SER2017 Awards celebration

1. SER2017 Awards celebration Awards Committee:

2. Society for Ecological Restoration • Every two years, in conjunction with the SER World Conference on Ecological Restoration, the Society recognizes individuals or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in advancing the craft, knowledge, and public awareness of ecological restoration. • Recipients are selected by the SER Awards Committee on the basis of nominations received during an open nomination period. • Tonight we are pleased to formally recognize our 2017 winners.

3. Society for Ecological Restoration • The Communication Award recognizes individuals or organizations who have made a significant impact in advancing the theory, practice, and/or public awareness of restoration through innovative communications strategies, tools, or technologies.

4. Society for Ecological Restoration • Dr. Liu founded two ecological restoration organizations in China – the Society for Ecological Rehabilitation of Beijing and the Union of Societies for Ecological Restoration and Environmental Protection -- on his own initiative and principally by his own efforts.

5. Society for Ecological Restoration • Through his vision, efforts and accomplishments, Dr. Liu brought ecological restoration to the forefront as a critically needed discipline in China. Dr. Liu surmounted enormous institutional obstacles in creating restoration societies for the first time in China.

6. Society for Ecological Restoration • Founded in 2015, Society for Ecological Rehabilitation of Beijing has more than 100 members and is the first society recognized by the Chinese government which specifically focuses on ecological restoration. • Comprised of more than 20 organizations with a combined membership of more than 30,000 members, the Union of Societies for Ecological Restoration and Environmental Protection is the first officially recognized federation of Chinese organizations that is specifically focused on the environment and ecology.

7. Society for Ecological Restoration The Full Circle Award is given in recognition of restoration projects that incorporate the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples in significant ways and reflect a balance between indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge and techniques in the project’s design and implementation.

8. Society for Ecological Restoration • Junglescapes (www.junglescapes.org) is a grassroots ecological restoration NGO that has been working on restoring deciduous forests in South India for the last 8 years. Junglescapes adopts a community-based model of restoration where members of local indigenous communities are active partners in the restoration projects. Ramesh Venkataraman, Founder CR Hanumanth, Project Committee

9. Society for Ecological Restoration • “Junglescapes has done some incredible work on restoration of degraded forest land with local community participation. They established decentralized nurseries - the community was involved in selecting the plants they wanted to see in their landscape, and the seedlings were planted and protected by the community members.” Dr. Siddappa Setty, Fellow (Associate Professor) Bangalore, India

10. Society for Ecological Restoration • Working with members of 4 villages, Junglescapes has restored around 1,000 hectares of degraded forests. Due to this initiative, the attitude of the community towards the forests has undergone a positive change. They have voluntarily stopped activities like cattle grazing and firewood collection. The project activity also provides year-round employment as compared to the earlier seasonal employment in the local farms.

11. Society for Ecological Restoration • Theodore M. Sperry Award • Theodore M. Sperry was an American botanist and ecologist who pioneered early efforts to restore tallgrass prairie in the Midwestern United States. This award honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to the science and/or practice of ecological restoration. 

12. Society for Ecological Restoration

13. Society for Ecological Restoration Karen Holl and Zak Zahawi’s Work Embodies the True Spirit of the Sperry Award • Karen Holl and Zak Zahawi have demonstrated that ecological theory can be used to create restoration strategies that meet the large-scale challenges and opportunities now confronting our discipline. • Leighton Reid Missouri Botanical Garden St Louis, MO, United States

14. Society for Ecological Restoration • Broad-scale restoration costs can be exorbitant, but Karen and Zak applied methods in Costa Rica that are both efficient and effective. • Planted tree islands mimic natural succession, and over time they expand and coalesce to create secondary forests that are as diverse as conventional tree plantations, but with a much lower price tag. Karen Holl and Zak Zahawi

15. Society for Ecological Restoration • John Rieger Award • Named for the Society’s first president, the John Rieger Award acknowledges those who have dedicated their time and skills to advancing the science and/or practice of ecological restoration through the development of SER.

16. Society for Ecological Restoration • Francisco “Paco” Comí­nInstituto Pirenaico de Ecologí­a-CSICZaragoza, Spain

17. Society for Ecological Restoration • “Paco is a true pioneer in restoration and great personality in the restoration community. He played an important role in the formation of SER Europe, besides being a bridge builder with the North- and South-American continent restorationists.” • Kris DecleerResearch Institute for Nature & ForestBrussels, Belgium

18. Society for Ecological Restoration • “Since I met Paco in 1992 at the 4th INTECOL Wetland conference, I have known him as a passionate and tireless supporter of ecological restoration. He organized the first world conference on ecological restoration in Zaragoza Spain … [and] has organized many short courses in Zaragoza and elsewhere on the subject.” • William J. Mitsch • Florida Gulf Coast University • Bonita Springs, FL United States

19. Society for Ecological Restoration • Suzana and Claudio Padua • President and Vice President • IPÊ, Instituto de PesquisasEcológicas Regional Awards -- SOBRE

20. Society for Ecological Restoration • We believe IPE has the most consistent and science-based work in favor of threatened wildlife conservation and habitat/ landscape restoration. They link research to the practice with very strong and real community engagement. Vera Lex Engel, SER2017 Chair

21. Society for Ecological Restoration • Since the 90’s, IPE has worked with rural settlements (landless people who have been settled by the government) in the Pontal do Paranapanema region to restore the habitats of the black lion tamarin, the jaguar and the tapir, using methods that also generate income for the landholders. They have seen excellent results in the quality and quantity of restored lands around protected areas. • Vera Lex Engel, • SER2017 Chair

22. Society for Ecological Restoration Regional Awards -- SIACRE William Gerardo Vargas founding member Red Colombiana de RestauracionEcologica (REDCRE)

23. Society for Ecological Restoration Vargas made outstanding contributions to advancing ecological restoration in the entire SIACRE region. Vargas has taken an exemplary approach to engaging communities in rural, mixed-use landscapes to achieve restoration outcomes responsive to local socio-economic concerns; a model for all practitioners.