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Dear Jon Schull,
This week marks the official end of SER2023, with the virtual component that held over 60+ presentations, 12 symposia, 2 workshops, and a side event from 7 - 8 November. Discover some of the important restoration content shared during our virtual component.
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Virtual Component Highlights
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Day 1:
- Ekaterina Lengefeld, a PhD scholar at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in India and member of SER's Asia Network presented on India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the world's largest livelihood security program, offering a model for aligning policies to support while empowering marginalized communities.
- During a virtual symposium, distinguished researchers Mieke Bourne, Dr. Stephanie Romañach, Larry Epstein, and Kazue Fujiwara, presented case studies from Africa, Asia, North America helping identify frameworks to support large-scale ecosystem restoration programs.
- Delegates learned about a "River Lab" on the Danube (Austria) helping to engage the public on river restoration. Established by professor Helmut Habersak the Lab conducts river research and educates visitors on balancing the use of this vital resource and ecosystem protection.
- Dr. Marian Chau presented on Terrafomation's Global Bank Seed Index report, which finds that nearly all countries still need seed banks, some needing hundreds or even thousands to fulfill restoration potential within ten years.
Day 2:
- Fernando Gardon of re.green set out to answer the question "what are the significant challenges of large-scale restoration, and how can these be overcome?" He offered his perspectives on practical approaches for successful landscape-scale restoration projects, using examples from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
- Lara Monteiro, PhD student at the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources highlighted the importance of open ecosystems - savannas and grasslands - their threats and challenges and the need for restoration efforts. She presented various incentives, such as economic, regulatory, and information-based instruments, used to encourage the restoration of open ecosystems.
- Jimena Samper-Villarrea delivered a presentation on the vital role of seagrass ecosystems in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Acceleration of seagrass restoration is necessary and these unique habitats are crucial for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water quality maintenance.
- Jessica Coldrey's presentation showcased the benefits and challenges of drone tree planting for ecological restoration. Her findings: stakeholders see drone tree-planting technology as a promising and exciting avenue for ecological restoration, especially in response to natural disasters, linking fragmented forest areas, and addressing labor shortages.
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SER World Conferences provide space for impact-driven discussions, workshops, side-events, and symposia.
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SER actively promotes participatory, knowledge-based approaches to ecological restoration. We have 5,000+ individual and institutional members representing more than 100 countries.
Join our global restoration network!
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