This document is a draft report to help guide Texas SER over the next 5 years. 

Texas SER Board:

Program Advisors and Coordinators:

Mission Statement. As approved by the SER Board of Directors in 1994, the mission of the Society is: "to promote ecological restoration as a means of restoring the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture" (SER 1994). Ecological restoration is in turn defined as follows (SER 1996):

"Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery and management of ecological integrity. Ecological integrity includes a critical range of variability in biodiversity, ecological processes and structures, regional and historical context, and sustainable cultural practices."

Goals SER's goals have been distilled into four complementary areas. Each fulfills an element of the mission, and each is correspondingly implemented through a complement of programs. SER's goals are to:

1. Communicate. SER seeks to remain the primary vehicle for communication within the restoration field, to promote broader awareness and understanding of restoration and its unique potential to others in related areas of work and to the public at large.

2. Educate. SER strives to share and expand the available pool of knowledge about restoration, including both restoration practice and the scientific and cultural principles that underlie it.

3. Promote the practice of restoration, by demonstrating the effectiveness of ecological restoration in a wide variety of settings, and recognizing outstanding efforts by individuals and organizations.

4. Influence and support sound restoration policy, research, and funding priorities in public and private spheres, and stimulate excellence in restoration planning and practice.

Target Groups Ecological restorationists (agencies, organizations, community groups, businesses, individuals); Schools (students/teachers/administrators); Ranchers; Related professions (landscape architects, planners, engineers); Industry (corporations, developers, golf courses); Policy-makers (politicians, agency personnel); Philanthropists; Interstate/International (NM, Mexico); General public.

Priority Actions

Actions, Objectives Responsibility *

1. Newsletter ­ Publish twice a year (Fall and Spring - post and pre-conference). Newsletter Coordinator, Regional Reps ­ obtaining submissions

* Volunteer-compiling/editing

* Staff - publishing/mailing

2. Annual Meeting ­ Hold once a year (preferably on a mid-summer weekend to accommodate teachers, vary location around state)

* Vice President, Regional Rep, Staff ­ conference planning/facilitating

3. Projects database ­ collect newsletter articles as examples of projects, at least two from each region per year (one per newsletter)

* Regional reps, Newsletter Coordinator

4. List of experts ­ compile list of experts in various subdisciplines in restoration (wetlands, prairies, deserts, bottomland forests, etc.), submit to newsletter

* Regional reps, Newsletter Coordinator

5. Newspaper/Other Media outreach ­ publish at least one article or hold at least one media event per year in each region

* President, Regional reps

6. Website Maintenance/Email outreach ­ update website at least quarterly, provide updates on all aspects of state-wide program, links to partners, projects. Send emails to agencies/association mailing lists informing them of TXSER- include cities, NRCS, TXDOT, TPWD, NPS, FWS, FS, HRM, NPAT, SAF, TNC, etc.

* Website Coordinator

7. School Districts Outreach ­ provide link between SER and schools, promote special cooperative programs or exemplary projects

* Education Coordinator

8. Fundraising - approach foundations, philanthropists about at least one special project per year (or general operations)

* President, SER Reg. Rep, Treasurer, Fundraising Advisor

9. Training Programs ­ implement national training program locally, consider locally generated programs, host at least one course per year

* Training Coordinator

10. Awards Program ­ recognize at least one project per year, rotate awards around target groups, possibly tie in with newspaper/media outreach

* Regional Reps, President

11. Interstate/International Outreach ­ make at least one effort per year to generate members/interest from neighbors, especially those without chapters (AR, LA, NM, OK, Mexico). Invite to annual meeting, note projects in newsletter, make "good neighbor" awards.

* Regional Reps bordering other states/countries

12. Strategize on how to promote philosophy, broaden scale, scope of restoration to reach Texas' largest landowners, influence policy-makers ­ hold at least one meeting or email/phone discussion per year, edit strategic plan accordingly; partner with TXDOT, Holistic Resource Management on a project at least once per year.

* President, Regional Reps, Training Coordinator, Env. Ethics/Policy Advisor

Note: Board members and program advisors/coordinators can set up committees of SER or ad hoc members to help accomplish specific actions, informing the board of set-up, members, and accomplishments