This is a grant in assistance of international travel for a total of nine U.S.-based ecosystem scientists/ecological engineers and eco-artists to participate in a focused symposium at the 12th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL) to be held in Beijing, China on August 21-25, 2017. The goal is to advance ecosystem restoration methodology through enhancing ecological engineering research. The focused symposium will facilitate cultural and scholarly exchange and dialogue between USA and China on approaches and experiences relating to environmental sustainability and resilience design with respect to soil, water, and urban landscapes across national and geographic boundaries.
The novel, unprecedented theme of the focused symposium will provide a unique opportunity to share experiences and build collaborations among ecological engineers, ecosystem scientists, and eco-artists in the context of an international Congress. All of the participants for the focused symposium are U.S. citizens in the fields of ecological engineering, ecosystem ecology, and eco-art, with much of their work based in USA. The symposium will provide an international audience with U.S. experiences on ecological design, ecosystem restoration, urban ecology, ecological engineering practices, ecosystem science and engineering, and eco-art, both separately and collaboratively. The focused symposium will also present an opportunity for both the participants and the attendees of the Congress for cross-cultural, interdisciplinary connections and thus further collaboration opportunities among them. This type of scholarly and cultural exchange is rare and will strengthen U.S. scientific research and practices in ecosystem restoration, watershed management, biodiversity, storm water management, and ecological engineering practices. The learning outcome of the focused symposium will be a transformational nexus of ecosystem science and engineering and eco-art to enhance communication, research, and education as a key aspect of advancing environmental sustainability.
