It Starts with the Soil: SERO Symposium 2014

Download the FINAL Program

When: Saturday March 1st, 2014

Dear SERO Members,

The Ontario Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration is pleased to offer the Annual Society for Ecological Restoration Symposium (SERO 2014).  The Symposium will take place at the University of Guelph Arboretum Centre, located on Arboretum Road south of College Ave East in Guelph. This year’s theme of “It Starts with the Soil…” has the goal of focusing on the role of ‘soil’ in ecological restoration. The purpose of the symposium is to allow students, academics and industry members to bridge the gap between theoretical based knowledge and real world application by engaging experts from academia and industry through lecture, and conversation.

This event focuses on providing an opportunity for students, practitioners, planners, and managers to extend their education beyond their current knowledge. It is our goal to make SERO 2014 an educational experience that will both enrich and inspire all attendees! SERO 2014 is expected to attract one hundred people for the day to attend lectures, and generate thoughtful and positive discussion. This year we hope to encourage students, citizens, and industry alike from a variety of disciplines to develop their skills and share their accomplishments, benefiting both the presenter and attendees, and provide a forum to develop potential
innovations and creative ideas.

Objectives of the Symposium include:

1. Develop a working framework for what we mean by “soil”:  traditional, constructed, artificial
2. Identify the kinds of impacts sustained by soils:  chemical; physical; biological; other
3. Identify solutions that will contribute to sustainability of projects and assist with adaptation to global change.

Agenda:

8:30    Registration and Coffee

9:00   Welcome and Introduction – Richard Heck (University of Guelph)

9:30    Dave Kroetsch (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) – Soil FUNdamentals

10:15   Richard Heck – Soil Structure – It Depends on Your Point of View

11:00   Break

11:15    Mike McTavish (University of Waterloo) – Architects of the soil: influences of exotic earthworms on ecosystem structure and function with implications for restoration in invaded ecosystems

12:00  Autumn Watkinson (Laurentian University) – Planning for Ecosystem Rehabilitation on Mine Closure in Northern Ontario: Manufactured Soil Use for Native Vegetation

12:45  Lunch and Networking

1:30     Chris Morrison (StormWaterForestry) – Gardening with a Dozer: Re-Inventing Development

2:15     Maren Oelbermann (University of Waterloo) – Using complex agroecosystems to restore degraded soil and sequester carbon

3:00    Sean Rapai (University of Guelph) – The role of biotic and organic soil amendments in native plant restoration on post mine substrates in Ontario’s boreal ecosystem

3:45    Break

4:00   Adrienne Mason (University of Waterloo) – Innovative Water and Sediment Control Berm to Improve Water Quality in the Pine River Watershed

4:45    Discussion, Wrap up and Evaluation

5:30    Meet us at the Pub Night: How to Get a Job in Soil Science or Ecological Restoration?

See you there,
Dale Leadbeater
Continuing Education, SERO

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Thank you to the following sponsors who have helped support SERO and have ensured we will be able to continue our scholarship program into 2015.

Credit Valley Conservation

University of Guelph

Urban Forest Association Inc.

SLR Consulting Canada

MMM Group

Beacon Environmental

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

N-S Environmental