Conference Name: The 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2023)
Dates: 26-30 September 2023
Host Organisation: Society for Ecological Restoration (SER)
Organisations by type: Association/Institute/Community Development Agency
Number of delegates: 990 delegates from 80 countries
NT location: Darwin, Northern Territory (NT), Australia
Conference venues: Darwin Entertainment Centre , DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin & the Hilton Garden Inn Darwin
Professional Conf Organiser: Agentur Events & Professional Conferences
Event Overview
The 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2023) was staged in Darwin by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), an international non-profit organization with over 5,000 members in more than 110 countries. Founded in 1988, SER advances the science, practice and policy of ecological restoration with the aim of sustaining biodiversity, improving resilience in a changing climate and re-establishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture.
SER’s biennial World Conferences are the premier meeting point for professionals and students interested in ecological restoration and management and are held throughout the globe. Previous conferences have been held in countries such as South Africa, Brazil, England, Spain, Mexico and the USA. The conference was last held in Australia in 2009 when it was staged in Perth.
The conference provides a vital platform for knowledge exchange, discussion, and engagement on the latest trends in restoration science, practice, and policy, as well as strategies for restoring damaged and degraded ecosystems on all continents. Delegates in Darwin came from every continent and a wide range of backgrounds including natural and social sciences, environmental engineering, urban and regional planning, public policy, landscape architecture and natural resource management.
The Darwin conference was a sell-out, highlighting the growing momentum of the restoration movement globally and also the appeal of the host destination.
The conference theme was ‘Nature and people as one: celebrating and restoring connection’ with a focus on the important, and often neglected connection between culture and nature. The conference logo was inspired by the mangrove leaf, chosen for the species’ adaptability and importance for ecological health and ecosystem services. The ochre colour scheme honoured the strong Indigenous culture of the Northern Territory.
Why Darwin and the Northern Territory for this event
SER received strong support from Northern Territory Business Events, the official convention bureau for the Northern Territory and also Tourism Australia through its Business Events Bid Fund Program.
SER2023 was planned in cooperation with the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) a neutral, independent, non-profit organization that connects restoration industries across Australasia. Founded in 2011, SERA now has over 200 members, individuals and organisations, across 17 countries and provides restoration support throughout Australasia. SER2023 also received support from many other partners in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The Execution
Pre-conference half-day and full-day training courses were held on the two days prior to the official commencement of the conference. These were staged at the Hilton Garden Inn Darwin and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin. An SER invitation-only Global Forum was also staged, along with a UN Decade Advisory Board meeting.
SER2023 was inaugurated by Dr. Richard Fejo, a respected Elder of the Larrakia People, the traditional owners of the Darwin region. Dr Fejo has dedicated his life to advocating for and supporting aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. His Welcome to Country delivered on behalf of the Larrakia set the stage for what was to be the world’s largest global meeting of restoration experts.
Over the four days of the conference, 750 concurrent sessions and symposia, workshops, field trips, plus poster and training sessions explored restoration issues across all continents and ecosystems. Topics encompassed indigenous and local restoration knowledge, field-based restoration innovations, global databases, innovative eco-technologies, community projects and inspirational approaches.
Conference plenary sessions were live-streamed each day and a trade exhibition held in conjunction with the conference was located at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin.
A number of additional events were staged during conference lunch breaks at The Playhouse at the Darwin Entertainment Centre and the lobby and foyer space of the Hilton Garden Inn Darwin.
A total of 12 conference field trips were arranged prior to and after the conference and provided an opportunity for delegates to see some of the innovative restoration projects being undertaken in the Northern Territory.
The single and multi-day options were Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park which included a visit to the former mine site known as Rum Jungle, a 3-day Katherine River Safari, a cultural wetlands visit and also the iconic Central Australia locations of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.
Social Programme
The conference Welcome Ceremony and Opening Reception were staged in The Playhouse of the Darwin Entertainment Centre.
The inaugural Society for Ecological Restoration Film Festival was also staged at The Playhouse on one of the evenings - this was the first time the film festival had been held in conjunction with the SER Conference and it showcased a lineup of ecological restoration films from around the world.
A conference celebration dinner was held at the award-winning Wharf One Food and Wine at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. It featured alfresco food stations, bars, dancing and entertainment, with the Darwin’s balmy evening weather enabling a memorable outdoor occasion and a taste of the NT.
Local community engagement & sustainability elements
Tony Ballard, Meetings and Education Manager with SER made special mention of the Yarning Circles which were a feature of the Darwin conference. Yarning Circles are important within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture – they enable learning from a collective group, the building of respectful relationships, and the preservation and passing on of cultural knowledge. SER management have indicated they plan to feature Yarning Circles at future conferences.
A culturally significant moment occurred at the conference closing ceremony when one of the Indigenous leaders presented Talking Sticks to the host, a representative from the Larrakia People of Darwin, and also to the next host of SER2025 that will take place in North America. Talking Sticks are a powerful symbol and communication tool used to foster an atmosphere of active listening and respect. Only the bearer of the Talking Stick has the right to speak, and those present must listen quietly to what is being said, with the Talking Stick then passed on to other speakers in turn. SER hope to pass the official Talking Sticks from one SER conference host to the next, on an ongoing basis.
Speakers at the final plenary session emphasised the importance of encouraging governments to realign policies and funding to proactively support inclusive, participatory restoration projects. The subsequent Darwin Call to Action arising from the conference highlighted the urgent need for effective, standards-based restoration worldwide.
A Make a Difference Day, which is always associated with the World SER Conference, was part of the Darwin program. It provides delegates with an opportunity to participate in a hands-on restoration activity experience close to the location of the SER conference. In Darwin, these activities were undertaken at McMinns Lagoon Reserve, approximately 35 kilometres south-east of the city. The Reserve comprises 41 hectares of wetlands fringed with open woodland and closed paperbark forest and grassland and is an area of significant environmental, social and cultural value to the Larrakia People and local residents. Participants learned about the history of the Reserve and assisted with plantings and other ecological restoration activities on site - a picnic morning tea and luncheon was provided as part of the program.
Pre and post touring undertaken in the NT
SER partnered with local tourism organisation, Tourism Top End, to offer accompanying partners and also delegates a wide selection of activities for exploring the Australian outback pre, during and post-conference.
In their words
“The conference was very well received by conference delegates, the board, and staff of SER. The strong Aboriginal connections in Darwin made for some very valuable conversations about indigenous-led work happening in Darwin, the Northern Territory, Australia, and other areas around the world.”
Tony Ballard, CMP
Meetings and Education Manager
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER)
A Larrakia cultural performance at the SER2023 World Conference in Darwin