On June 22-25, 2011, the wetland restoration workshop hosted by Professor Cui Lijuan, of the Institue of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, was held in Beijing, China. Professor Cui, who is an STRP invoted expert, and her colleagues, Wen Xianji (World Wide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong), Zhou Demin (Capital Normal University), Wu Guofeng (Wuhan University), Liu Maosong (Nanjing University), Qin Pei (Nanjing University) and Jiang Ming (Chinese Academy of Sciences) made presentations that addressed a wide range of restoration topics and experiences from a Chinese perspective. More than a dozen of Professor Cui’s students also attended and contributed to the sessions. They are making significant contributions to the future of wetland restoration and management practice and research in China.

The presentations and exercises helped inform the STRP’s current work of determining if the current Ramsar restoration guidance adopted at Ramsar COP8 in 2002 needs updating and/or expanding, by identifying potential target audiences and ascertaining how useful the current guidance may be for tehm. Case studies in China, North America, Europe and Australia were discussed during the workshop. The workshop included visits to several wetland restoration sites around the Beijing area and the Beijing Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre and the Institute of Wetland Research which hosts China’s Wetland Ecology Research Network program at 17 research stations located throughout the country.

Each of the STRP workshops on wetland restoration has provided keen insight into the needs of the target audiences of the guidance, often with similar comments and recommendations from the attendees. The following general wetland restoration issues have emerged:

• Need for a clearer policy statement on wetland restoration and its value and application across government sectors.
• Need for detailed technical guidance for practitioners across the full wetland restoration process, including locally relevant examples of restoration.
• Need to set clear objectives for restoration.
• Importance of demonstration sites as outdoor laboratories, raising awareness and showcasing to policy-makers.
• Importance of translation of guidance into local or regional languages.
• Need for future workshops and information exchange with policy makers, practitioners and researchers.

We warmly thank Professor Cui, her assistants Zhang Manyin and Song Hongtao, and our esteemed colleagues and new friends in China for hosting a very productive workshop. Their leadership in wetland restoration in China is impressive and we look forward to our future collaborations.

Kevin L. Erwin, STRP member klerwin@environment.com or kerwin@fgcu.edu

More on the STRP here

Workshop Images

The Water Management and Wetland Restoration Training Course was originally developed by its lead instructor, Kevin Erwin, in association with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ducks Unlimited Canada in 1996. Over 300 people from Texas to Ukrainia have completed the 5-day course (1 day in the classroom; 4 days in the field). The training course has been offered annually with the last session held November 15-19, 2010 at the University of Guelph in Kemptville, Ontario. Information on the next session will be provided when available.

This is a hands-on course using the latest technology and practices. The focus is on watershed function and analysis; identifying and developing opportunities for restoration and management; and sustainable development practices such as agriculture.

For further information on the course, visit the Water Management course page on the University of Guelph website.

Click to read Wetland Restoration and Climate Change (PDF)

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