The Eighth Annual Chapter Meeting of the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration will be held at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana from April 1 to April 3, 2016. This year’s meeting theme is 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.

Early bird registration now open through March 17! Register online here. Or, use our email/snail mail form for registration. For a program overview and schedule, see our meeting flyer.

 

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.

Opening Plenary Session – overcoming future challenges for ecological restoration. Includes speakers from The Nature Conservancy (John Shuey, Ellen Jacquart), Michigan State University (Lars Brudvig), and The Restoration Ecology Lab (Steve Glass) to provide 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 – Attendees will have the choice of three 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 – Attendees will have the choice of 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 – Choose one of 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 – Presenters from nine states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky) and Bogota, Columbia will share their experiences involving prairie, forest, savanna, stream, wetland, and lake restoration. Presentation topics include invasive species control, use of fire, evaluating restoration techniques, overviews of restoration designs, and more!

Social Events – Several social events are scheduled that include a sponsorship reception, breakfast and lunch.

Lodging – Please see information on available lodging options in Bloomington.