Wisconsin Wetlands Association thanks everyone who contributed to and participated in the 12th Annual Wetland Science Forum. More than 315 wetland enthusiasts participated in the conference sessions, banquet, working group and field trips. We are grateful for the many contributions made by presenters, advisory panel members, field trip leaders, volunteers, moderators, exhibitors/sponsors and others who helped make this event possible and successful.

>> Browse photos from the conference below
>> Download program booklet with abstracts (PDF, ~ 2.5 MB)
>> Download participants list with email contacts (PDF, ~ 0.1 MB)
>> Purchase a totebag with the above logo: $6 each (add $2 for shipping). Call WWA at 608-250-9971.
>> Submit feedback and suggestions by submitting an evaluation form.

Special thanks to our lead sponsors for their generous support:

CONFERENCE PHOTOS

CONFERENCE PURPOSE
Wisconsin’s water-rich landscapes are drained by more than 32,000 miles of perennial streams and rivers. Hundreds of thousands of acres of diverse wetland habitats are associated with these treasured waterways, which range from tiny headwaters to large rivers like the wonderful Wisconsin and mighty Mississippi. Riverine wetlands are created and maintained by the flows and floods of adjacent watercourses, and these wetland habitats in turn provide critical water quality, water quantity and habitat functions that support the health of stream and river ecosystems. Continued watershed alterations and shoreline development threaten these wetlands at the water’s edge. Protection of the many connections and interactions between rivers and their wetlands is vital to watershed health and will require collaboration among wetland-focused researchers, agency staff, private professionals and conservationists. Toward this end, Wisconsin Wetlands Association will convene members of the wetland community of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region to discuss a variety of issues related to riverine wetlands. The program for this 2-day conference will include a keynote address, topical oral sessions, a poster session, working groups, and field trips that focus on the theme of riverine wetlands. Following the Wetland Science Forum tradition, we anticipate that this conference will contribute to a growing collaboration for protecting and conserving our state’s wetland heritage.

What do we mean by the term "riverine wetlands"? While most wetland classification systems focus on wetland plant community types, the term "riverine" refers instead to a wetland’s position within a watershed system and includes many plant community types such as marshes, swamps, and sedge meadows. Riverine wetlands are all wetland habitats found within river channels (e.g. islands and beaver ponds), along the shorelines of rivers and streams, and in floodplains of rivers and streams. Riverine wetlands are those most strongly connected to and influenced by the flow of rivers and streams. Click the following link to read a recent WWA newsletter article on riverine wetlands: Rivers Make Wetlands, And Wetlands Make a River.

This artistic representation of riverine wetlands, which we are using for our Riverine Wetlands conference logo, is the work of WWA member Birgit Bach. Birgit is a talented local artist who supports Wisconsin Wetlands Association in many ways. To learn about the artist, visit her webpage at www.underthesunarts.com.

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Read about last year's Wetland Science Forum, Wisconsin's Wetlands: Biodiversity & Threats.

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