NAWM
The National Association of Wetland Managers is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1983 to promote and enhance protection and management of wetland resources, to promote application of sound science to wetland management efforts and to provide training and education for our members and the public. Membership is open to anyone who is involved with wetland resources.
Mapping a Path to Wetland Functions: Leveraging NHD and LLWW to Enhance the National Wetland Inventory
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 - 3:00pm-4:30pm Eastern
INTRODUCTION
William Dooley, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers[PRESENTATION PDF]
PRESENTERS
- Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota [PRESENTATION PDF]
- Mark Biddle, Delaware Department of Natural Resources [PRESENTATION PDF]
- Sara Owen, University of Montana [PRESENTATION PDF]
ABSTRACTS
Andy Robertson
This presentation provided a short overview and application of the LLWW classification for wetland inventory and landscape level functional assessment. It highlighted the academic origins, relationship to NWI, initial application areas and national expansion.
Mark Biddle
The State of Delaware is fortunate to frequently map and track wetland acreage and functional health, and recently completed the 4th iteration of wetland mapping statewide. This spatial data includes both Cowardin, et al. and LLWW classifications and provides the opportunity to assess changes that happened between 2007 and 2017, which will be available in a status and trends report. There are significant differences with this mapping effort which include the use of the National Wetland Inventory Version 2.0 procedure that incorporates the National Hydrography Dataset, and the presentation will discuss results of the mapping effort.
Sara Owen
The foundational classification system for the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is the Cowardin classification. This system captures vegetation and water regime characteristics of wetlands that were of particular interest to wildlife managers when the system was developed, but it does not address functions such as water storage or nutrient cycling. LLWW draws on a wetland’s hydrogeomorphic properties, in combination with its Cowardin attribute, to assign potential function. The University of Montana developed an automated model to assign LLWW codes, following the 2018 Western-specific LLWW key. This presentation discussed the model’s processes and outputs and suggests ways it can be used to guide decision making.
BIOS
Andy Robertsonis currently Executive Director of GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. GeoSpatial Services is engaged in a wide variety of projects across the Lower 48 and Alaska including: wetland inventory; National Hydrography Dataset updates; spatial data development; and natural resource condition assessments. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 18 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data across the nation. Andy is a steering committee member for the ASWM Wetland Mapping Consortium, an ASWM Board Member and is past-chair of the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetland Technical Working Group.
Mark Biddle is an Environmental Program Manager with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist. Mark has 30 years of wetland work involving restoration and creation, monitoring and assessment, mitigation, permitting, comprehensive watershed planning, use of best management practices to address environmental impairments, and has conducted multiple wetland mapping efforts. Mark also serves as Board Chair for ASWM.
Sara Owen began her wetland career as a teenage field assistant helping her dad delineate wetlands in the swamps of southern Arkansas, where she immediately fell in love with field ecology. In college and graduate school she took a slight detour from wetlands to study stream ecology, but found her way back to wetlands first as a private consultant, then as a field ecologist and wetland mapper at the University of Montana, where she has been since 2011. Sara is currently the Wetland Mapping Projects Manager for the Ecological Mapping, Monitoring and Assessment workgroup at the University of Montana’s O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West where she oversees NWI mapping projects across the West. When time allows, she still gets to play field ecologist, botanist, or dirt digger in a variety of ecosystems, including streams, wetlands, and occasionally, rangelands. Sara enjoys being outdoors and spends as much time as she can outside for work and play, where the lines sometimes blur. She published her first book this past summer (a direct product of that detour back in college), an educational children’s adventure showcasing the hidden lives of aquatic macroinvertebrates entitled Seth and Mattie’s Big River Adventure.
Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.
Part 1: Introduction: William Dooley, Policy Analyst,Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Andy Robertson, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Part 2: Presenter: Mark Biddle, Delaware Department of Natural Resources
Part 3: Presenter: Sara Owen, University of Montana
Automating the Detection of Disturbances to Aquatic Resources
Held Wednesday, October 7, 2020 - 3:00pm-4:00pm Eastern
INTRODUCTION
William Dooley, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]
PRESENTER
- Melanie Vanderhoof, U.S. Geological Survey, Geoscience and Environmental Change Science Center [PRESENTATION PDF]
ABSTRACT
We presented an unsupervised automated approach to map disturbance and surface inundation extent across the Mid-Atlantic Region using the Landsat archive in Google Earth Engine. This approach can be used to identify aquatic resources potentially impacted by changes in land use. The presentation built upon the preliminary results presented in the August 2019 Wetland Mapping Consortium webinar. The focus of this presentation, instead, however, was on our published products and code. The code will enable users to test out the algorithms in the area of their choice, without needing to generate independent training data.
BIO
Melanie Vanderhoof is a Research Geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, Geoscience and Environmental Change Science Center in Denver, Colorado. Melanie has a background in environmental regulations having previously worked as a biologist in the consulting industry prior to returning to graduate school. She received her PhD in Geography from Clark University in 2014. Following an ORISE post-doc with the U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, she joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 2015. Her research uses satellite imagery to explore how ecosystems respond to disturbance events and climate extremes. In recent years her research has focused on both wetland and river system dynamics as well as patterns in post-fire condition and regeneration. She is particularly interested in efforts to distinguish changes induced by climate anomalies from land use-related change.
Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.
Part 1: Introduction: William Dooley, Policy Analyst,Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Melanie Vanderhoof, U.S. Geological Survey, Geoscience and Environmental Change Science
Part 2: Presenter: Melanie Vanderhoof, U.S. Geological Survey, Geoscience and Environmental Change Science Center
Questions & Answers
NWI Unfinished Business: The Current State of Wetland Mapping in Alaska
Held Wednesday, February 12, 2020 - 3:00pm-4:30pm Eastern
INTRODUCTION
William Dooley, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers [PRESENTATION PDF]
PRESENTERS
- Sydney Thielke, Regional Wetlands Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region [PRESENTATION PDF]
- Andy Robertson, Director, GeoSpatial Services, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota [PRESENTATION PDF]
ABSTRACT
Alaska is one-fifth the size of the entire United States and is the only state with land area north of the Arctic Circle. Approximately 65% of the nation's wetlands are located in the Alaska covering 174 million acres, or 43%, of the State's surface area. Despite its resource potential and global position, Alaska has the most limited wetland geospatial data coverage of all states in the nation. Accurate, detailed geospatial information that meets national standards is lacking for more than half of the state, adding costs to responsible development, permitting and resource conservation decisions, delaying or preventing adequate response to natural disasters and emergencies, and preventing effective measurement and monitoring of ecological processes.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service through the National Wetland Inventory Program (NWI) has the lead Federal role for developing a statewide wetland spatial database for Alaska. NWI staff have been working closely with the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetlands Technical Working Group to develop a strategy for completion of a statewide wetland spatial database that is compliant with national mapping standards. The first part of this presentation summarized efforts to date, detailed the partnership strategy and discussed funding opportunities and mapping standards. In the second part of the presentation, technical details of on-going wetland mapping in Alaska were summarized and new/emerging technologies and image sources were discussed. The presentations was supported by examples and graphics from current projects across the state.
Tune in to learn more about how we are addressing NWI Unfinished Business through creative collaboration, interagency partnerships, cooperative funding approaches and new technologies.
BIOS
Sydney Thielke is the Regional Wetlands Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska. Sydney grew up in Alaska and has a B.S. in Land Resources Analysis and Management from Montana State University and a M.S. in Applied Geographic Information Sciences from Northern Arizona University. Before coming to U.S. FWS Sydney worked for the Bureau of Land Management and Natural Resources Conservation Service on a variety in a variety of resource management and geographic information capacities.Andy Robertson is currently Executive Director of GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. GeoSpatial Services is engaged in a wide variety of projects across the Lower 48 and Alaska including: wetland inventory; National Hydrography Dataset updates; spatial data development; and natural resource condition assessments. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 18 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data across the nation. Andy is a steering committee member for the ASWM Wetland Mapping Consortium, an ASWM Board Member and is past-chair of the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetland Technical Working Group.
Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.
Part 1: Introduction: William Dooley, Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Sydney Thielke, Regional Wetlands Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region
Part 2: Presenter: Andy Robertson, Director, GeoSpatial Services, Saint Mary's University of
Minnesota
View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars
PDF List of Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings
View Upcoming Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars
Thank you for considering Sponsorship with the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM)
The mission of NAWM is to build capacity for state and tribal members and foster collaboration among the wetland community of practice by encouraging the application of sound science to wetland management and policy, promoting the protection and restoration of wetlands and related aquatic resources, and providing training and education for members and the general public.
Sponsorship helps NAWM respond to and stay on top of policy and practices vital to saving our nation’s wetlands. Sponsorship is also a great way to increase your organization’s visibility while supporting a good cause. Our e-newsletter, webinar, and annual meeting outreach spans over 20,000 wetland professionals in our network including state, tribal and federal policy experts.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Wetland News – our membership newsletter is published every other month and is sent to over 1,000 NAWM Members, providing wetland updates and featured articles from a variety of wetland voices. This publication is an invaluable resource to members, who may not otherwise have access to wetland-specific findings or information that is not published elsewhere.
NAWM Members’ Webinar Series – NAWM is passionate about knowledge sharing. For over 40 years, NAWM has made it a priority to provide training and education for our members and is recognized nationally as a leader in providing professional, informative, and innovative webinars on diverse wetland topics. Our Members’ Webinar Series brings together audiences rarely found in other platforms. The webinars are also recorded and placed in our on-demand online library, which provides additional exposure for your business.
NAWM Annual State / Tribal / Federal Coordination Meeting – Be a part of this great event! NAWM’s Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting will be held on April 8-11, 2025, at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA.
Contact*: Laura Burchill at (207) 892-3399; laura@nawm.org for more information.
Thank you.
View or Print as PDF
National Association of Wetland Managers
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
National Association of Wetland Managers
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
National Association of Wetland Managers
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting
Building an Evergreen Future with Wetlands
April 8-11, 2025
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA
National Association of Wetland Managers
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
National Association of Wetland Managers
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
National Association of Wetland Managers
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
Upcoming and Recorded Webinars
OTHER EVENTS
For other events or to submit an event, please see the Calendar of Events.
Adaptation & Resiliency for the Advancement of Wetland Science, Policy and Practice
We thank your for joining us for ASWM’s Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting, held virtually April 12-15, 2021. The purpose of this annual meeting was to support state and tribal wetland program managers, and other wetland professionals as they respond to challenges in the coming year. This year’s annual meeting was dedicated to the memory and legacy of ASM’s founder, Dr. Jon A. Kusler, Esq.
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Focus Areas for This Year’s Meeting Include:
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INDEX |
Agenda can be downloaded here. (Posted 4/7/21)
See Meeting Materials Here (Includes Biographies; Abstracts)
Please see our Sponsor Exhibit page for more information.
Thank you to our Osprey Sponsor!
Thank you to our Loon Sponsor!
Thank you to our Kingfisher Sponsors!
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Marla Stelk, ASWM Executive Director, at marla@nawm.org or by phone at 207-892-3399.
The Wetland Mapping Consortium (WMC), founded in 2008, is an interdisciplinary group of wetland scientists and managers interested in mapping and monitoring wetlands with remotely sensed images and/or using the resultant products to best manage wetland resources. The WMC Steering Committee organizes webinars on topics of interest to the group.
For more information and/or to join our email list for notices about upcoming events, please contact Laura Burchill at laura@nawm.org or (207) 892-3399.
View Past Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinars Here
View a List of Wetland Mapping Consortium Webinar Recordings Here
National Association of Wetland Managers - Staff
Marla Stelk, Executive Director (marla@nawm.org)
Marla is the Executive Director at the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) where she has worked on wetland policy and management issues since 2013. Marla has over 25 years of experience working on wetland, water, and wildlife issues, climate change, environmental policy and research, land use planning, communications and organizational leadership. Marla has led research at NAWM on topics such as ecosystem service valuation for wetland restoration, the role of wetlands in floodplain and natural hazard management, wetlands and watershed health, wetland mapping and communications. Prior to coming to NAWM, Marla worked for a variety of environmental and social nonprofit organizations helping to build organizational capacity, manage projects and improve internal processes. Marla earned her MA in Community Planning and Development with a focus on Land Use and the Environment at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service and her BA in Environmental Issues from Colorado College.
Portia Osborne, Assistant Director (portia@nawm.org)
Portia is the Assistant Director at the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM). In this role, she helps to implement the mission and vision of NAWM and, in coordination with the Executive Director, oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization. Portia has been with NAWM since 2022, during which time she has worked on various projects to build the capacity of state and Tribal wetland programs across the country. She coordinates overall project schedules, tracks project deadlines and outputs, delivers workshops and trainings, facilitates and coordinates various work groups, and moderates webinars. Before coming to NAWM, Portia spent a decade working in environmental consulting, during which time she conducted natural resource assessments and wetland delineations and prepared state and federal-level permit applications for transportation, oil and gas, and renewable energy projects located across the country. Portia earned her MS in Ecology and BS in Environmental Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, chasing her kids at the beach, finding interesting wetlands to visit, and reading a good book.
Donna Downing, Senior Legal Policy Advisor (donna@nawm.org)
Donna Downing is the Senior Legal Policy Advisor at the National Association of Wetland Managers. Donna was the Jurisdiction Team Leader in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds from 2007-2020. Donna worked on a variety of issues at EPA, with a focus in recent years on the geographic scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions. She also served as EPA’s staff lead for CWA section 401 water quality certification, and on wetland-related legal issues. Prior to joining EPA in 1998, Donna worked for the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment and in private law practice. She has a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University, an MPP from the University of California at Berkeley, a JD cum laude from Georgetown University Law School, and an LLM in Environmental Law summa cum laude from George Washington University Law School. Donna has been an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School since 1996, teaching environmental law. In what’s left of her time, she moonlights as a professional potter and an unprofessional horse trainer. Donna also enjoys traveling and has traveled by reindeer sled in the Swedish Arctic, gone winter camping with dog sleds in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Wilderness Area, and bicycled the Burma Road in China.
Jeff Lapp, Senior Science Policy Advisor (jeff@nawm.org)
Jeff is our Senior Science Policy Advisor here at NAWM. Prior to joining us he spent over 32 years with the Environmental Protection Agency, primarily in the wetlands program. Starting out in the wetlands enforcement program in Region 3, he conducted many wetland inspections and has testified as both an expert and fact witness in civil and criminal federal cases. For the past 12 years, Jeff has been the Chief of the Wetlands Branch at EPA Region 3 overseeing both the regulatory and non-regulatory wetlands programs, the oceans disposal program and the Watershed Resource Registry (a Geospatial tool to identify potential restoration and preservation sites.) He has also had a host of acting positions including the Deputy Director for the Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division, the Deputy Director for the Office of Public Affairs, the Wetlands Regulatory Branch Chief at EPA Head Quarters and the Wetlands Technical Enforcement Lead at EPA Head Quarters. His technical skills include conducting wetlands identification training for both novice and experienced delineators from state and federal programs. In addition to teaching wetlands delineation, he has taught cases in hydric soils and plant identification and been a guest lecturer at Penn and Temple University on wetlands and horticultural issues. An avid botanist and horticulturalist, Jeff designed and constructed the EPA exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show for 29 years earning several awards including best of show, gold and silver medals, the Buckley medal, American Horticultural Society award, and the Chicago Horticultural Society awards to name a few. At his home, he raises a multitude of plants including Sarracenia, Rhododendrons, Hosta and a host of other rare and unusual species in his greenhouse and shade houses. When not working for NAWM or messing with his plants he like to ride bike, hike, cook and sip a spot of wine!
Ian Grosfelt, Environmental Analyst (ian@nawm.org)
Ian is an Environmental Analyst with NAWM wearing a variety of hats and working on a variety of projects. He has a BS in Agriculture from Cornell University and a Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. Ian has a decade of experience working in environmental fields starting as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal and continuing with environmental education organizations throughout New England as a facilitator, school gardener, and trainer. He is also trained in data analysis and geospatial mapping and has a passion for using these tools to further effective conservation. For side projects you can find Ian trying (and hopefully keeping) his hand at woodworking, biking new routes in Maine and building up a kitchen repertoire.
Dawn Smith, Communications Specialist (dawn@nawm.org)
Dawn works on multimedia projects, focusing on webinars and short videos. After working in the corporate world for several years, she is redirecting creative energies towards social media, documentaries and short film communication formats. A lifetime resident of Maine, she has an appreciation for the preservation of local heritage and natural treasures, primarily from behind the lens. Working with the National Association of Wetland Managers, she has gained a greater appreciation for the local and national efforts to preserve and rebuild the wetland ecosystems that are all around us.
Marti Northover, Accounting and Human Resources Manager (marti@nawm.org)
Marti Northover is the NAWM Accounting and Human Resources Manager. Marti has over 30 years of professional experience in accounting, logistics and advertising. Marti has an undergraduate degree in Geography from Framingham State University in Framingham, MA and Master's degree in Environmental Science from Clark University in Worcester, MA. Professionally Marti has taught environment related courses at colleges in MA, was owner of an historic inn, worked as the Director of Accounting and HR at a logistic company in MA and a homeless shelter in ME. Six years ago Marti moved to Alfred, ME, where she lives with her husband Vernon, enjoying the lake life and her chickens, ducks and nice garden. Currently Marti is the Treasurer of the Parson’s Memorial Library Board of Trustees and is an Associate Member of Alfred Conservation Commission.
Laura Burchill, Office Manager (laura@nawm.org)
Laura is the Office Manager in the Windham office and has been with the Association since 2004. She is responsible for maintaining the membership information; assisting with the many tasks involved in preparing for webinars and workshops, preparing Association publications as well as general office duties. She has 30+ years’ experience in graphic design and also works part-time for Parent & Family, a local publication. She lives in Windham, Maine with her husband Dave and their canine companion Jay.
Sharon Weaver, Webmaster (sharon@nawm.org)
Sharon is the Publications Specialist and Webmaster for the Association in the Berne, New York office, where she has worked for the past 20+ years. Along with general office tasks, she works on the layout and design of Association publications, reports, and brochures. She helps coordinate NAWM workshops and symposia. She manages the NAWM website, which includes daily updates and prepares and designs new webpages. When she is not entertaining company, she enjoys some alone time with her husband, Ken, and grown children Karla and Pieter. She adores her dog and cat, who complete the family nest.
Justin Farino (justin@nawm.org)
Justin is an Administrative Assistant for NAWM and works closely with the Office Manager and others to support NAWM’s staff with a variety of tasks and projects. Graduating from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Political Science, he promptly put it to good use by working in construction management, ultimately moving to South Korea to teach English to kindergarteners. Now back in the States, Justin is pursuing a J.D. at Maine Law, seeking to focus in Environmental and Human Rights Laws. Justin enjoys self-identifying as a photographer, red wine connoisseur, and outdoor enthusiast, but does not claim to be particularly proficient at any of them.
The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) was founded by Jon A. Kusler, Esq., Ph.D., and Scott Hausmann in 1983 with two goals — to support state wetland programs and to support national wetland policy reflecting sound wetland science. NAWM has tried to stay true to these goals throughout the years, during the ups and downs of funding and politics.
Jon and Scott created the Association with no staff and no budget. NAWM’s first national meeting in 1983 was hosted by Richard Haman and the University of Florida College of Law. To their surprise and delight, over 120 wetland managers and scientists attended. The quality and enthusiasm of the attendees was striking. Most did not know each other prior to the meeting but many emerged friends. Many who attended that first meeting in Florida also continue as wetland advocates and mentors.
This was the first of many workshops NAWM conducted with a broad range of federal agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Other partners have included the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Society of Wetland Scientists, Association of Clean Water Administrators, Coastal States Organization, National Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Environmental Law Institute.
Hundreds of symposia, workshops, publications, webpages, and webinars later, NAWM has established a national presence and is looked to by states, tribes, and other organizations for leadership in matters of national wetland policy, applying sound science, interpreting and implementing the Clean Water Act and related programs, restoring aquatic systems, and facilitating transfer of knowledge among peers and government agencies.
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- Terry Doss, NJ SEA
February 2025
Who do you work for and what is your current position? I work for the State of New Jersey, within the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, serving as the Co-Director for the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute. I lead efforts to preserve, protect and restore the wetlands and other habitats located in the Hackensack Meadowlands. The favorite part of my job is any day that I get to go out on the water. I much prefer a beautiful sunny day with warm temperatures, but even in winter I love the idea that we are out on the water when few else are out there. Each time we head out, there is an air of anticipation – you never know what new or interesting thing we are going to see in the tidal marshes that line the Hackensack River, but there is always something. Also, experiencing the quiet and solitude of nature, in the chaotic din of the NY-NJ metropolitan area with planes, trains and automobiles whizzing by, is just magical. I think one of my biggest professional accomplishments was being able to survive and thrive as a working mother. I’m so proud of my grown sons, and hope they are as proud of me as I am of them. We were always in this together, and I loved bringing them out to the field – my older son was out in the field for a wetland delineation at three months of age and, flash forward many years, my younger son was out planting floating wetlands with me when he was home for college just a few years ago. I never tried to separate my career from my home life, I never thought there was enough time in the day for that luxury, so we had to be in it together. I love tidal wetlands, they are like poetry in perpetual motion. They are where the land meets the sea, ever changing, known but yet unknown, settled yet shifting. They allow for expansive views – of the grasses, the sea, the sky, the wildlife. But because they are both land and sea, they are so often misunderstood, mistreated, maligned. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I liked working outdoors and that I wanted to work and live near the water. I graduated from U of Delaware with a degree in Agricultural Sciences with a focus on Natural Resource Economics, but wasn’t sure where to go with that. A few years later, I went back to Delaware to work on a Masters in Marine Policy, combining my interests in the water, the outdoors and economics. While there, I became interested in the valuation of wetlands, and from there dove deep into the science of wetlands. Every job I had, starting with the National Ocean Service at NOAA and then moving into private consulting, there were always opportunities to get more involved with wetlands and I jumped at every one of them. To expand my knowledge, I took wetland field courses from Environmental Concern and the Continuing Education Program at Rutgers, which allowed me to study under some of the giants in the wetland science field, and I joined and became active in scientific organizations like Society of Wetland Scientists and the Society for Ecological Restoration. The more people I met and spoke with, the more my opportunities expanded. Look for opportunities that you think you will enjoy to expand your knowledge and your circle of contacts. Go to conferences, and if there are volunteer activities, sign up. Join non-profit organizations and get involved. Become a member of different scientific societies and assist with meetings, field trips, raising funds, …. There is no magic bullet as to what will stick, so try everything and see what gives you experience while also making you happy. I believe that I have been a member of NAWM since the early 2000s. In 2001, I attended a meeting on behalf of the Society of Wetland Scientists and met up with Jeanne Christie who was there on behalf of ASWM (now NAWM) and we started talking about connecting the two organizations in a more meaningful way. Eventually, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both groups to coordinate and collaborate, and I acted as the liaison between the two groups for a while. (Not sure if this MOU is still active.) Even though I was not a “state wetland manager” until 2018, I was able to attend a number of the annual meetings and other events along the way. I am most grateful for all of the webinars offered by NAWM. While the in-person meetings are the best way to keep in touch and learn, the constancy of the webinars keeps me in touch with what is going on around the nation on a more day-to-day basis. For example, after the Sackett decision, the discussions on what happens next were especially helpful for us here in the Meadowlands, because even though NJ has assumed jurisdiction for the wetlands of the state, that did not include the wetlands of the Meadowlands. It was helpful hearing from others about the different aspects, experiences and possible actions. My favorite memory was my first NAWM meeting at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. I assume this was sometime in the early 2000s. I had no idea what to expect, and at first it seemed like most meetings. But then, I went to the bonfire. It was an incredible experience and a great way to bring everyone together. Nothing specific, just an all-around great vibe and a great opportunity to relax with many like-minded wetland scientists. Thank you to Terry for sharing your experiences and being a part of NAWM!
What is your favorite part of your job?
What is one of your biggest professional accomplishments?
All these years later, it is amazing to head out to my first tidal wetland restoration site that our team worked on 25 years ago and see how it is flourishing. I remember bringing the boys out there before, during and after the restoration work. Now, 25 years later, the site is amazing – for the first time this year, we heard saltmarsh sparrows out there. I’m proud of that!
What is your favorite wetland, or type of wetland, or wetland species? Why?
Working in the Meadowlands really drives this home – all the abuses that have been thrown at the tidal wetlands along the Hackensack River over the past two hundred years, and that continue to be thrown at them. Yet they persist, they thrive, they are resilient, and they continue to provide habitat, protection, recreational opportunities. After giving a presentation on the Meadowlands’ marshes a few years ago at a MAWWG meeting, someone came up to me and said, “wow, the Meadowlands’ wetlands are really bad ass!” And I couldn’t agree more, they are bad ass and that is why they are my favorite.
How did you end up working in wetlands?
What advice do you have for someone interested in getting started in wetlands work?
How long have you been a member of NAWM? How have you participated in NAWM (e.g., attended webinars, contributed to project workgroups, attended annual meeting, etc.)?
What is your favorite benefit of being a member of NAWM?
What is your favorite NAWM memory?
My second favorite memory was sitting with Jon Kusler on a porch somewhere at some point in time after a long day of meetings, and listening to him talk about his vision for wetland science into the future. Being able to have discussions with great minds like Jon Kusler and Jeanne Christie were, for me, amazing opportunities that were only made available through NAWM.
If you would like to nominate a member for a future Member Spotlight, please reach out to Portia Osborne, NAWM Assistant Director, at portia@nawm.org.
- Certificate of Attendance - NWCA: Federal and State Perspectives on the 3rd Collaborative Survey of Wetlands in the U.S.
- Certificate of Attendance: Members' Webinar - March 19, 2025
- Certificate of Attendance - Long-Term Management at Mitigation Sites: Overview & Best Practices Part II
- 2025 Past Hot Topics Webinars
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Publications
The Association conducts research and publishes reports, guidebooks, news articles, brochures, white papers, and summaries of findings of symposia and workshops. These are available electronically to all interested individuals and organizations.