George Gann Abstract for
Great Lakes Urban Habitat Restoration Symposium
January 22, 2009
“A Global View of Ecological Restoration and the Role of SER International”
George Gann, Executive Director of the Institute for Regional Conservation and Chair of
the Board of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) International, will provide a
global view of the practice of ecological restoration and discuss the importance of the
Society and its foundation documents. He will use SER' s Primer on Ecological
Restoration, Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects
and other SER documents to address restoration planning and monitoring, attributes of
restored ecosystems and other key elements of successful project design and
implementation. Examples from the Great Lakes, Florida and beyond will be used to
illustrate restoration successes and lessons learned.
The Great Lakes is only one of many urban areas around the world that has suffered as
the result of neglect particularly with regard to intense development pressures and the
inflated costs of doing restoration. Yet, these high-valued urban areas provide important
ecosystem goods and services for both local and regional communities. As both practical
experience is gained and the scientific basis for restoration work in urban areas is better
understood (including the integration of human use in restored landscapes), the potential
for lasting improvements has significantly increased. Greater transparency and
collaboration between and among decision-makers and stakeholders has also been an
important factor contributing to more effective restoration efforts.
SER’s documents, websites, peer-reviewed journal Restoration Ecology and international
conferences have provided the field of ecological restoration with a solid scientific
foundation and a greater understanding of the methods and techniques available to slow
or reverse ecosystem degradation. The work of the Society outlines the immediate need
for restoration and serves to inform government policy on a wide variety of ecosystem
initiatives, including urban near-shore restoration.