Past Annual Meetings

2023 Annual Chapter Meeting: The Leopold Center & Vennebu Hill, Baraboo, Wisconsin

Two workshops, four field trips, and three symposia featured a variety of topics including climate change adaptation, prairie restoration, deer management and invasive species management. Additionally, the Aldo Leopold Foundation organized a guided field tour at the second oldest prairie restoration site in the US., the Aldo Leopold “shack” and the Leopold Pines Conservation Area. Other field trips were led to local restoration sites including the Baraboo River dam removals and the expansive former Badger Ammo Plant which is being partially restored to prairie via partnership of the Ho-Chunk nation, the Wisconsin DNR, the USDA-NRCS and local partners.

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Annual Meeting 2023 Image Gallery

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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS MEETING HOST AND SPONSORS:

MEETING CO-HOST: The Aldo Leopold Foundation

RUE ANEMONE SPONSOR: Environmental Consulting & Technology, University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering 

PRAIRIE TRILLIUM SPONSORS: Davey Resource Group, GEI, KCI Technologies Inc, Ernst Conservation Seeds

BLOODROOT SPONSORS: Ecological Design, Holden Forest & Gardens, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Land Restoration School, MycoBloom, Osage Inc., University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center

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2022 Annual Chapter Meeting:  Cleveland Ohio

2021 Annual Chapter Meeting:  Virtual

2019 Annual Chapter Meeting: Central College Pella, Iowa

The Eleventh Annual Chapter Meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration was held at Central College in Pella, Iowa from April 12 to April 14, 2019. The meeting theme was Cultivating Innovative Restoration Connections in the Midwest. Our primary meeting goal was to explore how to foster the development of innovative restoration connections ecologically, culturally, and professionally to enable the field of ecological restoration to meet future challenges. Download the Meeting Program: 2019 Meeting Program Download the abstract book: 2019 SERMWGL Abstract Book. The three day meeting included:

• Keynote Presentation by Laura Jackson (University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center). Recruiting New Allies to Restore the Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem.
• Plenary Session on Pollinator Habitat Restoration at Multiple Spatial Scales. Sarah Foltz Jordan (Xerces Society), Seana Godbold (Iowa Department of Transportation), and Dana Kellogg (Linn County Conservation) will share their thoughts on pollinator habitat restoration in the Midwest at spatial scales ranging from regionally across the Midwestern United States to locally within Iowa.
• Meeting Host Plenary Session on Small College – Big Project: The First Seven Years of the Prairies For Agriculture Project. Faculty, alumni, and students involved in Central College’s Prairies For Agriculture Project will give a “Posters in the Prairie” session describing results of research conducted during the first seven years of this long-term project. Topics to be discussed include mowing, droughts, bees, plant bullies, Monarch butterflies, and more.
• Choice of one of four symposia: 1) Overcoming barriers to ecological restoration on farms for soil, water, and wildlife in the upper Midwest; 2) Incorporating fire research into land management and restoration work across the Midwest; 3) Innovative science communication to build connections in restorations; 4) Working lands: innovative framework to expand and improve ecological restoration in the Midwest
• Choice of one of three workshops: 1) On-farm pollinator habitat restoration using organic site preparation methods; 2) Employing innovative quality assurance strategies in ecological restoration – a workshop on best practices in conducting quality control field checks during restoration monitoring; and 3) Introduction to  identification of bees found within the Midwest
• 56 Contributed Oral and Poster Presentations: We currently have presenters from 12 states (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Virginia) and Canada who will share their experiences involving prairie, forest, savanna, stream, wetland, and lake restoration.  Presentation topics include invasive species control, use of prescribed fire, evaluating restoration techniques, overviews of restoration designs, and more,
• Choice of two of four field trips: 1) Prairie and Savanna restoration at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge; 2) Restoration at the DeCook Bison Ranch; 3) 25 Years of Oak Savanna Restoration at the Snyder Heritage Farm; and 4) Marshall County Conservation Board Prairie STRIPS project site.
• Social Events: Several social events are scheduled that include a student social on Thursday evening, a sponsorship reception on Friday, lunch on Friday and Saturday, breakfast on Saturday, and a no-host social on Saturday

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS MEETING HOST & SPONSORS

MEETING HOST: Central College, Pella, Iowa

RUE ANEMONE:  Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium  PRAIRIE TRILLIUM SPONSORS: Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., Ernst Seeds, Prairie Restorations, Inc., Stantec, and The Nature Conservancy BLOODROOT SPONSORS: Allendan Seed Company, Blank Park Zoo, Iowa Native Plant Society, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, MycoBloom, University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center, Iowa Prairie Network, and Stanley Consultants  

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2018 Annual Chapter Meeting: Stevens Point, Wisconsin

The Tenth Annual Chapter Meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration was held at the Holiday Inn Stevens Point-Convention Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin from April 20 – April 22, 2018. Thank you for joining us!

Meeting Program and Abstract Book Available! View the meeting program with details on the agenda for the meeting. View the abstract book with abstracts of all presentations.  

With a theme of Heeding the Call, the meeting explored how to promote the call to expand restoration efforts and partnerships beyond the typical site scale to larger spatial scales encompassing multiple ecosystem types. This year’s Chapter meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Wisconsin Lakes Partnership Convention and Water Action Volunteer Symposium. Keynote Presentation by Stephen Carpenter (University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology). “Past and Future Change in the Yahara Watershed: A Social-Ecological Experiment” Plenary Presentation by Tracy Hames (Wisconsin Wetlands Association). “Landscape-scale Wetland Restoration in Wisconsin: There’s More to It Than Just Good Science” Meeting Host Plenary Session on “Applied Learning Through Practice, Research and Reflection: Engaging University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources Students in Meaningful Ecological Restoration in Central Wisconsin”. Faculty and students

at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources shared results of their work restoring healthy ecosystems on campus lands and with the state of Wisconsin partners. Choice of One of Two Symposia: 1) River Floodplain and Wetland Restoration in the Midwest; 2) Advancing Like a Fire Through the Understory – Progress and Perspectives in Oak Savanna Restoration. Choice of One of Four Workshops: 1) Application of Quality Assurance and Quality Control Principles to the Planning of Ecological Restoration Data Collection Efforts; 2) Don’t Talk Like a Scientist; 3) Online Training Program Development for Ecological Restoration; 4) Who Me? A Modeler? Using Simple Modeling Tools to Explore the Costs and Benefits Management Scenarios. Choice of One of Three Field Trips or Three Volunteer Work Days: 1) Moses and Lost Creek Restoration Projects Field Trip; 2) Emmons Creek Savanna Restoration Field Trip; 3) Tomorrow River Fish Habitat Restoration Field Trip; 4) Schmeekle Reserve Restoration Project Work Day; 5) Green Circle Trail Invasive Species Management  Project Work Day; 6) Holiday Inn Pond and Riparian Restoration Project Work Day. 59 Contributed Oral and Poster Presentations: Presenters from ten states (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Kentucky, Virginia) and the District of Columbia will share their experiences involving prairie, forest, savanna, stream, wetland, and lake restoration. Presentation topics included invasive species control, use of prescribed fire, evaluating restoration techniques, overviews of restoration designs, and more! Continuing Education Credits:  The SER Midwest-Great Lakes 2018 Annual Chapter Meeting was pre-approved for Continuing Education Credits (CECs) from the following organizations:

• Society for Ecological Restoration (SER): 6 CECs
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): 6 CEUs
• Society of American Foresters (SAF): 22.5 CFEs

We provided a meeting passport to track your attendance for professional development hours from other organizations.  Please email us (mwgl.ser@gmail.com) if you have questions about continuing education credit. Thank you to our sponsors! Cindy Crosby-Northwestern University Press, Ernst Seeds, Landscapes of Place, Partnership for River Restoration and Science in the Upper Midwest, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin Office of The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Genesis Nursery, Stantec, Atwell, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Metro Consulting Associates, Applied Ecological Services, Cardno, Eco Logic LLC, Eco-Resource Consulting, Grand Valley State University, University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Freckmann Herbarium      

 

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2017 Annual Chapter Meeting: Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Ninth Annual Chapter Meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan from March 24 to March 26, 2017. This year’s meeting theme was Assembling the Restoration Community. A special feature this year’s conference was the attendance of Bethanie Walder, Executive Director of SER, the Society for Ecological Restoration.

We are grateful for the generous support of our meeting hosts – the Department of Biology at Grand Valley State University and our sponsors – Atwell, Cardno, Davey Resource Group, Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc., Ernst Conservation Seeds, GEI Consultants Inc., Illinois Native Plant Society, Michigan Chapter –The Nature Conservancy, MycoBloom, Native Connections, Prairie Moon Nursery, Stantec, University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center, Wildtype LTD. 2017 Meeting Program (3.7M). 2017 Abstract Book (3.4M) – Abstracts for all presentations and posters. Keynote Speaker – Our keynote speaker was Evan Weiher (University of Wisconsin-Eu Claire), “Community Assembly Theory May Help Inform Both Ecological Restoration and Assembling the Restoration Community”. Video excerpt  Opening Plenary Session – Designing Ecological Restoration Projects for Promoting Public Engagement. Landscape architects from Environmental Consulting & Technology (Patrick Judd), University of Michigan (Robert Grese), University of Wisconsin-Madison (John Harrington), and the U.S. Forest Service (Paul Gobster) shared their perspectives on the importance of the design of ecological restoration projects for engaging the public and improving ecosystem integrity in the Midwestern United States.

 Video excerpt  Meeting Host Plenary Session – Restoration Research, Teaching, and Community Outreach at Grand Valley State University. Presentations by Grand Valley State University faculty, past and present graduate students, and community partners provided an overview of the research, teaching, and community outreach related to ecological restoration at Grand Valley State University. Two Contributed Symposia – 1) Restoration Practices for Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake and 2) Ecological Restoration on Farm Land. Two Workshops – 1) Preparing for Professional Success in Ecological Restoration and 2) DNA Barcoding: Employing DNA sequences to Aid in Plant Identification. Three Field Trips – 1) Coastal Wetlands and Dune Restoration Field Trip; 2) Ottawa County Park Dune and Riparian Restoration Field Trip; 3) West Michigan Oak Savannas: Protection, Restoration, and Research Field Trip. 61 Contributed Oral and Poster Presentations – Presenters from nine states (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska) and the District of Columbia shared their experiences involving prairie, forest, savanna, stream, wetland, and lake restoration. Presentation topics included invasive species control, use of fire, evaluating restoration techniques, overviews of restoration designs, and more.

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2016 Annual Chapter Meeting: Indiana University, Bloomington

Memorial Union, Indiana University Field Trip Site – Indiana DNR Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area

The Eighth Annual Chapter Meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration was held at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana from April 1 to April 3, 2016. This year’s meeting theme was Overcoming Challenges to Ecological Restoration in the 21st Century. We are grateful for the generous support of our meeting hosts, Eco Logic, Indiana University, and the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation.

Symposium (photo: Jen Lyndall)	Data Quality Workshop (photo: Jen Lyndall)
Keynote Doug Ladd (photo: Oscar Stephens)	Board Networking

2016 Meeting Program (3.1M pdf) 2016 Abstract Book (V1, 2.1M pdf) ARCHIVED HERE! Keynote Speaker – Douglas Ladd, Missouri Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy, with a talk entitled “Does Ecological Restoration Need a Rethink?”. Doug is well known through the United States as an accomplished conservation biologist and botanist. ARCHIVED HERE! Opening Plenary Session – overcoming future challenges for ecological restoration. Included speakers from The Nature Conservancy (John Shuey, Ellen Jacquart), Michigan State University (Lars Brudvig), and The Restoration Ecology Lab (Steve Glass) with a diversity of perspectives on the challenges for ecological restoration and potential strategies for overcoming these challenges to ensure the success of future restoration efforts in the Midwestern United States.

Special Joint Plenary Session and Tour – Campus-Community Partnerships for Restoration, Research and Education. Presentations by Indiana University scientists and restoration practitioners on the challenges and successes of campus restoration projects and associated research, teaching and outreach activities. Followed by tours highlighting forest and wetland restoration efforts on campus and on the Indiana University Research & Teaching Preserve. Three Contributed Symposia: 1) Soil Microbes in Ecological Restoration; 2) Restoration in Rights-of-Way – a Discussion About Improving Habitat and Creating connectivity in 21st Century Landscapes; and 3) Restoration and Management in Ravines and Steep Forestland. Two Workshops: 1) Sedge (Carex spp) Identification and 2) Employing Effective Quality Assurance Strategies in the 21st Century – A Workshop on Best Practices in Conducting Data Quality Control Checks in Ecorestoration Projects. Two Field Trips: 1) Large Scale Shallow Wetland and Native Grass Prairie Restoration and 2) Increasing Ecological Resilience in Southern Indiana Forests. 63 Contributed Oral and Poster Presentations from nine states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky) and Bogota, Columbia. Presentation topics included invasive species control, use of fire, evaluating restoration techniques, overviews of restoration designs, and more! We gratefully acknowledge our meeting sponsors! Thank you! Atwell, Cardno, D2 Land and Water Resources, Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc., Forest Service Northern Research Station, Genesis Nursery Inc., Green 3 Studio, Green Shoots, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Illinois Native Plant Society, Indiana Office of The Nature Conservancy, Island Press, KCI Technologies, Metro Consulting Associates, 2016 North American Prairie Conference, Stantec, UIS Therkildsen Field Station, University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center, Williams Creek Consulting Woolpert

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