The RESTORE4Cs Autumn School 2025: Modelling, Policy, and Practice for a Restored and Resilient Coastline is set to take place in Malaga, Spain, from 3 to 6 November 2025, bringing together scientists, policymakers, wetland managers, and restoration practitioners to advance the knowledge and practice of wetland restoration for climate resilience and ecosystem services.
Organised by RESTORE4Cs (Modelling RESTORation of wEtlands for Carbon pathways, Climate Change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem services, and biodiversity Co-benefits), this four-day training will combine cutting-edge research presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and interactive discussions on data, modelling, indicators, GHG fluxes, policy, ECoP and the use of the RESTORE4Cs Online Platform and Toolbox.
đź’§ Building Knowledge and Capacity for Coastal Restoration
The Autumn School will open with an institutional welcome from Sonia Osorio, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Projects at the University of Malaga (UMA), followed by a session introducing the RESTORE4Cs project, its objectives, and latest outputs, including new datasets, indicators, and tools to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and the benefits of restoration across Europe’s coastal wetlands.
Led by Ana Lillebø (RESTORE4Cs Scientific Coordinator), participants will explore how science, policy, and practice intersect under the EU’s new restoration regulations and how RESTORE4Cs is bridging these fields to enhance the climate services of restored wetlands.
đź’§ Sister Projects and Shared Learning
RESTORE4Cs collaborates closely with European Sister Projects and clusters with other relevant partners and institutions to strengthen the restoration community. The Autumn School will host several guest sessions, including:
- ALFAWetlands: “Valuing Wetland Restoration: Citizens’ Preferences Across Six EU Countries”
Trainer: Annika Tienhaara, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) - WET HORIZONS: “Citizen Voices in Wetland Restoration with WET HORIZONS”
Trainer: Lorenzo Pugliese, Aarhus University - Society of Wetland Scientists – European Chapter
Trainer: Columba Martinez Espinosa, Tour de Valat - REWET : “The REWET Project: Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Dynamics in Restored Wetlands”
Trainer: Juan Serratosa, IDENERÂ - Marine Ecology and Limnology Research Group UMA
Trainer: Paula Warren, UMAÂ
đź’§ Science in Action: From GHG Fluxes to Digital Tools
Scientific sessions will delve into GHG fluxes and restoration, wetlands mapping and monitoring, Case Pilots overview and much more. Hands-on demonstrations will guide participants through the RESTORE4Cs European Coastal Wetlands Interactive Platform and Toolbox, showing how map viewers, spatial scoring tools, and decision-support systems can help assess and plan wetland restoration actions.
These innovative digital resources, developed within RESTORE4Cs, are key outputs that integrate scientific indicators, modelled data, and monitoring results into accessible formats for both researchers and practitioners.
Trainers: Antonio Camacho (UVEG), Miguel Cabrera (UB), Anis Guelmami (TdV), Christoph Schröder & Gabriel Martorell (UMA)
đź’§ A European Community of Practice for Wetland Restoration
A highlight of the event will be a session dedicated to the RESTORE4Cs European Community of Practice (ECoP) — developed under the auspices of the Ramsar Convention.
Participants will join the Working Group on Wetland Restoration for Carbon Sequestration and GHG Mitigation, exchanging findings, ideas, and future directions for collaborative research and practice.
Trainers: Santiago Suárez & Ana Štrbenac (MedWet) and Antonio Camacho (UVEG)
đź’§ Communicating Change & Field Experience
Communication and dissemination are powerful drivers of awareness, understanding, and action in wetland restoration. The session “Communicating Change: RESTORE4Cs and the Power of Outreach in Wetland Restoration”, led by Madeira Scauri (LifeWatch ERIC), will explore the role of communication and dissemination in shaping public opinion and influencing policymaking, going beyond science to build awareness, action, and acceptance.
Participants will embark on a storytelling journey through Europe’s wetlands in the preview of the RESTORE4Cs Documentary Series. This six-episode collection brings to life the stories of restoration and resilience from across the continent — the Valencian Wetlands, Camargue, Ria de Aveiro, South-West Dutch Delta, Curonian Lagoon, and Danube Delta. Each episode is grounded in local research, community voices, and stakeholder experiences, revealing the human dimension behind restoration science — real people, real challenges, real restoration.
To conclude, an on-site field visit to Parque del Guadalhorce led by Antonio Tamayo (Junta de AndalucĂa) and with the support of Paula Warren, Antonio Sánchez and Mar Otero (UMA), will blend theory with practice. Participants will learn from the park’s restoration history and explore, in real-time, how GHG monitoring and the RESTORE4Cs Toolbox can inform management actions.
đź“Ž Find all the sessions in the attached programme.
