January 20, 2012 RNS NEWSLETTER
Conferences, Lectures, Courses & Events
SYMPOSIA SUBMITTAL DATE EXTENSION NOTICE
9th annual GOERT Research Colloquium
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria
Restoration News, Articles & Books
Pollen and Macro-Fossil Assemblages in Disturbed Urban Wetlands on South Vancouver Island Reveal Recent Invasion of Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Guide Restoration
A failed attempt to restore California’s grassland costs $225,000 per acre
Plant Species Richness and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Global Drylands
Jobs & Volunteer Opportunities
Executive Director GOERT
Join SER BC & volunteer with SER BC
Conferences, Lectures, Courses & Events
SYMPOSIA SUBMITTAL DATE EXTENSION NOTICE
JOINT CONFERENCE – Restoration 2012: Beyond Borders
MAY 15 – 18, 2012, AT UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, BC
The Society for Ecological Restoration, Northwest and British Columbia Chapters, the American Fisheries Society Washington-British Columbia Chapter, and the University of Victoria Restoration of Natural Systems Program invite you to submit symposia ideas for “Beyond Borders,” a joint conference. This conference will be a gathering of scientists, restoration professionals, and government agencies involved in ecological restoration and fisheries issues in our local environment in the northwestern U.S. and B.C. The event will be a tremendous opportunity to communicate and network with people who share your business, academic, and/or non-profit goals in fisheries and ecological restoration. Attendance is expected to exceed 500 people.
“Beyond Borders” is a four-day event. There will be three full days of technical talks/symposia and concurrent workshops, and one day of field trips (Friday). We welcome all disciplines, including botany, ecology, fisheries, wildlife, forestry, hydrology, and marine biology, and expertise representing academics, practitioners, research, and government. Submit a brief (~500 word) abstract that describes your proposed symposium. Deadline for symposia submittals has been extended to: Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
Please upload your submittals to the following website:
http://agm2012.wabc-afs.org/abstract-submission/
The symposia list will be posted on the website in early February 2012.
For more information, please contact Josh Jensen at jjensen@anchorQEA.com, or by phone at 206.903.3374.
9th annual GOERT Research Colloquium
Friday, February 17th, 2012
As in the past, the purpose of the Research Colloquium is to bring together people who are planning or conducting research & restoration projects relevant to Garry oak ecosystems to have them present brief descriptions of their studies and results to prompt discussion and encourage coordination among agencies.
We hope that all who are interested in contributing, either in person or via an Abstract for inclusion in the Proceedings (distributed via email after the Colloquium), will respond. As always, we encourage students to present a talk on their current or planned work relevant to Garry oak ecosystems; the Colloquium is a great venue to elicit constructive comment. GOERT provides a free lunch (yes, free!) for all student presenters.
Lunch can be purchased at the Pacific Forestry Centre, and student presenters are provided with a free lunch. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Deadline for presenters: January 20th, 2012
Deadline for participants: February 3rd, 2012
Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria
The Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria was created in 2007 to bring together regional herbaria and provide an online portal to the wealth of existing and emerging information about the flora of Pacific Northwest North America. Over 3.6 million specimen records and numerous online electronic resources are managed by the region’s 57 herbaria, representing an irreplacable storehouse of information for research and public education.
Restoration News, Articles & Books
Pollen and Macro-Fossil Assemblages in Disturbed Urban Wetlands on South Vancouver Island Reveal Recent Invasion of Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Guide Restoration
The results strongly suggest that Phalaris communities arose in historical times following agricultural disturbance and have no pre-European equivalent. Pollen assemblages below the Phalaris zone, corroborated by historical documentary references, show diverse original wetland types. Disturbance and crop species pollen indicators may be useful indicators of intensity and depth of disturbance. Pre-agricultural plant communities are a guide for restoration, provided that ecologically limiting factors are managed.
Townsend and Hebda
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2011.00851.x/abstract
A failed attempt to restore California’s grassland costs $225,000 per acre
Because so much of California was grassland when Europeans arrived, the restoration of grassland is a high priority for native plant advocates. This is the story of one attempt to restore native grassland in the Sacramento Valley. The project was funded by UC Davis and Caltrans, the State of California’s transportation department.
…
Using state-of-the-art-techniques and the expertise of one of the most prestigious agricultural research institutions in the world, this project must be considered a failure. The price of this failed effort was $225,000 per acre.
Plant Species Richness and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Global Drylands
Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and the buildup of nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, the relationship between biodiversity and multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species richness and abiotic factors to multifunctionality in drylands, which collectively cover 41% of Earth’s land surface and support over 38% of the human population. Multifunctionality was positively and significantly related to species richness. The best-fitting models accounted for over 55% of the variation in multifunctionality and always included species richness as a predictor variable. Our results suggest that the preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6065/214.abstract?sid=1c61ae23-fc15-4983-9599-67878ab36738
Jobs & Volunteer Opportunities
Executive Director GOERT
The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to the conservation and restoration of one of Canada’s most imperilled ecosystems. Over the last ten years GOERT has successfully developed a well-respected, diverse, and highly integrated ecosystem and species at risk recovery program.
A tremendous opportunity awaits an energetic, motivated individual with proven skills in program administration, inclusive leadership, and habitat conservation in a consensus-based, team-oriented working environment. The Executive Director is based in the Victoria office and reports to the Chair of the Board of Directors. http://www.goert.ca/news/2012/01/job-opening-executive-director/ – more-2345
Join SER BC & volunteer with SER BC
Are you interested in the projects and opportunities you learn about in this newsletter? Then support our work by joining the Society for Ecological Restoration, BC Chapter, and our parent organization, SER International. Learn more about us, and how to join, at www.ser.org/serbc.
There are also many ways that you can volunteer with SER BC, and get to know many interesting members of the BC restoration community. We could use your help with organizing events, pushing forward our certification for restoration projects proposal, submitting content for our website or this newsletter – and many other tasks! If you would like more information about volunteering with SER BC, just contact Eva Johansson by replying to this email.
For more information about SER BC see: www.ser.org/serbc
SER-BC posts this newsletter on “an information only” basis. SER-BC does not necessarily support or endorse the notices included here, but provides them for information only.
Last Issue
SER BC news
Brief summary of the 2011 AGM
Conferences, Lectures, Courses & Events
From University of Victoria, Continuing Studies: Spring 2012 Restoration of Natural Systems Courses
Spring 2012 Native Species and Natural Processes Courses
Upcoming conference
Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World: A View from NW North America
Restoration News, Articles & Books
Natural Capital Policy Review
SER Releases New Brochure on the Economics of Restoration at CBD Scientific Meeting
Wetland Restoration and Construction: a Technical Guide
River Restoration Northwest Symposium
Jobs & Volunteer Opportunities
Executive director Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
Riparian Native Plant Demonstration Garden, Oak Bay
Fort Rodd Hill Volunteer Opportunity: Come out and volunteer at Fort Rodd Hill!
Join SER BC & volunteer with SER BC
SER BC news
Brief summary of the 2011 AGM
Eight SER-BC members and two interested invitees attended the SER-BC AGM, held in conjunction with the BC Protected Areas Research Forum at UBC, on Tuesday December 6. All current SER-BC Board members with the exception of Eva Johansson were reappointed to the Board. These include:
Co-Chair: Tamara Bonnemaison
Co-Chair: Michael Keefer
Treasurer: Dave Polster
Secretary: Thomas Munson
Members at Large: Robert Seaton; Jeff Ralph; Eric Higgs; Val Schaeffer; June Pretzer; Don Eastman; Orion Kendrick; and Warn Franklin.
One new Board member was nominated from northeast BC: Sonja Leverkus
Topics discussed at the AGM included: 2012 Restoration Beyond Borders conference; Treasurer’s Report; Draft Workplan 2011-2016; Communications update and new website; Board meeting structure; and upcoming conferences and events.
The presentations by SER-BC members at the BC Protected Areas Research Forum were well received and provided good exposure to restoration activities in BC. Don Eastman participated on a panel discussion on the future of Ecoreserves that was hosted by the Friends of Ecological Reserves.
Conferences, Lectures, Courses & Events
From University of Victoria, Continuing Studies:
Spring 2012 Restoration of Natural Systems Courses
We are receiving a high level of demand for RNS courses. We have now opened up registration in ER311 and ER313 to non-program students. The electives of ER326 and ER335A will be opened to non-program students a month before the course starts. Please register early to ensure that you are able to take the courses that you want.
The following courses are open for registration for the spring:
ER311—Principles and Concepts of Ecological Restoration (Distance format) CURRENT WAITLIST
ER313—Biodiversity and Conservation Biology (Distance format) CURRENT WAITLIST
ER326—Traditional Systems of Land and Resource Management (In-person, February 15 to 19)
ER335A—Restoration of Freshwater Aquatic Systems (In-person, March 28 to April 1)
Spring 2012 Native Species and Natural Processes Courses
Registration is still open for:
Invasive Species and Novel Ecosystems (Distance format, January through April 2012 with Linda Wilson)
RNS Diploma students can use one NSNP course as credit for their RNS program. Contact 250-721-8458 to find out how.
Apply for the course by filling out the application form at www.continuingstudies.uvic.ca/sustainability/programs.
Upcoming conference
With workshops focused on ecological restoration, fire and the conservation of biodiversity in northern BC hosted in Fort Nelson on March 6th – 8th, 2012 with excellent presenters and speakers from Canada and the US. Discussions will range from wildlife habitat enhancement to reclamation to the social/cultural and ecological interactions with fire in the Boreal. Contact: Sonja.Leverkus@gov.bc.ca
Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World: A View from NW North America
University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Seattle, WA
March 13-14, 2012
We face an uncertain future - economically, politically, and climatically. Those concerned with managing, researching or protecting native plant communities, rare plants and their habitats need to be aware of these changes and have the necessary tools to effectively address them. We will have papers, both invited and contributed, that will engage all in a dialogue intended to raise questions and find solutions. Participants from throughout northwestern North America will contribute ideas and meet colleagues for future collaboration.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/research/plant-biodiversity-2012.shtml
Restoration News, Articles & Books
Natural Capital Policy Review
This report is the third in a series of David Suzuki Foundation publications examining the economic value of natural capital — forests, fields, wetlands and waterways — in and around Canada’s urban areas and assessing the essential benefits that these ecosystems provide. The purpose of the report is to evaluate tools and policy options that B.C. local government agencies can use to protect and restore natural capital and ecosystem services. It reviews challenges and opportunities facing local governments and provides three promising policy options.
SER Releases New Brochure on the Economics of Restoration at CBD Scientific Meeting
As the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) discuss how to best to integrate ecosystem restoration into their national action plans and accounting frameworks, the SER delegation co-hosted a side event with the CBD to highlight why investing in our ecological infrastructure makes economic sense. In addition, SER staff and members participated in a week- long poster session on the contribution of ecosystem restoration to the CBD objectives and a healthy planet. The book of extended abstracts is available here.
Wetland Restoration and Construction: a Technical Guide
The author reveals practices used to restore over 1,400 wetlands in 18 states and two Canadian provinces, answering questions asked by the thousands of professionals and landowners who have taken the hands-on wetland restoration workshops he instructs across North America.
Clear, logical step-by-step instructions explain how to design and establish naturally- appearing and functioning wetlands for wildlife and fish habitat, cleaning run off, recharging groundwater, and preventing flooding. Over 650 detailed color drawings and photographs illustrate highly effective and inexpensive techniques for restoring wetlands. Whether your aim is to help wildlife or to carry out a successful mitigation project this book will expertly guide you through the steps required to build a wetland.
http://www.thewetlandtrust.org/wetlandrestorationbook.html
River Restoration Northwest Symposium
The symposium will be held January 31 through February 2, 2012 at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. This symposium is brings together multi-disciplinary professionals in the science and practice of river restoration planning and design. For more information on the symposium please visit our website: www.rrnw.org
Student volunteers will receive free registration and shared lodging for the duration of the symposium and will be responsible for helping with registration and operation of presentation laptops. We will support up to four student volunteers. Please contact Marjorie Wolfe, Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@rrnw.org.
Jobs & Volunteer Opportunities
Executive Director
Organization: Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary http://www.swanlake.bc.ca
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Position: permanent full time, beginning March 19, 2012
Application Deadline: Sunday, February 5, 2012
Overview
The Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary (SLCHNS) is a leader in the stewardship of functioning and diverse ecosystems and an urban refuge that provides opportunities to bring people and nature together. We provide a diverse and enriching experience with a focus on natural history, education and ecological restoration to inspire personal action in stewardship activities. We achieve this by:
• Fostering an understanding and appreciation of nature through direct experiences;
• Demonstrating responsible stewardship of our lands and ecosystems through sound ecological restoration and conservation;
• Providing education that encourages personal responsibility for the care and protection of the natural environment; and,
• Developing and fostering community partnerships and providing rewarding opportunities for our staff and volunteers.
http://www.goodworkcanada.ca/greenjobs.php?id=16178
Riparian Native Plant Demonstration Garden, Oak Bay
The BCI is establishing a Riparian Native Plant Demonstration Garden in Oak Bay! The site is adjacent to the Bowker Creek and the Oak Bay-Monteith Allotment Gardens, thus the focus of the native plant demonstration garden is riparian restoration and native edible plants/fruits.
Ongoing weeding at the Bowker Creek/Monteith Native Plant Demonstration Garden: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 1–3 pm
Come out and volunteer for an hour or two! RSVP is appreciated, but drop-ins are welcome!
Gloves, tools and refreshments provided. Groups and individuals welcome. Rain or shine!
Click to see the map for site location (in Oak Bay behind Fireman’s Park).
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact BCI through their website at http://www.crd.bc.ca/contact/email.aspx?id=305 or call Natalie at 250-360-3302.
Fort Rodd Hill Volunteer Opportunity: Come out and volunteer at Fort Rodd Hill!
Help us win the battle against alien species at the beautiful Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites. Restore endangered Garry oak ecosystems by removing invasive plants such as Scotch broom and spurge laurel. Garry Oak ecosystems are some of the rarest in Canada and are home to more than 100 rare and endangered species. Join us in protecting our natural heritage!
We are holding scheduled weekend volunteer days from 10 am until 3 pm on January 14 and 28, February 11 and 25, March 10 and 24, and April 14. Come and enjoy what the beauty of Fort Rodd Hill has to offer. Please RSVP frh.volunteer@pc.gc.ca or call 250-812-8133 for more information.
Join SER BC & volunteer with SER BC
Are you interested in the projects and opportunities you learn about in this newsletter? Then support our work by joining the Society for Ecological Restoration, BC Chapter, and our parent organization, SER International. Learn more about us, and how to join, at www.serbc.ca
There are also many ways that you can volunteer with SER BC, and get to know many interesting members of the BC restoration community. We could use your help with organizing events, pushing forward our certification for restoration projects proposal, submitting content for our website or this newsletter – and many other tasks! If you would like more information about volunteering with SER BC, just contact Eva Johansson by replying to this email.
For more information about SER BC see: www.serbc.ca
SER-BC posts this newsletter on “an information only” basis. SER-BC does not necessarily support or endorse the notices included here, but provides them for information only.
