California Society for Ecological Restoration January 2026 |
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In this newsletter, you will find: SERCAL 2026 Updates — Registration! Tshirts! Call for Poster Abstracts! We're going places — Join or Renew today Thank you Sponsors and Sustaining Members Hooray! Ecesis News Journal will be released late Jan / early Feb Our Community of Partner Organizations are the Best Are You Hiring? Get the word out with our Job, Volunteer, and Project Boards Add these New Publications to your Reading List
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SERCAL 2026, May 18-20 Fortuna — The ink's almost dry on so many exciting details!
...Early Bird Registration begins after the MLK holiday!
...The Call for Poster Abstracts is up! Do it!
Watch your inbox for the latest…
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…The tshirt design is awesome, right? And if you won't be able to join us in Fortuna, don't worry — you'll be able to pre-order your tee!
General Timelines
CALL FOR POSTER ABSTRACTS | We will not have Lightning Talks this year BUT we are talking about 2-min "Poster Pitches" the first day for you to get everyone excited about your poster.
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS (so many great ones!) are being worked into the schedule and we'll be in touch after MLK Day to let you know your session.
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION | Begins after the MLK holiday. We'll have capacity for just over 300 attendees, so First Come, First Served.
NEXT GENERATION | The Stipend/Waiver application process begins this month through the end of Early Bird Registration (TBA but likely the end of February) and awardees will be notified two weeks later. At the moment, we have plans to award waivers to 40 presenter and 30 volunteers. We're going to secure shared hotel rooms and the campground a short walk away. We'll have volunteer opportunities and VERY discounted registration rates for those we are not able to support with a waiver. That said, we will not stop looking for additional funding. We want you there!
LODGING and GETTING THERE | By the end of this month we will have secured discounted room rates at the four hotels that are within easy walking distance (no more than 0.2 miles!) from the conference center. You can look up current lodging rates here. We also plan to reserve campsites at the Riverwalk RV Park. Be sure to watch for the announcement in mid to late January. As in previous years, we will create a google form for rideshares a little closer to the conference, say, March-ish.
Lastly… Every year, we work to improve from hard-won lessons. We're doing our best to hold fast to the deadlines we are setting in order to create a smoother experience for YOU. And with your assistance in sticking with our timeline, we'll be able to create a seamless process that we can carry with us to University of Redlands (2027) and Sacramento (2028). We can't wait to see you!
Remember to watch your inbox for the latest!
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TOGETHER we are STRONGER and so are the amazing habitats we are committed to restoring!
Hey! We've got a new membership app and it's going to bring a new shine to your SERCAL membership. Have you joined or renewed for 2026 yet? Thanks to EVERYONE who has not only renewed but has contributed to the funds we've set up to make it possible for Next Gen and under-funded colleagues to attend the conference.
THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE!
AND here are some of the new perks: 1) You can instantly set up your Member login and, if you like, hassle-free automatic renewals, AND...
2) Easy online conference registration through the Member Portal, AND...
3) Introduce yourself to the community by filling out a Meet a Member profile, AND...
More perks will be announced as we set it up. We hope you'll like it!
There are the requisite technical glitches that come with new technology, so please let us know if you're having any issues. |
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SERCAL is truly blessed to work alongside our Annual Sponsoring Members! Thank you for your continued support.
As we step into 2026, we want to sincerely thank you for your support and partnership throughout 2025. Your commitment to SERCAL played a critical role in what we were able to accomplish, and we are deeply grateful for your continued belief in our mission.
Because of your support in 2025, SERCAL was able to successfully host the SERCAL 2025 conference. Your partnership helped make possible meaningful programming, convenings, and conversations that supported ecological restoration during a time of increasing environmental uncertainty.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to build on this momentum. The coming year presents new opportunities to deepen impact, broaden engagement, and continue supporting the ecological restoration society in California. We are energized by what lies ahead and truly value the opportunity to continue this work together.
Thank you once again for your support, trust, and partnership. We look forward to collaborating with you in 2026 and beyond. |
As always, for their continued and generous support: The Schaff Family Foundation: $5,000
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2026 Valley Oak $2,500 Sponsors |
2026 Arroyo Willow $1,000 Sponsors |
2026 Sustaining Business Members
2026 Sustaining Individual Members Marcia Basalla + F. Thomas Biglione + Scott Dreher + Richard B Lewis + Jennifer Long + Cassie Pinnell + Vivian Sedgwick + Linda Spahr + Emily Zefferman |
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The new editorial group from the Leadership Team has collected some great articles for an end-of-year (but in January) issue of Ecesis and you're going to love it!
Led by Yamina Pressler (Associate Professor of Soil Science and Restoration Ecology, Cal Poly SLO) with the support of Onolunose Oko-Ose (MS, Yale School of Forestry), Sterling Meus (Fish & Wildlife Biologist, Marin Municipal Water District), and three undergrads (Ona, Milla, and Adam, go Musties!) from Cal Poly SLO, SERCAL's news journal is revving up to be published biannually and articles will also be featured on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you Team! And thank you Members, for your patience this year! The 2026 issues of Ecesis will be published in June and December. |
Our Community of Partner Organizations are The Best California Native Grasslands Association (CNGA) often leads the popular Grasslands session at our conferences. Our organizations also offer a joint membership discount as well as discounted registrations to each other's events.
California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) is another essential partner in restoring our native California landscapes. We offer discounts to each other's annual gatherings.
California Ecological Restoration Business Association (CalERBA) is a 501c6 organization that represents a growing sector of state businesses that specialize in delivery of high impact environmental outcomes.
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving as a strong advocate, technical resource, and partner to the state's 96 RCDs so that they can be Relevant, Excellent, and Visible “go-to” hubs for conservation in their communities.
Ecological Workforce Initiative is working to meet the workforce needs of the growing ecological restoration industry by training workers for living-wage careers that support both the economic vitality of our communities and the health of our environment.
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Now Available: Quick-Start Guide for Managing Invasive Aquatic Vegetation in Tidal Wetland Habitats in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
This guide is intended to give land managers an introduction to managing invasive aquatic vegetation (IAV) in tidal wetland habitats, whether the site is established, has been recently restored, or tidal reconnection will soon occur. It addresses submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), floating aquatic vegetation (FAV), and emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV). It compiles knowledge from land managers in the Delta and members of the Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination Team (DIISCT), whose purpose is to foster communication and collaboration among California state agencies, federal agencies, research and conservation groups, and other interested parties that detect, prevent, and manage invasive species and restore invaded habitats in the Delta. The authors hope this guide functions like asking an experienced colleague for recommendations as you start to consider your site’s IAV management.
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Now Available: Tracking Coastal Habitat Change Over Time: Considerations for a statewide mapping program
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), a cabinet-level council within the California Natural Resources Agency, recently published a new white paper on coastal habitat mapping in California. Prepared by the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI, Publication No. 1246) and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP, Publication No. 1438), the report was developed with support from expert panels crafted by OPC, SFEI, and SCCWRP for each of the coastal habitat types assessed: coastal wetlands, beaches and dunes, eelgrass, and rocky intertidal. WRA, Inc. Senior Marine Biologist and eelgrass survey lead, Liz Allen, was one of the experts tapped to contribute to the white paper’s chapter on Statewide eelgrass mapping strategies. The panel worked together to contribute habitat definition, current mapping best practices, and practical considerations for future mapping efforts.
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Copyright © 2026. California Society for Ecological Restoration. All rights reserved.
Our email address is: info@sercal.org 515 N Desert Stra
Tucson, 85711
USA
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