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 March 2011
Conference Calendar
New England Region
Hello my fellow restorationists! Two members of our Board are presenting at a session at the ELA Conference & Eco Marketplace – Species Richness Indicators in Landscape-Scale Restoration: Using Reference Systems in Eco-Restoration. I hear this is one not to be missed!
Please check them out and the other great conferences and workshops coming up! As always, please let me know if you have any new additions or corrections to the Calendar. Thanks and enjoy!
SER Sponsored Events
17th Annual Ecological Landscaping Association’s Conference and Eco-Marketplace: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Everyone’s going Green, but what does it Mean? It’s the hottest idea around for sure. Can you Stay Ahead of the Curve? Of course you can! ELA’s 17th Conference and Eco-Marketplace has the information that you need to stay ahead of the curve. ELA brings together all of the essential information: breakout sessions, interactive zones, the best of service and product providers, as well as an engaged group of attendees. Breakout sessions include topics like rain gardens that really work, healthy soils for healthy trees, plant choices for food productive landscapes, and so much more. Check out the schedule! All sessions are designed to help you create a flexible strategy to integrate the property owners’ needs and objectives into the ecological designs and management plans of their landscapes.
Organized by ELA and co-hosted by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS), NOFA Organic Land Care Program (NOFA AOLCP), and Society for Ecological Restoration, New England Chapter (SER NE). SER-NE Chapter members receive a discounted registration rate!
Contact Sarah Watts (sarah.watts@tetratech.com) for the members-only password.
- Date: March 3, 2011
- Location: MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA
- Contact: Penny Lewis, 617-436-5838
- Website: www.ecolandscaping.org
SER 2011 World Conference on Ecological Restoration
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) will hold its 4th World Conference on Ecological Restoration, "Re-establishing the Link between Nature and Culture," in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico from August 21-25, 2011. SER2011 will bring together experts from around the world to demonstrate how ecological restoration, when conducted using sound scientific methods and a holistic ecosystem approach, can serve as a tool to re-establish the connections between nature and culture and foster global stability by integrating the social, economic and ecological dimensions of human existence. Delegates will include practitioners, researchers, planners/managers, students and volunteers with backgrounds in earth sciences, landscape architecture, ecological engineering, natural resource management, public policy, economics, indigenous cultures and community-based activities.
- Date: August 21–25, 2011
- Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
- Sponsor(s): Society for Ecological Restoration
- Website:
www.ser2011.org
Conferences (in chronological order)
Long Island Native Plan Symposium
Brief description. Participants will learn how Long Island native plants can be used in habitat restoration, plant production, landscaping, and gardening. Keynote Speaker is Doug Tallamy, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Delaware and author of "Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants".
- Date: March 11, 2011
- Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
- Location: Suffolk Community College, Eastern Campus, Riverhead, NY
- Sponsor(s): Long Island Native Grass Initiative (LINGI)
- Contact: Polly Weigand-LINGI Coordinator- 631-727-2315 x3.
Cape Cod Natural History Conference
The 16th Annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference will be held Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the Cape Cod Community College. The conference is organized by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Presentation Topics: Abstracts of oral presentation and poster presentations describing research projects and methods/results focusing on the ecology, behavior, status, or distribution of local plants, animals, or natural communities on Cape Cod are welcome. Those not wishing to make oral presentations are encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster presentation. Please submit in abstract form.
- Date: Saturday, March 12, 2011, 9 AM – 3 PM
- Location: Cape Cod Community College, Barnstable, MA
- Sponsor(s): Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
- Contact: Melissa Lowe, 508-349-2615 x107
- Website: http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Wellfleet/news.php?id=1550&event=no
Distinguishing Invasive Plants and Native Look-A-Likes In Late Winter and Early Spring
Two one-day workshops, taught by Bill Moorhead, sponsored by Aton Forest, Inc., and Highstead Arboretum. This workshop focuses on field identification of terrestrial invasive plants in late winter/early spring, prime season for pulling invasives but a difficult time to identify many plants using guides and manuals, as many are somewhere between dormant and leaf-on state. The emphasis will be on distinguishing invasives from native species with which they co-occur and may be potentially confused, especially when in young/immature state. The workshop will emphasize development and reinforcement of field identification skills in situ – it is planned that most of the day will be spent in the field, after a brief introductory classroom session. The workshop is designed for people who are already interested in and/or involved in hands-on invasive plant control, including land managers associated with land trusts, professionals looking to brush up on there skills, and private land owners managing their properties as natural areas. The workshop will also cover a number of so-called "watch list" species, i.e., plants that it is suspected may become invasive, and plants known to be invasive that have not yet become common in the area. The workshop will be run twice this year, once in Fairfield County and once in Litchfield County. Essentially the same invasive species will be covered in each session of the workshop, but emphases of each session will be modified somewhat to address phytogeographic differences between the two locales. In the event of weather too severe for field work, all or part of each session may be changed into a lab/classroom session, using fresh collected specimens. Enrollment is limited to 15 participants per session.
- Dates: Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 8:30 AM - ~5:00 PM, Highstead Arboretum.
- Friday, March 25, 2011, 8:30 AM - ~5:00 PM, White Memorial Conservation Center.
- Locations: March 23rd:: Highstead Arboretum, 127 Lonetown Road (Route 107), Redding CT, March 25th: White Memorial Conservation Center, 80 Whitehall Rd, Litchfield, CT
- Contact: Bill Moorhead (860-567-4920, whmoorhead@optonline.net), John Anderson, Executive Director, Aton Forest Inc. (860-542-5125, contact@atonforest.org), or Bill Toomey, Director, Highstead Arboretum (203-938-8809, btoomey@highstead.net, www. highstead.net)
Northeast Natural History Conference
Join us for the 11th Northeast Natural History Conference (NENHC) and the historic first meeting of the Association of Northeastern Biologists (ANB). This conference promises to be the largest regional forum for researchers, natural resource managers, students, and naturalists to present current information on the varied aspects of applied field biology (freshwater, marine, and terrestrial) and natural history for the Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. It will serve as a premier venue to identify research and management needs, foster friendships and collegial relationships, and encourage a greater region-wide interest in natural history by bringing people with diverse backgrounds together.
- Date: April 6–9, 2011
- Location: Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, NY
- Sponsor: Humboldt Field Research Institute and Eagle Hill Foundation
- Contact: (207) 546-2821
- Website:
http://www.eaglehill.us/NENHC_2011/NENHC2011
A Hands-On Wetland Creation Workshop This hands-on workshop is designed for individuals interested in learning how to use practical, low cost techniques for building wetlands for wildlife. Participants will see how wetland projects can be planned in forested and open areas, on vast expanses of public land, and even on school grounds. Attendees will discover how to select the best locations for building wetlands, test soils, choose construction techniques, work with heavy equipment operators, and establish native plants. Presentations will describe current conservation efforts using reintroduction, translocation, and habitat creation techniques and introduce Eastern spadefoot toad conservation efforts on Cape Cod Massachusetts. Intended audience includes biologists, foresters, hydrologists, engineers, technicians, educators, land trusts, and other non-profit and environmental org professionals.
- Cost: $175 which includes lunches on three days, hand-out materials, signed copy of the book Wetland Drainage, Restoration, and Repair by Thomas Biebighauser, and more!
- Dates: April 26–28, 2011
- Time: 4/26 – 9 PM to 9 PM; 4/27 – 8 AM to 8 PM; 4/28 – 8 AM to 3 PM
- Location: 345 Bone Hill Rd. Barnstable, MA
- Sponsored by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hosted by Mass Audubon and the Center for Wetlands and Stream Restoration.
- Contact: Ian Ives, (508) 362-7475 ext. 9350. E-mail ivies@massaudubon.org
Conference on River Monitoring and Climate Change in Massachusetts
How citizen-based monitoring can help us understand and address the impacts of climate change on our rivers.
- Are you concerned about the impact of climate change on rivers?
- Does your organization have a river or stream monitoring program?
- Are you interested in learning what other organizations, government agencies, and universities are doing to address climate impacts on rivers?
- Would you like guidance in developing a climate change plan for your river or watershed?
If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, this conference is for you! Day #1, May 18th will consist of presentations, break-out sessions, and discussions from 9am-4pm. Day #2, May 19th, participants may choose to go on one of two fields trips, to sites in either eastern or western Massachusetts. The conference is funded primarily by a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. The cost of the conference is $20 per person.
- Date: May 18–19, 2011
- Location: Trustees of Reservations' Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster, MA
- Sponsor: Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, in partnership with the MA Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration
- Contact: Julia Blatt (857) 445-0208
- Website: www.massriversalliance.org
4th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration
The purpose of NCER is to provide an interactive forum for physical, biological and social scientists, engineers, resource managers, planners and policy makers to share their experiences and research results concerning large-scale ecosystem restoration on both national and international levels.
The conference is designed to bring together scientists and engineers, policy makers, planners and partners who are actively involved in or affected by all aspects of ecosystem restoration regardless of project or program size. Participants will interact in an interdisciplinary setting to summarize and review cutting edge science, to create and maintain effective partnerships, and to leverage resources. Individuals interested in planning and management activities such as setting goals, objectives and performance measures by which to measure success should be sure to attend. Participation by federal, state and local agencies, tribal governments, NGO's, private companies, water resource engineers and managers, environmental consultants, policy makers, scientists, researchers, modelers, environmental interest groups and students has been the hallmark of past NCERs and will continue in NCER 2011.
- Date: August 1–5, 2011
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Contact: Beth Miller-Tipton, 352-392-5930
- Website: www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2011
News & Information
Check out SERI’s Global Restoration Network for a searchable database of environmental restoration projects and a listings of restoration-related conferences: http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org
The GRN website is an excellent resource for information on all aspects of environmental restoration, from historic ecosystems and causes of degradation to in-depth case studies and proven restoration methods and techniques. One of the features of the website is a searchable database for environmental restoration projects located all over the world (http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/database/). The purpose of this e-mail is to encourage anyone involved in restoration to post their projects on the GRN database to help showcase the spectrum of restoration projects here in New England to the international restoration community in order to foster an innovative exchange of experience, vision, and expertise.
Submitting your project is easy:
1) Click on the following link: http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/database/submit-a-case-study/
2) Fill out the fields in the online submission form that relate to your project. The form allows you to be as brief or detailed as you'd like.
3) Click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the form.
You don't have to be a SERI-New England Chapter member to participate, but being a member is a great way to get connected to other restorationists in our region as well as throughout the global SERI community. Please feel free to contact Levi Wickwire (levi@ser.org), Case Studies Coordinator for GRN, if you have any additional questions or need any assistance regarding restoration project submissions or modifications to your submissions.
Becoming a SER – New England Chapter member: Please visit the SERI website at: http://www.ser.org/join.asp to become a member! We have a rolling membership, and have a variety of membership levels that you can choose between. To sign up for the New England Chapter, select New England/US in the SER Chapter Affiliation section. It’s that easy!
Attention all New England employers: The Society for Ecological Restoration International - New England Chapter (SER- NE) has created the Job Listing Marketplace. Job postings and requests to be on this e-mail announcement list should be sent to april.moulaert@gmail.com. Note that this is a free service of SER-NE. SER-NE assumes no responsibility for accuracy of listings.Submit future CALENDAR items to SER-NE Secretary, Sarah Watts Sarah.Watts@tetratech.com at least one month prior to the event. The preferred format for Calendar submissions includes the following items:
Conference Title; Brief description; Date; Time; Location; Sponsor(s); Contact: name & phone number; Website: if available
If you would like to be added or removed from the Conference Calendar mailing list, please email Sarah.Watts@tetratech.com.
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