The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) will host its 7th biennial World Conference in Foz do Iguassu, Paraná, Brazil from August 27 to September 1, 2017 in partnership with the Brazilian Society for Ecological Restoration (SOBRE) and the Ibero-American & Caribbean Society for Ecological Restoration (SIACRE).
The conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 delegates from the around the world embodying the great professional and cultural diversity of the three hosting organizations and representing all stakeholders in the restoration enterprise—from researchers, practitioners and policymakers to artists, educators, students and community leaders. Delegates will come from all sectors—government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and the private sector—with a wide range of professional expertise in the natural and social sciences, landscape architecture, environmental engineering, urban and regional planning, and public policy, among others.
The overarching theme of SER2017 is Linking Science and Practice for a Better World. Bridging the gap between these two modes of engagement in the restoration process—that is, between the ecologist’s perspective and the field manager’s experience—is the perennial challenge for the work of repairing degraded ecosystems. The need to foster productive two-way communication is more important than ever as the world increasingly embraces the imperative of restoration and begins undertaking projects of ever larger scope. SER2017 seeks to provide a dynamic and engaging platform for knowledge sharing among not only scientists and practitioners, but also the many other stakeholders who enter into the equation, and to leverage the unique chemistry among the three hosting organizations to widen discussion across scales—from national to regional to international.
The SER2017 conference program will feature world-renowned keynote and plenary speakers as well as numerous symposia, training workshops, concurrent sessions, and technical field trips. Sessions at past conferences have explored such topics as:
- Reinstating landscape connectivity and reducing fragmentation
- Threatened and endangered species, populations and habitats
- Invasive species management
- Restoration in parks and protected areas
- Restoration in an urban context
- Monitoring and adaptive management
- Natural capital and ecosystem services
- Agro-ecological and silvicultural systems
- The role of restoration in mitigating and adapting to climate change
- Environmental policy at the local, regional and national level
- Traditional and local ecological knowledge and community engagement in restoration
Along with the formal program of oral sessions, SER2017 will include poster sessions and other networking events, as well as a robust program of social activities—in a country and among a people known to have a penchant for socializing!
Photo courtesy of IguazuArgentina.com