Peatlands in Focus at the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration

Report on the 2024 European Conference on Ecological Restoration, which was held on 26-30 August in the city of Tartu, Estonia with 674 participants from 47 countries. The conference was co-organised by the Society for Ecological Restoration Europe Chapter, University of Tartu, and the Estonian Seminatural Community Conservation Association (Pärandkoosluste Kaitse Ühing). The theme of the Congress was "Bridging Science, Practice and Policy of Nature Restoration". The event attracted land and water managers, conservation officers, scientists, representatives of non-governmental organisations and those of companies, and students involved in the restoration of a wide range of habitats and species from all around the world. The conference consisted of sessions specific to ecosystems: including forest, peatland, wetland, grassland, dryland, cities, mining quarries, rivers, the Baltic Sea, marine, as well as cross-cutting themes on rewilding, nature conservation, and the technical, legal and financing aspects of restoration. A special session was jointly organised by the four EU-funded projects (ALFAwetlands, RESTORE4CS, REWET, WETHORIZON) on wetland restoration and its trade-offs and co-benefits to climate, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Peatland related programme also included a session on remote sensing of peatland ecology and restoration and asession "Pathways to peatland forestrestoration".