A working group in the context of ecosystem restoration is a collaborative assembly of individuals with diverse expertise, formed to address specific challenges or tasks related to the restoration and rehabilitation of ecosystems. These groups typically include environmental scientists, conservationists, policymakers, local community members, and stakeholders from various sectors (e.g., agriculture, forestry, fisheries, etc.).
Key characteristics of a working group at the European Chapter for the Society for Ecological Restoration (SERE) include:
- Purpose: Focused on a specific ecosystem restoration challenge, or a topic of interest that is related to the functioning of the organisation.
- Collaboration: Members work together to design, implement, and monitor restoration projects, share data and best practices, and integrate local knowledge and scientific insights.
- Diverse Membership: Includes experts from ecology, environmental science, socio-economics, indigenous knowledge holders (where applicable), and policy, ensuring a holistic approach to restoration efforts.
- Defined Outcome: Aimed at producing actionable plans, restoration frameworks, policy recommendations, or on-the-ground interventions to achieve measurable ecological recovery and resilience.
Such working groups often form as part of broader initiatives like the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration or regional/national conservation programs.
At SERE, working groups are an integral part of the network, and play an important role in connecting communities of scientists, professionals and practitioners on shared thematic priorities of interest to SERE and its members. They are informal associations which are overseen and promoted by the SERE Board of Directors, and supported by the Programme Office. They have the capacity to advise and support the SERE Board of Directors and the Programme Office on technical issues and, when endorsed by the Board of Directors, produce positions, statements and other relevant public documentation which represent SEREs official position. Otherwise, it must be made clear that the announcement or statement reflects the opinion of the WG members, but not the entire organisation.
General Objectives of all Working Groups at SERE are:
- to facilitate and organise the exchange of information and ideas;
- to contribute to SERE’s scientific and technical expertise and to provide expert information for SERE’s network;
- to involve members and non-members in the networking activities of SERE;
- to contribute to SER/SERE Restoration Resource Centre;
- to provide technical expertise and assist on policy, scientific and technical issues with regard to ecological restoration in Europe;
- to provide orientation and help define SERE policy priorities;
- to promote and support upscaling and replication of restoration efforts across Europe;
- to respond to specific objectives of SERE projects and provide support to implementation of SERE activities.
You can find out more about the Marine Restoration Working Group here.