California Society for Ecological Restoration December 2024 |
|
|
|
In this newsletter, you will find: Member Spotlight Ackerson Meadow Restoration Renew Yourself: Join SERCAL Thank you, Sponsoring Members! Santa Ana River Science Symposium 2025 Bull Kelp Forest Restoration Northern California Botanists Symposium Undergrad Mentorship Program — Marine Sciences Here's Some Good News! Santa Ana River Native Fish Survey Our Partner Organizations are the Best! Check Out All the Resources on our Website! |
We interviewed Isaiah Thalmayer, a member of the SERCAL budget and finance committee. We asked Isaiah:
What do you hope to see in terms of ecological restoration in the next year or so?
"There are so many exciting projects underway right now in California! In the future I hope to see more projects that support local communities, provide access to wild spaces and hands on learning opportunities. I also hope to see more projects including youth and early career folks. Restoration can do more than restore landscapes; it can restore people's connection to nature and empower communities to be stewards of their natural and cultural resources. "
Read the rest of the interview here!
|
Ackerson Meadow Restoration |
![]()
|
Ackerson Meadow, the largest mid-elevation meadow in Yosemite National Park, serves as a critical wildlife corridor and habitat for endangered species like the great grey owl and little willow flycatcher. Purchased in 2016 from private ownership, it has since become a focus of restoration efforts due to significant erosion issues caused by past landscape manipulations.
Key Details:
- Erosion Issues:
- A gully network has drained 90 acres of wetlands, with an additional 100 acres actively eroding.
- The gully measures up to 3 miles long, 14 feet deep, and 100 feet wide.
- Restoration Goals:
- Protect existing wetlands and restore hydrologic conditions.
- Re-establish the extent of wetlands with sustained high water tables.
- Support tribal participation in restoration and preserve wilderness character.
- Remove invasive species and enable continued grazing while protecting habitats.
- Project Significance:
- This restoration project is the largest wetland restoration effort in Yosemite's history and within the Sierra Nevada by fill volume.
- Aims to restore 190 acres of wetlands using a combination of earthen fill and woodchips.
- Funding and Partnerships:
- Funded by multiple organizations, including American Rivers, Google, and various state and federal entities.
- Collaboration involves the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and other local groups.
- Implementation Timeline:
- Phase 1: Earthwork activities from August 15 to October 31, 2023; revegetation in 2024.
- Phase 2: Further gully fill in 2024 and final revegetation in spring 2025.
- Ecological Impact:
- The project is expected to improve water quality, increase groundwater storage, and enhance wildlife habitat.
- It supports California’s 30 by 30 Initiative for conservation.
- Research and Monitoring:
- Ongoing research aims to assess changes in wetland health and carbon sequestration potential.
- Monitoring will track the effectiveness of restoration efforts and wildlife response.
The Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project represents a significant effort to restore a vital ecological area within Yosemite, aiming to enhance both environmental health and wildlife habitat while fostering community and tribal involvement.
Read more here!
|
One last thank you to our 2024 Sponsoring Members!
With your support of SERCAL, you are facilitating the growth and sustainability of a collaborative, knowledge-based, forward-thinking industry that is leading the effort to create and sustain a robust California native landscape for wildlife, plants, and people. We greatly appreciate the support and camaraderie of the following organizations and invite your organization to join in this important effort!
Valley Oak Sponsors
Arroyo Willow Sponsors
Sustaining Business Members Sustaining Individual Members Scott Dreher | Lisa Paterson | Emily Zefferman Our Cadre of Torchbearers for the Next Generation And the continued and generous support of Victor Schaff and the Schaff Family Foundation |
![]()
|
![]()
|
Registration will open soon! For more information, email kaip@sbvmwd.com |
Bull Kelp Forest Restoration |
![]()
|
Bull kelp forests, vital ecosystems in Northern California, are facing significant decline due to environmental stressors. NOAA, alongside the Greater Farallones Association, is launching a restoration initiative in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, supported by $4.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Key Details:
- Ecological Importance:
- Kelp forests are crucial habitats for numerous marine species and play a significant role in carbon capture, sequestering up to 20 times more carbon than terrestrial forests.
- Marine heat waves and a surge in purple sea urchin populations have devastated kelp forests, reducing their coverage by up to 80%. The decline has led to the collapse of local fisheries, impacting community livelihoods.
- Restoration Goals:
- Conduct research to enhance kelp restoration techniques.
- Remove large quantities of purple sea urchins to create favorable conditions for kelp regrowth.
- Restore up to 27 acres of kelp forest in areas with high recovery potential.
- Provide local job opportunities for commercial divers and businesses.
- Community Involvement:
- Local divers, such as Erik Owen, have begun harvesting sea urchins, effectively reducing their population and creating jobs.
- Partnerships with businesses, like Dandy Fish Company, facilitate the disposal of harvested urchins and support local fisheries.
- Research and Techniques:
- Innovative planting techniques for kelp are being tested, including using concrete blocks and mesh bags for kelp spore planting.
- Collaboration with research institutions aims to identify effective restoration methods and monitor environmental conditions.
- Future Aspirations:
- The project aims to foster robust kelp growth, benefiting local ecosystems and communities while highlighting the importance of kelp forests in combating climate change.
The Bull Kelp Restoration Project is a vital initiative to revive a crucial marine ecosystem, aiming to restore biodiversity, support local economies, and combat climate change through innovative practices and community engagement.
Read more here!
|
Northern California Botanists to Present a Symposium |
![]()
|
On January 13-14, 2025, Northern California Botanists will be presenting a two-day symposium titled “Collaboration, Diversity, and Partnerships in Northern California Botany,” to be held at California State University, Chico. The symposium will include an exciting line-up of topics ranging from collaboration and partnerships to Northern California botanical discoveries, a poster session, and a third day of workshops and a field trip to choose from. The symposium will also include an evening reception, banquet, and keynote speaker Patrick Reynolds, of Heritage Growers and River Partners on “Production of Native Seed Ecotypes to Support Diverse Large-scale Conservation Efforts in California.” The symposium is open to anyone: botanical enthusiasts, professionals, and students.
For a detailed program and registration information, click here.
*The Northern California Botanists is an association of botanists in the NorthernCalifornia region with the purpose of increasing knowledge and communication about botanical issues concerning science, conservation, education, and professional development.e text here.
|
Undergrad Mentorship Program - Marine Sciences |
The Pathways to Research Training Program has provided funding to faculty so that they may provide mentorship to underrepresented students in ocean and coastal science.
"Many of the funded programs focused on one key strategy: mentorship, often accomplished by pairing undergraduate students with graduate mentors. One program, at San Diego State University, found success by creating research teams consisting of a community college student, a fourth-year undergraduate and a graduate student mentor. After participating weekly in collaborative research and online trainings for three months, the younger students reported a higher sense of belonging in the sciences."
Read more here!
|
![]()
|
California has recently received $360 million from the Biden-Harris Administration to support a range of critical projects focused on habitat restoration, park improvements, and transportation enhancements. This funding complements existing investments from the Newsom Administration and is part of a broader initiative to improve community infrastructure across the state.
Key Highlights:
- Habitat Restoration:
- Funding Amount: $45 million
- Purpose: To restore California’s rivers and aquatic habitats, improving fish and wildlife health and supporting conservation efforts. These projects aim to enhance climate resilience in California and the western U.S.
- Neighborhood Park Improvements:
- Funding Amount: $95 million
- Purpose: To enhance outdoor recreation spaces in underserved communities. This funding will support 15 projects, representing the largest grant amount ever received by California through the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grants Program. The initiative aligns with the state's "Outdoors for All" effort to ensure equitable access to parks.
- Clean Transportation Investments:
- Funding Amount: Over $220 million
- Projects:
- Madera High-Speed Rail Station: $54 million for improvements to the Madera Amtrak Station, which includes new platforms and facilities. This is a key component of the Merced-Bakersfield high-speed rail service, aimed at improving transportation options and air quality in the Central Valley.
- INNOVATE 680 Program: $166 million to complete an express lane gap on I-680, enhancing safety and travel efficiency for commuters.
These investments underscore the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to transformative funding for California, aimed at benefiting communities through enhanced parks, improved habitats, and better transportation options. Governor Gavin Newsom's agenda continues to focus on equitable access and climate resilience as key priorities.
Read more here !
|
Santa Ana River Native Fish Survey |
It's that time of year again! The Santa Ana Native River Fish survey is up.
"The Santa Ana River in the Los Angeles region of California demonstrates common habitat degradation symptoms that are characteristic of the urban stream syndrome. These impacts have altered the Santa Ana River community structure, with few species as impacted as the native Santa Ana sucker (sucker; Pantosteus santaanae). 2. Consequently, a recovery plan developed for sucker identified the need for a population viability analysis (PVA) to assess sucker extirpation risk."
To read more from this publication on the Santa Ana River Survey, click here
To view the dataset, click here
|
Our Partner Organizations are the Best California Native Grasslands Association (CNGA) 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 important 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.
The UC Davis Graduate Program on Environmental Policy and Management provides advanced training in applying environmental science to real-world environmental policy and management issues focusing on building quantitative skills for practice-oriented careers in environmental policy and management.
Members of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) are able to earn CERP credits towards certification through SERCAL's annual conference.
The University of Wisconsin Press offers SERCAL members discounted subscriptions to Ecological Restoration and Native Plants Journal.
Are we missing a potential partner? Let us know who to contact! |
Post a Job | Find a Job
It's easy and it's free! Find a great job or an amazing new member of your team. Here are some of the most recent jobs posted to our website: - Nursery Specialist (3428 - SFPUC) - Sunol, CA. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Application Filing Deadline: 12/06/2024, 11:59pm (PDT).
- Project Manager - Half Moon Bay. San Mateo Resource Conservation District. Application Filing Deadline: 12/15/2024.
- Conservation Crew Lead - Quincy, CA. Feather River Resource Conservation District. Application Filing Deadline: 01/17/2025.
- Conservation Technician - Quincy, CA. Feather River Resource Conservation District. Application Filing Deadline: 01/17/2025.
- Engineer - Sonoma County. Sonoma Resource Conservation District. Application Filing Deadline: Open until filled.
- Restoration Field Manager/Senior Restoration Field Manager - Dixon, CA. Solano Resource and Conservation District. Application Filing Deadline: Open until filled
- Heavy Civil Project Manager - Petaluma, CA. Hanford ARC. Application Filing Deadline: Open until filled
Go to our RESOURCES menu to find or post a JOB, VOLUNTEER events, and even MORE OPPORTUNITIES! |
Copyright © 2024, California Society for Ecological Restoration. All rights reserved.
Our email address is: info@sercal.org 515 N Desert Stra
Tucson, 85711
USA Want to change how you receive these emails? |
|
|
|
|
