Between nearly 400 scientific presentations, the conference participants also had the opportunity to take part in hikes to Estonian nature and learn about our experience in restoring and maintaining various ecosystems. There were as many as 25 routes to choose from.

The LIFE-IP project ForEst&FarmLand took a busful of people to amphibian breeding waters – under the leadership of the amphibian researcher Riinu Rannap, we have restored 60 small water bodies across Estonia in the first four years of the project and 40 are still to be restored.

In addition, we went (stopping at the Äntu lakes for a refreshing swim) to Sadala Agro to show the first experiments to enrich the traditional agricultural landscape with nature.

In the course of the project and together with researchers from the University of Tartu, seven innovative farmers, who already know that only in cooperation with nature can fields be successfully cultivated in the future, have set up sample areas where the impact of different agroecological techniques on yield and biodiversity is monitored.

We were well represented at the conference in other ways: Professor of Conservation Biology Asko Lõhmus, whose working group leads forest restoration activities in our project, gave a philosophical insight into nature restoration on the opening day of the conference, introducing the audience to the Five Great Unknowns that we face in the restoration of ecosystems.

Annaliisa Kaaremaa, head of the Estonian Environmental Board’s advisory service for maintainers of semi-natural grasslands, gave an overview of the value- and performance-based support system that we are developing in the project, and the University of Tartu Landscape Diversity Workgroup made a poster presentation on enriching agricultural landscapes with natural elements. In addition, a presentation was given by Virve Sõber, a researcher in entomology, who in our project leads the preparation of Estonia’s first pollinator action plan.     

Last but not least, Professor of Restoration Ecology Aveliina Helm, among her many other occupations, is also a member of the committee of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER Europe), which organised the conference, and is the generator of many ideas for our project.    
The international SERE 2024 conference ended with the adoption of the Tartu Declaration, which guides the implementation of the European Nature Restoration Law.