Resource Database

One decade of ecological restoration networking in France: achievements and perspectives at national and international level.

For a few decades, ecological restoration and nature-based solutions have expanded worldwide. In the context of global change, this phenomenon has been accelerating in the last years as knowledge is growing along with political interest and demand for restoration. Founded in 2008, the French restoration network REVER* is inspired by organizations like the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and is affiliated to its European Chapter (SERE) since 2014, and gathers hundreds of researchers, practitioners and students. It aims to promote restoration by facilitating horizontal exchanges and collaborations between practitioners, scientists, environmental managers, companies, etc. By co-organizing annual workshops, REVER provides regular feedbacks and assessment of the restoration practices in a diversity of habitats and environmental contexts and creates opportunities to discuss the evolution of the field. The next event will be held in the French Alps in June 2021 and will be focused on soils and plant-soil interactions. REVER provides the French restoration community with links to international networks and to French institutions, such as the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) or National Botanical Conservatories. Through educative programs, the network contributes to improve practices and to train future practitioners. Despite Covid-19 context, a national summer school has been held in Brittany in 2020 about monitoring in restoration. REVER is also a member of national committees and councils to promote a better inclusion of ecosystem functions and issues in national policies. Founding member of A-IGECO**, an organization gathering numerous ecological engineering stakeholders, REVER contributes to develop the ecological restoration economy. After more than one decade however, due to lack of manpower and funding, REVER did not manage to create a national database drawing up an inventory of restoration sites, their characteristics and geolocalization. REVER aims to thus push for the creation of this database and to develop more collaborations with other local or regional networks and to contribute to the objectives of reduction of the biodiversity losses and habitat destruction through national and international actions.

Supporting Green Recovery Post COVID-19 Pandemic Through Peatland Restoration Activities in Indonesia: A review

The COVID-19 pandemic has been taking a major toll on public health, global economic and social conditions. Many countries globally, including Indonesia, were pushed into recession due to movement restrictions that impeded the countries’ economic growth. This crisis posed a major threat to the environment as it triggered the rise of illegal activities by people to survive. Peatland is one of the vulnerable ecosystems that might also be under pressure following the economic downfall. Notwithstanding that fact, the current peatland restoration approaches, 3R (Rewetting, Revegetating, and Revitalization of people livelihood), seem to possess potential ways to support the country’s economic recovery. This paper aims to review how peatland restoration can support the green recovery in Indonesia. I reviewed and synthesized the existing literature, including journal articles, grey literature, government and non-government reports, and news articles to examine the potential benefits of peatland restoration activities to ease the pressure on the environment while also supporting green recovery. It was identified that despite several challenges, the restoration activities could potentially mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing peat fire hazards, minimizing the occurrence of future zoonotic disease, providing alternative sources of income and job opportunities. Accordingly, investing in peatland restoration activities might be one of the promising options to build back better, creating a resilient society with sustainable green recovery.

How we are preparing for the next decade: Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact Challenge

Last year, even in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and over a denial political period, the restauration agenda in Brazil strengthened, through the consolidation of key National and sub-national coalitions, including the The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (PACTO), performing a strategic role in this context. The PACTO is recognized as a coalition with a consolidated governance and is inspiring and collaborating with several initiatives, from on the ground activities, capacity building, to public policy and financial mechanism. Since it was launched, in 2009, the PACTO has been driven by technical and scientific basis, mobilization and engagement of a diverse group of stakeholders and sectors; development of a collaborative platform for achieving restoration solutions; harmonization of regional socio-ecological specificities into a common vision. Currently there are more than 300 institutions members at Pact, 17 Decentralized Units, 6 thematic working groups, and innumerous articles that corroborate the movement achievements and outcomes. Additionally, the Pact´s Geodatabase platform encompass beside the 1M Hectares of native forest recovery, more than 60,000 hectares of restoration projects, with detailed information about it, including planting trees methods, monitoring process and partners and sponsors institutions. Currently we are implementing the Pact Challenge, with the ambition of recording additionally more 1 M hectares by 2025, mainly focused
on the social and ecological drivers. To achieve that, we are implementing a pilot in 2 regions in the Atlantic Forest with good lessons learned contribution for the Decade.

Restoring health-promoting microbial biodiversity

Maintaining a healthy immune system has never been more important with globally escalating rates of allergies, auto-immune, and chronic inflammatory diseases, and in the face of novel viruses such as COVID-19. Evidence is growing of a critical role for exposure to natural microbial diversity in building immune fitness, supplementing our human microbiome, and enhancing protection against both infectious and non-infectious diseases. The human microbiome plays an active role in defending against pathogenic organisms, while human and environmental microbiomes can trigger immune-signaling pathways (particularly via the gut) with potential to impact the whole body – activating either defensive inflammation or tolerance of normally harmless agents. The human microbiome is intimately linked to our health and establishes from an early age, largely from environmental sources. Soils are of particular interest as a rich source of microbial diversity, and natural biodiversity in soils often associates with the biodiversity of aboveground ecosystems. A number of recent studies are helping to build evidence of health-promoting microbial diversity. These include: a large-area spatial epidemiology study linking ambient exposure to soils with typically higher microbial diversity with reduced risk of infectious and parasitic disease; field-scale microbiome work indicating the displacement of opportunistic and potential pathogenic bacteria with ecosystem restoration; and a pioneering mouse model study that found the gut microbiome could be influenced by trace-level exposures to biodiverse soil dust and that such exposures might supplement the gut with bacteria linked to reduced anxiety-like behaviour.

Restoration actions under Covid-19 pandemia: possible positive effects on the success

In the Mediterranean Sea, the algal forests composed by fucalean brown seaweeds of Cystoseira, Erikaria, and Gongolaria form one of the most complex, productive and vulnerable shallow-water habitats. These forests are rapidly regressing with negative impact on the associated biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In this study we carried out a pilot restoration action of Gongolaria barbata (former Cystoseria barbata) along the Monte Conero coast (Western-Central Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea), under different conditions of human impact (i.e., presence of a harbour, hurbanization and tourism) and natural characteristics (i.e., different levels of exposure). To perform the experiment, we took advantage of the lockdown imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, which possibly contribute to the healthy-donor population of G. barbata to grow in a large rock-pool near Ancona town and to efficiently recruit with lower human pressures during the spring months. The new recruits were found also on many small boulders, which were used for transplanting in the selected sites. The experiment is still ongoing and the first results confirms that this approach is feasible (thus allowing to avoid any laboratory cultures). We observed different grow rate levels depending on the experimental site, with the maximum observed in the site farthest from the city, with possible positive effects also on the associated benthic fauna and possible implications in assessing restoration thresholds along gradients of human pressures.

Challenges to Access and Engage the Restoration Productive Chain in Caatinga Biome: An Experience in a Brazilian Semiarid’s Protected Area

The semiarid region, in Brazil’s Northeast, is known for locating the Caatinga biome, the most human-populated dry forest in the world. Caatinga’s natural resources are essential for the subsistence of its inhabitants. This vulnerability context added to Caatinga’s extended dry periods, and the low number of systematic experiences in ecological restoration make it very challenging to plan and execute restoration in that region. The Araripe Plateau is a geological formation in the Caatinga, between three Brazilian states, with a protected area and a national forest, covering over 1 million hectares, and a vegetation range from savanna to evergreen forests. To restore 100 hectares in this area, using low-cost techniques, we first sought to assess the existing production restoration chain, to involve its members in ecological restoration, which is still very incipient in the region. During critical phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, we used online tools and held meetings with stakeholders to build a network. Through a virtual survey form, released between May and September of 2020, we accessed more accurate information about the production of nurseries and seed collection in the region. We found 26 seedling nurseries that could get involved in restoration projects, ten of which have provided more information through the survey form. The majority of the nurseries assessed have more than 1000 seedlings/year production, primarily native species, but most of them are not registered in the Brazilian inspection agency. Seeds collection appears to be a not common activity in the region, although it represents a potential to engage communities.

Evaluation of Municipal Natural Asset Management Projects

In Canada, many urban and near-urban ecosystems are in decline. Unfortunately, municipalities only understand and manage these natural assets as aesthetic or social amenities. They struggle to account for these ecosystems as green infrastructure that provide local communities with a wide range of important services. However, some Canadian municipalities are beginning to incorporate ecosystems such as healthy lakes, forests, or streams into their infrastructure planning with the goal of maintaining and improving services such as stormwater management. This municipal natural asset management requires municipalities to restore, conserve, inventory and track ecosystems under their jurisdiction. However, evidence of the efficacy of this approach is required to upscale it from the currently two dozen pilot communities. This evidence must show that restored and conserved ecosystems can provide services that complement built infrastructure and that municipalities meet the necessary conditions to implement this approach successfully. There is a consequent need for rigorous, long-term monitoring and reporting of municipal natural asset management to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach as a municipal service delivery strategy. Here we present results for a standardized monitoring framework of municipal natural asset management projects. This work has
resulted in an evidence database of the outcomes of municipal natural asset management while showing how pilot communities are reaching awareness, capacity, and implementation outcomes at this time, as measured by selected indicators. Finally, we highlight how economic policy directing municipal investments towards the restoration and conservation of natural assets can help our communities to build back better in a post-COVID-19 world.

COVID-19 pandemic shows that passive restoration is globally feasible but… do most decision makers agree?

During early-mid 2020, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease shows that (A) substantial changes in the consumption/production habits are feasible without the “catastrophic” consequences predicted by market economists, and, as a result, (B) environmental degradation can be reduced significantly (air > water > wildlife). This (C) unplanned “passive restoration” is occurring worldwide for the first time in human history and at a similar rate. We analyzed how key stakeholders reacted to ABC facts (e.g. United Nations, scientists, media/influencers). We conducted a systematic literature review. A set of 157 documents published during 2020 was analyzed including papers and grey literature (50% each). We identified 115 statements related to public health, degradation and restoration. Based on our experience 10 major statements/solutions were selected. Their evidence or lack thereof was discussed in consultations to field experts. Text in brackets denotes our conclusion: (1) ecosystem degradation is a major driver of emerging pathogens (true in particular cases), (2) degradation is responsible for the pandemic spread (disagree: human transportation), (3) high biodiversity mitigates viruses´ transmission by zoonosis (not yet demonstrated), (4) land use intensification facilitates “jumping” of wildlife-human barriers (weak validations), (5) wildlife meat in food markets must be reduce/eliminated to avoid risks of emerging infectious diseases (dubious evidences), (6) healthcare access restrictions increase mortality in other diseases (hypothesis based on previous epidemics), (7) economy is first (disagree: people´s welfare is first), (8) reduce 50% the ecological footprint of energy and technology (agree), (9) restore Nature and (10) change our habits of over-consumption (fully agree).

Fieldwork in the time of COVID-19

Join a panel of practitioners from several realms (governmental, contracting, and non-profit) to learn how they are adapting field work plans to reduce risks to practitioners and community members in the time of COVID 19. As we are all learning and adapting to this strange new world together, we’ll wrap up with time for participants to share their own ideas and ask questions of panelists and each other.

Speakers include the following SER-NW chapter board members: Jeff Barna, Ben Peterson, and Regina Wandler.

University of Montana COVID-19 Guidelines for Off-campus Field Research

Guidelines for off-campus field research developed by the University of Montana (as of May 4, 2020).

Guidelines for volunteers and volunteer organizations during COVID-19 outbreak in Washington

During this national emergency, we understand individuals who are not suffering from the coronavirus may want to help. However, all volunteer activities must follow critical health and safety protocols so we can protect volunteers, residents, clients, and agencies. This document provides general guidelines for volunteers and volunteer organizations and may be useful is developing organization-specific best practices.

Parks and Recreation Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) COVID-19 Best Practices Manual

Coronavirus safety protocols developed the City of Missoula (Montana, USA), including for fieldwork done by city staff in maintaining Missoula parks and open spaces.

COVID-19 Work Protocols – Garden Cycles LLC

Safety protocols from Garden City, LLC, an organization in Washington (USA) focused on native plant restoration and invasive species control.

Five Valley Land Trust COVID-19 Phase II Protocol

Guidelines from Five Valleys Land Trust (Montana, USA) on COVID-19 safety protocols.

Modo de Operación en situación de pandemia COVID19 – Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Magallanes, Chile)

COVID-19 fieldwork and operation guidelines for the ecological restoration work being done in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Magallanes, Chile). Document includes guidelines in Spanish and English.

COVID-19 Fieldwork Safety Plan – SWCA

COVID-19 Field Safety Protocols from SWCA COVID-19 Task Force (released in June 2020) including guidelines for pre-fieldwork, prepping and cleaning vehicles, communal living, personal hygiene, and post-work communication.

COVID-19 Fieldwork Guidelines with Native American Community

These COVID-19 guidelines focus on fieldwork preparations that include a 2-week quarantine and working with a Native American/Indian community. The author has removed identifying information about the project and wishes them to be anonymous.

COVID-19 Protection Plan – Skagit Land Trust

Skagit Land Trust prioritizes the well-being of our community, including our staff, volunteers,
contractors, partners, landowners and members. This protection plan lays out the protocols we will
follow during the Washington Stay Home order in response to the spread of COVID 19 – this is the version of the plan shared with volunteers.

COVID-19 Resources for the Restoration Industry – ERBA

ERBA’s mission during the COVID-19 pandemic is to support our members’ continued business operations in a safe manner and act as a resource to Congress and policymakers working to support infrastructure investments. To that end, we are pleased to provide this COVID-19 resource center that contains links to letters, legal alerts, and government recovery program applications.