ERIK PROJECT FORMING EXPERT PANELS (November 2025)

Wise old treeThe Environmental Restoration Integrated Knowledge (ERIK) Project is excited to announce that a diversity of practitioners have recently met to discuss how to assess the quality of ecological restoration guidance currently available for three threatened ecological communities in NSW: Grassy Box Woodland, Cumberland Plain Woodland, and Lowland Subtropical Rainforest. Experts involved in these meetings included Bush Regenerators, practitioners from Landcare, NGOs, local and State government, Ecologists, and Research Scientists. A key outcome of these meetings is the recommendation to form expert panels to:

  • Review existing restoration guidance and educational materials
  • Assess whether materials meet best practice criteria
  • Describe any caveats needed on resources before they are uploaded to the ERIK Platform
  • Suggest improvements needed to existing resources
  • Identify new materials needed to fill gaps in knowledge

Findings of the expert panels will guide future research, particularly to assist the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water determine research priorities. Involvement in an expert panel is an inspiring way to contribute to important, evidenced based, improvements to restoration practice on the ground. If you have expressed interest in contributing to the project we’ll be in touch soon. If you’ve yet to express and would like to be involved, please contact Sandy Eager, ERIK Coordinator, at projects@aabr.org.au.

Introduction to the ERIK project

AABR has received funding from the NSW Environmental Trust to develop an online platform to assist with the planning, implementation and monitoring of on ground work in response to specific local conditions.

The aim of the project is to provide comprehensive, integrated ecological restoration knowledge for practitioners including professional Bush Regenerators, Landcarers, Bushcarers, Ecologists, Local and State government staff, private businesses, TAFE teachers and students, academics and others.

We wish to create a community of practice to share experiences, ideas and techniques, identify knowledge gaps and opportunities.

The first stage will concentrate on NSW, as it is funded through a NSW grant, but future stages will take the project Australia wide.

The project will incorporate existing resources compiled by AABR and others which reflect best practice environmental restoration or aspects of it.

We will be working with stakeholders to refine existing good guidance to reach best practice standards and to create new resources.

AABR is calling upon all our members and partners to join in this collaborative project, initially by completing an online survey, promoting the project, and distributing the survey through your networks.

Here are some initial actions you can take to contribute and stay up to date with the project.

We’re really looking forward to your participation. For more information, contact Sandy Eager, ERIK Project Officer, mobile 0410 147 454, email projects@aabr.org.au

ERIK Steering Group

Project updates

Information sheet