SER-Europe Chapter

Cement Industry's Vision to the Future: A 2030 Biodiversity Roadmap
2022-06-01 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | On-line event
CEMBUREAU, the European Cement Association, is organising the online event: “Cement Industry’s Vision to the Future: A 2030 Biodiversity Roadmap“, taking place on Wednesday, June 1 from 10.00 am to 11.30 am (CET). The event will be the occasion of the launch of its first Biodiversity Roadmap taht SER Europe has has the oportunity to review ahead. This is an #EUGreenWeek event.
Join and hear how the cement industry can further contribute in the nature restoration and leverage CEMBUREAU’s 2030 Biodiversity Roadmap.

Make a Difference Week - Global event
2022-06-04 - 2022-06-11 | Global
A Week of Global Restoration Action Hosted by the Society for Ecological Restoration
NEW! Here you can review a template for MAD-Week event registration
that you can translate automatically to your national language. Contact us if you need more help!
Get Involved

Make a Difference Week (MAD-Week), is an annual Celebration week of global Nature Restoration Action where individuals and organizations from around the world organize and participate in local volunteer restoration events. Through Make a Difference Week, everyone, everywhere has a chance to positively impact their local communities by engaging in hands-on restoration projects.
With MAD-Week people of all ages can learn about and engage in the Decade of Ecosystems Restoration set by the United Nations. This year Make a Difference Week will take place from 4 to 11 of June.
MAD-Week event organizers and volunteers engage in a wide variety of restorative activities within a diverse array of ecosystems, doing everything from removing invasive species to collecting native seeds or cleaning natural habitats.
This infographic summarizes the type of activities you can organize in MAD-Week. And on the week website you will find more suggestions on how to plan and organise your event.
Last year there were 144 events globally with more than 3,000 volunteers, and we are planning for Make a Difference Week to be even bigger this year.
You can learn more about MAD-Week here: https://makeadifferenceweek.org/, promoted by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). MAD-Week Europe contact: madweek_europe <at> ser.org.

Achieving the new EU nature restoration targets: Needs and benefits (part of Think 2030 Conference)
2022-06-30 11:30 - 12:45 UTC | On-line event
IEEP is organising a roundtable discussion on the upcoming EU Nature Restoration Law, organised during the Think2030 conference on 30 June, from 11:30 to 12:45 CET.
The Think2030 conference is a bi-annual event organised by Think2030, a platform of leading policy experts from European think tanks, civil society, the private sector and local authorities. This year’s edition, titled ‘A future-proof European Green Deal: Overcoming crises, increasing ambition’, will have a hybrid format, taking place online and in Paris on 29-30 June.
As part of the conference, IEEP will be convening a discussion on the EU Nature Restoration Law which is due to be proposed by the European Commission in June. The discussion will focus on the opportunities and challenges of scaling up nature restoration in the EU and how to ensure the successful implementation of the upcoming EU restoration law once adopted.
As a basis for the discussion, IEEP and several other think tanks are currently preparing a policy briefing including recommendations addressed to the EU institutions and the Member States; a draft will be circulated to participants before the event. The aim of the session will be to discuss the draft recommendations and gather inputs from experts and policy-makers. The briefing will then be finalised after the conference, incorporating the outcomes of the discussion.
More information about the conference (including the full programme) can be found at: https://think2030.eu/think2030-2022-conference/
Please register here.

4th International Conference I.S.Rivers – Integrative sciences and sustainable development of rivers
2022-07-04 - 2022-07-08 | Lyon, France
The I.S.Rivers international conference focuses on research and actions in the service of rivers and large rivers, whether natural or highly anthropized. It aims to promote a cross-fertilization of approaches and a dialogue between all stakeholders.
English and French are the two official languages of the event.

I.S.Rivers, a unique occasion in Europe to:

Provide an overview of worldwide river management and restoration practices
Discover the most recent developments regarding knowledge, methodology and decision support tools, integrating research results, for a sustainable management of rivers.

Visit event website for further details.

SER Europe 2022 Conference Alicante
2022-09-05 - 2022-09-09 | Alicante University, Spain
Visit the Conference website for all details and registration options.
Main planned deadlines:

SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS AND COURSES

March 22, 2022 (extended)
Deadline for proposal submission
Upon receipt and until March 29, 2022
Accepted proposal notification to coordinators

ABSTRACTS

April 5, 2022
Opening for abstract submission
June 6, 2022
Deadline abstract submission
Upon receipt and until June 20, 2022
Acceptance decision of abstracts

REGISTRATION

until July 5, 2022
Deadline for early registration and presenting authors registration
from July 6, 2022
Late registration

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

July 20, 2022
Scientific program available on the Conference website

UN Decade Free on-line Course - Ecosystem Restoration 2022
2022-09-19 08:00 - 2022-11-20 17:00 UTC | On-line event
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are offering a FREE two-part Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Ecosystem Restoration. This course is available thanks to the generous support of the European Union and the Korea Forest Service of the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI). This course compiles research from leading institutions engaged in ecosystem restoration and experts in the field to raise awareness and build ecosystem restoration capacity.
Course available in English, Français, Español.
SER Global, as a partner of the UN Decade is directly involved in the course and has pre-approved for credits towards the “Ecological Restoration” category of SER’s Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) program education requirements. Participants who complete Part 1 and Part 2 of this course will be guaranteed to meet 3 of the 6 credits required in the “Ecological Restoration” category. Learn more about the CERP program at https://ser.org/CERPApplications.
View the Course vídeo-trailer.

Delivering the Nature Restoration Law for rural stakeholders and biodiversity
2022-09-27 16:30 - 18:00 UTC | On-line event
The conference will discuss opportunities and challenges for the ambitious EC proposal on binding restoration targets. The proposal, unveiled on 22 June 2022, aims at putting in place time-bound obligations for ecosystem restoration together with an overarching EU target. The aim is to cover at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 with nature restoration measures, and eventually extend these to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), European Commission officials and relevant stakeholders will provide their views on the proposal, which is one of the key tools shaped by the European Commission to tackle the current biodiversity crisis. The debate will also focus on the role of stakeholders, including farmers, land managers and hunters, whose contribution is key to develop successful conservation measures.
Follow event link below for further details.

RESTAURER ET (SE) QUESTIONNER - 12th REVER Workshop - Pyrenees (in French)
2022-10-04 08:00 - 2022-10-06 17:00 UTC
REVER 12 s’annonce dans les Pyrénées….
En 2022, le réseau d’échange et de valorisation de l’écologie de la restauration (Rever) s’est associé au Conservatoire botanique national des Pyrénées et de Midi-Pyrénées (CBNPMP) pour organiser ses 12èmes Journées ateliers. L’événement aura lieu du 4 au 6 octobre 2022 à Bagnères-de-Bigorre, dans les Hautes-Pyrénées. Ce sont 3 jours d’échanges, de rencontres et de sorties de terrain autour de la restauration des écosystèmes.
APPEL A COMMUNICATION
L’appel à communications orales et posters scientifiques sera ouvert d’ici peu, les informations sur les modalités de soumissions seront disponibles à cette même adresse.
Pour toute informations complémentaires veuillez nous contacter ici.
PROGRAMMATION
Les mardi 4 et mercredi 5 octobre 2022 se dérouleront en salle, avec les présentations de chaque session, les conférences d’invités et les présentations de posters. Le jeudi 6 octobre quatre visites de terrains nous permettrons de voir et d’échanger avec les acteurs de terrain sur les sites restaurés ou en cours de restauration.

Prague Conference on Nature Restoration 2022
2022-10-12 | New Building of National Museum, Wilsovova 2, Prague, Czechia, Wilsovova 2, Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
The loss of biodiversity is already putting our planet, as well as our chances of survival at huge risk. Scientists are unequivocal on the need to not only protect the nature we have left but also restore it. This means improving and, where necessary, recreating the habitats decimated by human activities. In 2020, the European Environment Agency’s State of Nature report highlighted that the loss of biodiversity, including the alarming decline of birds, is due to a range of factors from draining wetlands for agriculture to reductions in old-growth forests and unsustainable forest practices. These human activities are progressively decimating the natural habitats we all depend on to survive. As a result of the commitment undertaken in the Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the European Commission is developing a Nature Restoration Law. If well designed, this law could represent one of the few serious hopes of halting biodiversity loss in Europe by fundamentally changing the way we use land, rivers, and seas. The proposal was published on the 22nd of June 2022.
The objective of this conference is to: (i) involve a wide community of decision-makers, experts, and practitioners in discussing the EU Restoration Law proposal; (ii) enable a critical assessment of the opportunities and impacts connected to the EU Restoration Law proposal; and (iii) contribute to a general consensus that an ambitious and realistic EU Restoration Law can be achieved.
The conference is organized by the Czech Society for Ornithology (BirdLife Czechia) and WWF Central and Eastern Europe under the auspices of the Minister of Environment and the Minister of European Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Follow link below for registration and further details. Both on-line and in person registration available.

The EU Nature Restoration Law and its urban greening targets: implications for local policy makers ONLINE - 12WS22385
2022-10-12 09:30 - 11:00 UTC | On-line event
Announcement by the organisers:
This workshop will shed light on the recently launched proposal for an EU Nature Restoration Law from a European, regional and city perspective. The European Commission will begin by presenting its proposal, outlining how it fits within the framework of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030; how it forms a key part of the EU’s contribution to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework; and, finally, describing the main elements of the legal proposal and its urban greening targets. The workshop will then see experts in sustainable regional and local policy and planning reflect on the implications of the Nature Restoration Law for local and sub-national authorities, and for decision-makers, in terms of planning, governance, management and monitoring mechanisms. From the city perspective, the workshop will also explore options and good practices for decoupling urban development from urban nature loss.
The links to and synergies with the crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and land use will be discussed, highlighting the need to work across multiple governance levels and streamline (policy) action to tackle them.
This workshop is also an opportunity for participants to contribute to the discussions on nature restoration at the urban level and to share their experiences and views on how best to approach sustainable urban development and how to protect and enhance urban ecosystems into the future.

Earth Observation and Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration: Open Information and Consultation Day for CSOs/NGOs
2022-10-14 09:30 - 12:30 UTC
The Sixth IPCC Assessment Report highlighted that the rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are being pushed beyond their ability to adapt. Restoration of degraded ecosystems is key to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as healthy and resilient ecosystems are essential to our well-being, prosperity and security. Recognizing this principle, also brought up by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the European Commission proposed in 2022 a new EU Regulation on Nature Restoration to restore nature and reverse biodiversity loss across the EU territory.
EO products and services may be instrumental to assess the conditions of ecosystems and to support restoration plans and reports. Pioneering new Earth Observation information products and applications, the ESA EO Science4Society element enables international responses to global societal challenges in consultation with stakeholders.
The main purpose of this open Information and Consultation Day is to address civil society organisations (CSOs)/ non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with ESA presentations on the potential of EO in support to ecosystems restoration and conservation. Open questions from the participants will close the event. Following the Information and Consultation Day, a questionnaire will be circulated to participants to capture their priorities in terms of :

High-priority ecosystems for conservation / restoration actions.
Monitoring of specific ecosystem degradation drivers.
High-priority aspects linked to biodiversity, specifically on habitats and species.
Needs in relation to enabling the financing mechanisms for nature restoration and nature capital valuation.
Needs for capacity building in the organizations on specific EO topics

The 3 hours event will take place on 14 October 2022 @ 9:30 Rome/Berlin/Paris Time Zone and will be fully online.

Quarry Life Award - International Award Ceremony
2022-10-17 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Brussels, Belgium
HeidelbergCement’s hosts the International Ceremony of the 5th edition of the Quarry Life Award on Monday, 17th of October in Brussels. Together with guests, the participants’ outstanding findings will be honoured and toast to an evening dedicated to biodiversity.
The Quarry Life Award is a nature based competition that runs every three years, where external partners are invited into Heidelberg Cement’s quarries to conduct projects that can either have a scientific focus or a community engagement/educational objective. Of all the projects currently running around the world, seven will receive specific awards at the ceremony, alongside some inspirations words and nature inspired entertainment.
Follow event link below for resgitration and further details. In-person and virtual registration available.

State of Ecological Restoration in Iceland - #SEREwebinars2022
2022-10-18 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | on-line
Presenters:
Kristín Svavarsdóttir and Sunna Áskelsdóttir,
Soil Conservation Service of Iceland

Registration to the webinar ➡ ➡ ➡ NOW OPEN 💡 💡 💡
This is the first Autumn, and the 6th of the webinar series by SER Europe in 2022 – A SER Europe member will lecture us on the State of Ecological Restoration on her/his Country, followed by a Q&A and a conclusion on best practices and further research+innovation networking.
Ecosystem restoration in Iceland builds on more than a century of experience from revegetation, reclamation, and restoration activities. Organised measures began at the beginning of last century as a response to severe erosion and massive sand movement that was a constant threat to the livelihood of many communities. The first law related to soil erosion and restoration in Iceland is from 1907. With modernisation in agriculture in the 1950s intensive drainage of wetland began, affecting more than half of Icelandic wetlands. New legislation with the purpose of protecting, restoring, and improving vegetation and soil resources, and ensure their sustainable use was approved by the parliament in 2018 (Act 155/2018). In August 2022, a combined policy and action plan for soil conservation (including restoration) and forestry were released by the minister of food, agriculture and fisheries as required in corresponding laws from 2018 and 2019. Their focus is on restoring native ecosystems, including wetland and birch woodland together with degraded moss heathland with the aim of protecting and restoring biodiversity as well as ecosystem services, including carbon storage. They are therefore closely related to earlier submitted Action Plan for Iceland´s climate change mitigation measures.
The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) is the leading agency for restoration of terrestrial ecosystems in Iceland. Majority of restoration projects are managed by SCSI or carried out in collaboration with it. Over the years, most restoration work has been funded by the government but in more recent time local authorities, the private sector and NGOs have increasingly contributed. Drivers of restoration have changed with time but currently is increasing emphasis on restoring degraded ecosystems to mitigate impact of climate change with the focus on synergies among present environmental challenges reflected in the United Nations conventions (CBD, UNFCCC, UNCDD).
You can view again the previous webinars here.
Would like you to present your country, region or landscape in a webinar? Write us an e-mail

Enterpreneurship and work opportunities in ecological restoration: a view from #SERE2022 Conference (in Spanish)
2022-10-24 16:30 - 18:00 UTC | on-line
Session organised by Fundación Biodiversidad, public foundation of the Spanish Government in a round table format. Session in Spanish. With participation of Andrea Romero (FAO), Paddy Woodsworth (writer and journalist), Antonio Herrera (CIREF – Spanish river restoration centre) and Jordi Cortina-Segarra (Universidad de Alicante – SERE Chair).
Check the link below for further details and registration. Free access with registration.

Webinar: Citizen Science for Nature Conservation, (not) on my land
2022-10-26 09:00 - 12:30 UTC | On-line event
Citizen Science in Restoration is part of your work? If yes, this webinar is for you.
Introduction

In the current context of global biodiversity loss, knowledge on species population trends, habitat health and causes of decay, becomes a fundamental tool for designing policies and action plans. Citizen science initiatives, offer the possibility to obtain large scale monitoring data through collaboration between research centres, civil society organizations, public administrations and private owners. At the same time, these initiatives involve the public in the conservation of nature and raise awareness on the topic. The new EU proposal on nature restoration indicates to maximise the access and use of data and services from citizen science. About 60% of the land included in the Natura 2000 Network is privately owned, which highlights the role of landowners in nature conservation. Alliance between citizen science and private property management could bring great benefits towards the objectives of the Biodiversity 2030 strategy of the European Union, but asks for a transparent approach and coordination. This workshop “Citizen science for nature conservation, (not) on my land” will open the discussion on the opportunities and current barriers for landowners to collaborate and benefit from citizen science projects, based on questions collected from stakeholders in the field.

Objective

Show the potential value of citizen science for private land conservation, in particular for the monitoring of privately protected areas and documenting their contribution to EU and global biodiversity policy objectives, for both NGO and landowners.
Exchange on barriers, challenges, solutions and opportunities by sharing examples, projects, programs, raising awareness on the potential, contact points for support.

Target Audience

Members of research groups related to citizen science and biodiversity
NGOs or organisers of monitoring programmes
Landowners

Visit link below for program & to register

“For Peat’s Sake” Strengthening peatlands’ targets in the Nature Restoration Law
2022-10-26 14:00 - 18:00 UTC
The EU-funded projects WaterLANDS and Care-Peat are organising an event on 26th October 2022 afternoon, in Brussels’ European Quarter.
The event “For peat’s sake” – Strengthening peatlands’ targets in the Nature Restoration Law will showcase why healthy peatlands are key to a successful Nature Restauration Law. The event will consist in two parts:
– Part I: Technical seminar on contributions of peatlands towards EU Green Deal commitments from the WaterLANDS and Care-Peat projects (from 14:00 to 16.15 approximately). This Part I is addressed to technical experts.
– Part II: High-level policy event – upon special invitation only and with prioritised registration for decision-makers due to limited space available (from 17.00 to 18.15 approximately, followed by networking drinks). The high-level policy event will be hosted by Member of the European Parliament, Jutta Paulus, Shadow rapporteur for the Greens group on the Nature Restoration Law, and enclose a statement of Environment Commissioner Virginius Sinkevičius (TBC). This part II is addressed to decision-makers.
You may indicate your interest in the event by registering via this pre-registration link on a first come, first served basis. Further details about the event are included in the form. Deadline for registration is the 21st October.
Remote registration might be available but not yet confirmed. Check out registration link.

Supporting EU’s biodiversity targets by bridging the science-policy divide
2022-11-15 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | European Parliament, On-line Event, Strasbourg, France
Hybrid Event: Supporting EU’s biodiversity targets by bridging the science-policy divide

Tuesday 15th November 2022, 14:00 – 15:30 CET
Event organized under the umbrella of the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’ in collaboration with the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will not only provide an opportunity for scientists and policymakers to discuss the specific issues related to the Nature Restoration Law and biodiversity, but also to assess how greater collaboration between the two communities can be achieved to improve biodiversity and overcome societies’ biggest challenges. The event will highlight the advice provided in the EGU response to the Nature Restoration Law document, and focus on the benefits of taking a solutions-directed, research-based approach.

Hybrid event organized at the European Parliament, Brussels – Room PHS 4B1 / online
Co-hosted by MEP César Luena
Rapporteur of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 & Nature Restoration file
& MEP Jutta Paulus
Shadow Rapporteur for the Nature Restoration file

EVENT REGISTRATION:

If you would like to physically attend the meeting at the European Parliament, please fill in the Physical Attendance Registration Form (Registrations for physical attendance will close on Monday 7th of November 2022 at 12:00 CEST)

If you would like to join the event online, please fill in the Online Attendance Registration Form.

SER announces publication of a world first Standard for Mining Restoration
2022-11-16 14:00 - 14:30 UTC | On-line event
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is pleased to announce the publication of the foundational International Principles and Standards for the Ecological Restoration and Recovery of Mine Sites, a first-of-its-kind framework with standards for socially and environmentally responsible restoration in global mining activities.
Event organised by our mother organisation SER International.
Follow link below for details and registration.

State of Ecological Restoration in Flanders - #SEREwebinars2022
2022-11-22 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | On-line event
Presenters:
Kris Decleer, Research Institute for Nature and Forests-Flanders (INBO)
Registration to the webinar ➡ ➡ ➡ NOW OPEN 💡 💡 💡
This is the 7th of the webinar series by SER Europe in 2022
A SER Europe member lectures us on the State of Ecological Restoration on her/his Country, followed by a Q&A and a conclusion on best practices and further research+innovation networking.
CERPs/CERPITs: this event is pre-approved for 1 CEC
You can view again the previous webinars here.
Would like you to present your country, region or landscape in a webinar? Write us an e-mail

Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”: an Atlantic-Arctic lighthouse
2022-11-24 - 2022-11-25 | National Maritime College of Ireland, Cork, Cork, Ireland
This event, taking place at the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork, aims to mobilise a wide range of stakeholders to join the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, and particularly the Atlantic-Arctic lighthouse.
The event will focus on the political commitments to implement the Mission and agree on concrete measures and actions in the Atlantic-Arctic basins to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, and boost coastal resilience.
This is an on-line / in person event. Follow link for further details, program and registration.

Restoration Day at the Rio Conventions Pavilion: UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15)
2022-12-13 14:30 - 23:30 UTC | online event
Tomorrow in the COP15 on Biodiversity at Montreal (Canada) – Full day program on Ecological Restoration accessible online – Link below for full program and direct access to the livestream.
Note that the program is in EST time in Canada is -6hr CET. The day sessions thus start at 14.30hr CET.
Led by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and hosted at the Rio Convention Pavilion, this full day event will support the Decade’s rallying call aiming to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. As a broad and inclusive network of partners, the UN Decade strengthens the national commitments to the three Rio Conventions to combat biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation, and can help to end poverty, only succeeding if everyone plays a part.

State of Ecological Restoration in France #SEREwebinars2022
2022-12-13 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | online event
Presenters:
Renaud Jaunatre, Andre Evette, Delphine Jaymond, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE)

Registration to the webinar ➡➡➡NOW OPEN💡💡💡

Ecological restoration started in France in the 1860’s with the program “Restauration des Terrains en Montagnes” in order to recover vegetation cover to prevent erosion in mountain areas. Since then, and especially from the early 2000’s other restoration projects have been implemented in various ecosystems and with various approach and objectives. There is however few available experience collection and no comprehensive database of these restored areas, except for some specific methods such as soil water bioengineering.
Riverbanks form edges between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Natural riparian habitats are known for their great biodiversity, which is extremely high compared to their relative area. However, human constructions are often built close to the water. Riverbank protection works with bioengineering techniques can be a compromise both for protecting human issues and preserving riparian biodiversity. This lack of knowledge and experience collection is one of the main obstacles to bioengineering techniques development. GeniVeg is a database gathering the characteristics of soil bioengineering operations in France in order to constitute a tool contributing to the promotion of these techniques instead of civil engineering. The inventory of operations was made from bibliography and field work. Information was assembled in six sections: the work itself (e.g. location , riverbank features), the river (section along the bioengineering work), the soil bioengineering techniques, the origin of the data (which institute, which project), the plant species and a description of the current condition of the techniques. This database has been developed on the French territory since 2017, which includes the metropolitan and overseas territories. It is managed by INRAE in cooperation with the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) and aims to identify and characterize Riverbank Soil Bioengineering works.
We will focus on the presentation of this database and its first results, we will also present the project of a future database including all terrestrial ecological restoration projects at the national scale (BDRest).

This is the 8th and last webinar series by SER Europe in 2022
A SER Europe member lectures us on the State of Ecological Restoration on her/his Country, followed by a Q&A and a conclusion on best practices and further research+innovation networking.
CERPs/CERPITs: this event is pre-approved for 1 CEC
You can view again the previous webinars here.
Would like you to present your country, region or landscape in a webinar? Write us an e-mail

Capacity Development Needs for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration - Webinar
2023-01-20 17:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | online event
IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group Webinar
Register here
Join us for the December session of the “Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice” webinar series, hosted by the Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Ecosystem Management (IUCN CEM).
Title: An action plan to address systemic capacity needs for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Presenter: Robin Chazdon
Abstract: An FAO-led Taskforce on Best Practices was established to enhance knowledge dissemination and system-wide capacity-development efforts throughout the UN Decade. The Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan is one of the main outputs of the Taskforce. The final draft of the Action Plan was completed in November 2022 as the culmination of three Taskforce activities conducted during 2020–2022: 1) a global capacity needs online assessment; 2) a stocktaking of knowledge products and capacity-development initiatives; and 3) extensive targeted consultations with different global and regional stakeholder groups. The Action Plan acknowledges the need to enhance all forms of capital of those involved in restoration: human, natural, social, built, political, financial and cultural. The eight initiatives that compose the Action Plan emphasize the need to mainstream restoration knowledge in education and natural resource management programmes at all levels, including by instructing and empowering current and future generations of professionals, educators, policymakers, private-sector leaders, implementers, practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, community leaders and volunteers. It also highlights the importance of learning and sharing knowledge developed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and recognizing their contributions to current restoration efforts around the world. In the presentation, I will describe the eight initiatives and elaborate on how they will enhance capacity, knowledge, and learning across different stakeholder groups engaged in ecosystem restoration at local, regional, and global scales.

Webinar ”European forest restoration: urgently needed, but where and how?”
2023-02-08 16:00 - 17:30 UTC | online event
8th of February 2023

Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Wageningen University, Iciar Alberdi, Spanish National Research Council, Jürgen Bauhus, University of Freiburg, Harald Mauser, European Forest Institute & Sara Filipek, Wageningen University

”European forest restoration: urgently needed, but where and how?”

SUPERB

Register to the webinar here.
See full webinar series and link to previous recorded webinars here.

The Nature Restoration Law: challenges for the scientific community
2023-02-27 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/Paris) | online event
Alternet & SERE – The Nature Restoration Law: challenges for the scientific community
14:00-15:30 CET

SER Europe, liased with INBO-Flanders participates in the fifth installment in the Alternet Science-Policy Interface seminar series on 27 February 2023 (14:00-15:30 CET). This free, open webinar is organized jointly by Alternet – SERE – INBO, on the subject of the Nature Restoration Law.

On 22 June 2022, the European Commission launched its proposal for an ambitious Nature Restoration Law that promotes a planned, science-based approach to better tackle both the biodiversity and climate crisis, in coordination with other existing European legislation. It is a potential game-changer for the implementation of nature-based solutions in our urban, agricultural, forestry and river/floodplain ecosystems and for boosting the resilience and integrity of the ecosystems in our protected areas.
Currently, discussions are ongoing within the European Council and the European Parliament and it is likely that the law will be passed by the end of 2023, followed by immediate implementation in all member states in 2024. The urgency is high and the timing is extremely tight. During the webinar, the law will be introduced and we explore and discuss the challenges for the scientific community to support the implementation of the law.
This webinar is an activity of the 2023 SER Partnership Fund Project “SERE4NRL: Advocacy for the European Union Nature Restoration Law – A model for Global Restoration Policy”.

Programme

Maurice Hoffmann, chair Alternet: Welcome and introduction.

Jordi Cortina-Segarra, chair Society for Ecological Restoration Europe: Welcome and introduction SERE.

Karolina D’Cunha, Deputy Head of Natural Capital and Ecosystems Health Unit at the European Commission: Introduction to the EC proposal of a Nature Restoration Law.

Kris Decleer, senior researcher INBO and board member SERE: Challenges for the scientific community.

Discussion, moderated by Juliette Young (INRAE).

Direct link to register.

Forest Restoration Talks
2023-03-08 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
The Forest Restoration Talks organized jointly by SUPERB and IUFRO‘s Task Force ‘Transforming Forest Landscapes for Future Climates and Human Well-Being’ investigate forest restoration questions from diverse scientific perspectives, with alternating focus on the global and European levels. The series brings together researchers, practitioners, NGOs, policy makers and other interested stakeholders to explore practical forest restoration approaches, experiences and challenges worldwide.

Past, present and future of wetland functioning and restoration: Celebrating 50 years of aquatic ecology at Radboud University
2023-03-30 | de Lindenberg, de Lindenberg, Nijmegen, Netherlands
More information will follow in January, but for now please save the date!

Forest restoration talks: ”Billions of trees? The how, where and don’ts of tree planting”
2023-04-12 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Don’t miss it! Giorgio Vacchiano, Associate Professor, University of Milan, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Register here.
Targeting researchers, practitioners, NGOs, policymakers and other interested stakeholders, the IUFRO/SUPERB Monthly Forest Restoration Talks investigate forest restoration questions from diverse scientific perspectives, with alternating focus on the global and European levels. This includes exploring practical forest restoration approaches, experiences and challenges worldwide. The webinars take place every second Wednesday of the month at 16:00 CET.
Upcoming webinar: 10 May 2023 – “Restoration Policy Accelerator: a journey to inspire, innovate and streamline policies to restore 50 million hectares in Latin America and the Caribbean and 100 million hectares in Africa/René Zamora Cristales (WRI)

CCB expert workshop - Deadline for registration: 26 March 2023-'Natural river processes as a base for river-related protected areas and river restoration'
2023-04-20 08:00 - 2023-04-22 17:00 UTC | Drawa National Park area, Pestkownica, Pestkownica, Poland
Participants will be recruited from the EU and the Baltic Sea region countries. Decision-makers, water-related institutions, river managers, and protected areas managers with practical experience in applying for strict protection, River University participants, nature conservation authorities, experts responsible for monitoring and other relevant experts are welcome!
Deadline for registration: 26 March 2023.

Webinar in Spanish: La ley europea de restauración: una oportunidad única para recuperar la naturaleza en España y mejorar el bienestar de las poblaciones rurales y urbanas
2023-06-05 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/Paris)
Join Spanish experts discussing the proposal for a Nature Restoration Law and its implications, considering it is a unique opportunity for deploying collaborative and coordinating work towards recovering degraded terrestrial and marine spaces.
Next Monday 05 June, 2023, 18:00-19:30 CEST
