The 7th European Conference on Restoration Ecology was held at Avignon’s Pope’s Palace from 23 to 27 August 2010. The Tour du Valat was a partner in the international event, organised for the first time in France by the Mediterranean Institute of Ecology and Paleoecology and the Avignon and Pays de Vaucluse University, with the support of the Society for Ecological Restoration International.
Over 450 participants from all across the world took part in the conference to discuss the problems of nature restoration and sustainable development. With the event taking place in south east France, the key theme, Restoration ecology and sustainable development: establishing links across frontiers focused on the Mediterranean Basin, protection of its major biodiversity and the exchange of knowledge and technology between the Mediterranean’s north and south shores. Over 300 spoken or poster-based presentations were organised, along with five workshops and ten site visits.
The Tour du Valat made a scientific contribution to the event, a notable example being a case study of a restoration project in the Camargue undertaken in partnership with the local community. Our team organised two site visits, in the Camargue and near Fos-sur-Mer. The Tour de Valat also ran an information stand during the four-day event.
To encourage knowledge transfer between researchers and professionals in the follow up to the conference, the presentations will be published in five scientific reviews with an international readership. They will also be added to a universally accessible international database detailing success stories and setbacks in ecological restoration of natural areas.