WWA our programs

January 26 - 27, 2005, Radisson Conference Center, Green Bay, WI

Announcing the 2006 Wetland Science Forum!
WWA will hold it's 11th annual Wetland Science Forum in Madison in February 2006. This conference will focus on biodiversity of and threats to Wisconsin's wetlands. To learn more about the content of this conference and how to become a sponsor, please call WWA at 608-250-9971.

Thank you to all who contributed to Wisconsin Wetlands Association's 10th Annual Wetland Science Forum, from presenters, moderators, and field trip leaders to advisors, volunteers and sponsors. We'd especially like to thank our co-host, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, for supporting this event. Over 220 wetland professionals, researchers, conservationists, and the general public convened to discuss a variety of issues related to coastal wetlands, including ecology, hydrology, threats, conservation strategies, and research needs. We hope that connections made and conversations initiated at this conference will contribute to the growing statewide and regional collaboration for protecting and restoring Wisconsin's coastal wetlands. Follow links below to read more about the conference, including the results of surveys and working groups.

>> Program with abstracts (PDF download, 1 MB)
>> General conference agenda
>> Results of coastal wetlands definition survey
>> Results of research needs survey and working group
>> Results of phragmites working group
>> Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors
>> Thank you to silent auction donors

COASTAL WETLAND DEFINITION
The term "coastal wetland" means different things to different people. While the definition of "wetland" has been codified in state and federal law and includes specific requirements for vegetation, hydrology and soils, there is no clear and accepted definition of "coastal wetland". Current definitions tend to be descriptive and state what functions a coastal wetland should accomplish. Coastal wetlands have unusual qualities and may require additional attention, legal protection, and mitigation requirements. The fact that there currently are no standard criteria to determine if a wetland is "coastal" or not could make those goals difficult to attain.

In an effort to begin a dialog on what quantitative measures could be used to designate a wetland as a "coastal wetland", WWA and presenters Susan Schumacher, Eric Parker, and Geoff Parish, conducted a survey of conference participants to find out what "coastal wetland" means to members of the Wisconsin wetland community. Susan, Eric and Geoff are using these results in their efforts to develop a working definition of "coastal wetland".
>> Read the survey results
>> Submit your coastal wetland definition by emailing programs@wiscwetlands.org

COASTAL WETLANDS RESEARCH NEEDS
One Wetland Science Forum tradition is to discuss wetland research needs related to the conference theme. This year we surveyed conference participants about high priority research needs for coastal wetlands, and followed the survey with a working group discussion led by Paul Zedler, Alice Thompson and Julia Wilcox. We hope the survey and working group results will lead to new research projects that will help fill identified gaps in our understanding of coastal wetlands -- please feel free to share these with colleagues, new graduate students, and others looking to identify a research focus.
>> Read survey and working group results