Hello members,

I hope you enjoyed the fall, and all the beautiful colours it brings us across region.

I am very pleased to move into to the role of Chair for our dynamic and expanding chapter. I suppose I should introduce myself for those I have not had the pleasure yet to meet. Having worked in both private and now public sectors, I am excited to bring more opportunities to members of SER-WC. I have lived in two provinces in our region (Alberta and now BC), and have spent considerable time in Saskatoon as well. I was overjoyed to visit Saskatoon for the SER-WC Fall Forum & AGM last month where we were fortunate have two full days of informative restoration speakers and field trips, AND to gain five (5!) new Directors for our board. It is my pleasure to introduce them here.

Hailing from the big sky prairies we welcome Rebecca Wilson (Saskatoon) and Alex Blais-Montpetit (Regina), and Zachary Moore (Pincher Creek). Zach is joining us in the role of Vice Chair and we look forward to supporting him as he brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the role. From the coast, we are pleased to welcome Mae Whyte (Fort St John) and Keith MacCallum (Burnaby). Please learn more about our new Directors by visiting our website.

While we were busy learning, networking and enjoying the culinary delicacies Saskatoon has to offer, our international-parent organization SER was in full swing hosting the World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Cape Town, South Africa! If you were not able make it to the event, don’t fear! You can still tune into the lectures on their Facebook page, or on the conference website.

Speaking of conferences, we are well underway with discussions with our sister organization, SER Northwest, about co-hosting a conference in Eugene, Oregon, in February 2021 — mark your calendars! We are starting to put out the call for plenary speakers at this time; our focus topics will include climate change, ecological adaptation and the agricultural/ecological restoration interface. If you would like to nominate a speaker for consideration, please write to us at restorewc@gmail.com.

As we continue to plan the conference theme and program, we are seeking volunteers to help with a range of activities. Please let us know if there is any way you can contribute to the planning through tele-conferences, online meetings, or any other tasks that can be done remotely. Volunteering at the event may also be a way to reduce your costs for registration. Join now, and get your bosses on-board to support your attendance in February 2021. Eugene is nice and green at that time of year!

Your Chair,
Erin Roberts