Restore?"
Final submissions for the Island Press Student Video Contest on ecological restoration projects are due September 1, 2013. The top five, 1-4 minute videos will be chosen by public vote and the winner will be selected by a panel of expert judges. The winner will be announced at SER2013, will receive a $500 travel scholarship to the conference, and the potential to work with an Island Press publishing team to author a short E-ssential on restoration. Click here to learn full details on how to submit your prize winning video.
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. |
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People in the News
The Online blog, The Dirt, recently interviewed Kevin Shanley, FASLA, CEO of SWA Group and longtime resident of Houston, Texas. In his interview he discussed how to restore and protect the US coastline in the wake of climate change and increasingly damaging storms.
A $98,000 Federal Government Biodiversity Fund grant obtained by a local landowner will help to restore and re-vegetate three kilometers of Wilsons Creek identified by the Byron Shire Council as containing high conservation value. Environmentalist James Mayson said he was "ecstatic" when he was informed that his five-year project involving ten private properties in Coorabell and Federal would be able to move forward
Work to restore an eroded reed bed and spit of land at Salhouse Broad using dredging's from the nearby river has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious national award. The innovative project has demonstrated how dredging can be a win-win situation for boaters and wildlife alike and the Salhouse Broad project has been nominated for the 2013 Water Renaissance Awards. |
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New Books & Articles
This in Restoration Ecology research article "A New Approach for Tracking Vegetation Change after Restoration: A Case Study with Peatlands", Authors Poulin, Andersen, and Rochefort present an innovative approach based on principal response curves (PRC) and species classification according to their preferential habitats to monitor changes in community composition. Following large-scale restoration of a cut-over peatland, vegetation was surveyed biannually over 8 years. The authors concluded that PRC was an efficient tool for identifying species driving changes at the community level after restoration.
"More Habitat Means More Fish" - released today by Restore America's Estuaries (RAE) and the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and co-authored with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - is an illustrated report outlining the crucial role that habitat plays in keeping U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries strong. Drawing on peer-reviewed articles and original data, the report shows why habitat conservation is a good investment, producing significant gains in the size and health of fish populations.
The conservation and ecological restoration of Acacia species in the Mid-West of Western Australia has had a breakthrough with new DNA barcoding research. The study, published in the Molecular Ecology Resources journal, demonstrates the practical potential for using DNA barcoding in conservation and restoration projects. Co-author Paul Nevill, research scientist at the WA Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and Adjunct Lecturer at UWA's School of Plant Biology, along with a team of researchers, investigated the DNA sequence variation of Acacia species at the Mt. Karara mine site.
As the last block of concrete was pulled from the riverbed, the Elwha River in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State flowed freely for the first time in over 100 years. Four hundred thousand salmon once swam its length each year, but in the century since the dam's construction, that number fell to only a few thousand. Within months of the dam's removal, nature rushed back, with over 200 salmon having already returned. The prospect of a river teeming with silverbacked salmon weighing over 45 kilograms each may no longer remain a hazy memory of local Native American tribes. |
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Agro-Ecology
Wildlife Forced Out of California 'Salad Bowl' by Food Safety Regulations
In California's 'salad bowl' - a landscape portioned into emerald fields of spinach, lettuce, kale, and other leafy vegetables, grown to satiate the nation's appetite for greens - hush-hush food safety standards are deforesting land and forcing wildlife out. But in the wake of the E coli disaster, some corporate produce buyers have taken matters into their own hands, requiring producers to abide by apparently superfluous safety regulations which restrict wildlife movement by clearing natural vegetation and throwing up fences. Sasha Gennet, a Central Coast ecologist with the Nature Conservancy, an author on the study explained that farmers who have invested time and money into conservation and restoration of their lands are now forced abandon or reverse their efforts.
China Uses Market-Like Mechanisms to Promote Reforestation of Sloping Lands
Rapid expansion of agriculture has led to the destruction of forested hills critical for regulating water flows. China's expansion has been bigger and faster than most, and so are its problems. But the notoriously top-down government has responded with a centrally funded yet incredibly decentralized, flexible, and locally-administered solution. The government is now administering $800 million in regional water management programs in various Chinese cities in order to encourage farmers to reforest denuded hills and implement sustainable land-use practices. |
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Biodiverity & Climate Change
Africa: Economic Development 'Can Restore Lost Biodiversity'Economic development can lead to increased biodiversity restoration in Sub-Saharan Africaon a similar scale to its loss due to development, according to a study.Previous studies for both developed and developing countries have shown that increased economic development initially leads to loss in biodiversity and later to decreased loss - but not at a level that restores the earlier biodiversity loss. The relationship between economic development and biodiversity remains largely untested in Sub-Saharan Africa as it has been overlooked in the literature, say the researchers from the Center for International Development Research and Studies (CERDI) in France. |
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Forest Restoration
Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) has made substantial progress on its Trees and Trains reforestation program, planting 2.4 million trees on 4,000 acres in four states in the ecologically important Mississippi Delta. The Trees and Trains project is a five-year reforestation and carbon sequestration project to plant six million trees on 10,000 acres in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) with GreenTrees.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods (HLH) in an effort to reforest native koa trees on the slopes of Mauna Kea. HLH is donating 1,000 acres of land 34 miles north of Hill with the goal of achieving a sustainable tropical forest. The site was once the personal property of King Kamehameha I. The old-growth koa will be used as the seed source to return the forest to its former glory. |
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River & Watershed Restoration
California Community Battles Climate Change to Restore Water-Starved Habitat
For the residents of Whitethorn, a California community nestled among the coastal redwoods 200 miles north of San Francisco, the impacts of climate change have been a reality for over a decade. In 1987, the community joined forces and formed a nonprofit called Sanctuary Forest Inc. (SFI), which saved over 10,000 acres of old-growth forest from logging. Tasha McKee, Executive Director of SFI, developed two strategies to restore the community's water resources while helping to sustain the local wildlife habitat. The first strategy was to install thousands of gallons of water storage tanks which accumulate water during rainy seasons. The second strategy was to implement a groundwater recharge and habitat enhancement program.
India: State Government Focuses on Restoration and Conservation of 15 Small Rivers
Realizing the immediate need to restore small rivers, the state government has decided to prepare a roadmap for their conservation and restoration, along with the four major rivers of Tapi, Narmada, Aji and Sabarmati. The Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC) has taken up a project to study 15 small rivers facing problems such as pollution and erosion. These issues mirror the projects faced by major rivers, but are not covered under current conservation plans. |
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Coastal & Marine Restoration
Maryland: Researchers Think Industrious Oysters Could Clean Up Chesapeake
According to a recent study, a reef seeded with oysters by the state of Maryland - about 130 oysters per square meter - removed 20 times more nitrogen pollution from stuff such as home lawn and farm fertilizer in one year than a nearby site that had not been seeded.
Florida: Everglades Restoration Plan Quietly Passes Florida Senate
An Everglades bill that was expected to cause controversy but ended up drawing little more than broad agreement unanimously passed the Senate and headed to Florida's Governor Rick Scott last week. The bill (HB 7065) updates the state's plan for restoring the "river of grass" and helps provide financial support for the $880 million project. The legislation extends a $25-per-acre tax on farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area, near the northern edge of the marsh, until 2026; it would have expired in 2017. |
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Wildlife Restoration
Minnesota: Wildlife Finds New Home in Nation's Largest Wetland, Prairie Restoration Refuge
Thousands of acres of marginal farmland were converted back to native tall-grass prairies and wetlands in the nation's largest restoration effort of its kind. Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge spans about 30,000 acres over northwestern Minnesota and was once used for crop production as well as cattle and sheep grazing. Once again, however, it is now thriving with wildlife, Greg Bengtson, NRCS Glacial Ridge project manager said. With these combined efforts, the Glacial Ridge is the largest contiguous tract of WRP in Minnesota and is the largest tall-grass prairie and wetland restoration project in U.S. history. |
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Invasive Species
Scientists Map Global Routes Of Ship-Borne Invasive Species
Scientists from the UK and Germany have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species. The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive. They obtained detailed logs from nearly three million voyages that took place in 2007 and 2008. |
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Get Involved
WEBINAR: Funding for Restoration in Utah- May 9
SER-Europe: Summer School On- "Restoration of Mediterranean Ecosystems" - May 13-17
Diplomado en línea: Restauración de ecosistemas y servicios ambientales -- 2 de septiembre de 2013 al 7 de febrero de 2014
El diplomado es organizado por la Fundación Internacional para la Restauración de Ecosistemas (FIRE) y tiene el aval académico del Instituto de Ecología, A. C. (INECOL, Mx) y de El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR, Mx). Los profesores son investigadores consolidados de estas y otras prestigiosas instituciones de Iberoamérica y España. Dirigido a profesionales del área de las ciencias ambientales y afines, investigadores, docentes, estudiantes y representantes del sector público y privado, cuyo interés y trabajo se enfoque en la restauración de ecosistemas degradados.
Diplomado Online: "Restauración Ecológica de Bosque de Niebla"
El Diplomado Online "Restauración Ecológica de Bosque de Niebla", edición 2013, aporta herramientas y conocimientos de excelencia académica, desde las bases de la restauración para este tipo de bosque hasta las valiosas experiencias de expertos de todo el continente americano. Más información en http://pronaturaveracruz.org/ecoforestal/drestauracionbmm.php
Minnesota: 2013 Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting- June 2-3
Arizona: Wetland Restoration & Creation Workshop - June 11-12
Massachusetts: Hands-On Wetland Restoration Workshop for Professionals - June 25-26
Missouri: The Annual Grassland Restoration Network Workshop- July 16-18
5Th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) - July 9- August 2
Vienna: 5th European River Restoration Conference - September 11-13
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
Ohio: WRP Wetland Restoration Assistance- Due May 31, 2013
The Ohio State Office is requesting proposals to provide implementation of restoration activities on eligible Wetland Reserve Program properties. Applicants will be responsible for assistance to NRCS and landowners in implementing WRP restoration plans. Performance may include any part or all operations necessary to construct, provide inspection, and/or provide management activities for various wetland restorations, enhancement and creation practices; and other related conservation practices that meet NRCS standards and specifications.
Pennsylvania: CFA Offering Abandoned Mine, Watershed, & Greenways Grants - Due July 31, 2013
The Commonwealth Financing Authority is now accepting applications for grants under the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund. Program cove 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: 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.
WWF-US: EFN Reforestation Grants- Applications Due September 1, 2013
EFN, with generous funding from the UPS Foundation, has launched a special grant opportunity focused on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). FLR is defined as a planned process that aims to regain ecological integrity and enhance human wellbeing in deforested or degraded forest landscapes. (WWF and IUCN 2000.) Local organizations from select WWF-US priority ecoregions must meet all of the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant. Applications must be completed online and submitted to the EFN Conservation Workshop Grants by September 1, 2013.
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.
USDA Conservation Reserve Program
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 GrantsDirectory 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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