Society for Ecological Restoration
Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter Meeting
April 20-22, 2018
The Wisconsin Lakes Partnership is all about collaboration. To be most effective we need to be aware of additional organizations that we can and should be working with. The Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is a terrific example of a group that lake lovers should know more about. Their mission is to promote the science and practice of ecological restoration to assist with the recovery and management of degraded ecosystems throughout the Midwestern and Great Lakes region of the United States. The Chapter was formed in 2008 and covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Their membership is largely made up of scientists and practitioners who carry out the complicated and evolving work of improving landscape health.
The art and science of ecological restoration has deep Wisconsin roots. Aldo Leopold is often cited as the forefather of restoration. His efforts to systematically bring back prairie and savanna conditions at the UW-Madison Arboretum, as well as his famous toilings at “The Shack,” represent some of the best documented early attempts at healing an ecosystem. In the 1980s, UW-Madison faculty John Aber and William Jordan worked with others to formalize the science and theory underlying restoration ecology; they initiated an academic journal and an international society to advance both the science and practice of restoration. The spirit of Leopold is evident in Wisconsin every spring as professionals carry out prescribed burns of prairies and savannas. It is also evident when a lakeshore owner carefully nurtures a native garden as part of a restoration effort, or volunteers with neighbors to remove invasive species.
We are excited to be joined by the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration on the Friday of our 2018 Convention. Their presenters will give us all new perspectives on caring for lakes and watersheds. If you are passionate about restoration, you should consider sticking around for the weekend, as the chapter meeting will provide additional workshops, plenaries, and concurrent sessions, as well as tours and hands-on restoration projects on Sunday. The chapter is making it more cost effective for you to participate over the weekend by giving Lakes Convention attendees “member” registration rates without requiring membership dues, meaning that you can add the weekend of learning for as little as $50. Learn more about the SER Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter Meeting here.
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