PLENARY SESSION
Thursday, February 11, 2010, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
THEME OVERVIEW
Wetlands in Service
Joy Zedler, Professor of Botany and Aldo Leopold Chair in Restoration Ecology, UW-Madison
Dr. Zedler will describe how wetland services have changed over time, asking what it would mean to have "enough" wetlands. She will explore which wetland types, where, and how much are needed to satisfy changing needs, while setting an ambitious goal for Wisconsin to remain a national leader in wetland protection, restoration, and promotion.
About the Speaker
Joy Zedler is Professor of Botany and Aldo Leopold Chair in Restoration Ecology at UW-Madison. Her research at UW-Madison focuses on the development of methods to improve the design, implementation, and assessment of habitat restoration projects. She facilitates research at the UW Arboretum and encourages students and others to study the Arboretum's collection of restored and restorable communities.
> Click here to visit Joy's webpage on the UW-Madison Dept of Botany website
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Condition, Function and Ecosystem Services: Connections and Disconnections in Wetland Assessment and Protection
John Mack, Chief of Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks
Does high condition correlate with high function? What can condition-based assessment methods tell us about wetland function or ecosystem services? Do "functional assessments" really measure function? What are the ramifications for wetland assessment and protection if function is high and condition is low? Drawing on his experience in developing wetland assessment methods, monitoring numerous natural and mitigation wetlands, developing urban ecosystem services restoration programs, and implementing multiple wetland condition assessment projects, John will address the interface between the wetland condition, function and ecosystem services.
About the Speaker
John Mack is a Chief of Natural Resources for Cleveland Metroparks, where he is responsible for the management of nearly 22,000 acres of forest, riparian corridor and wetlands located in six counties in Northeast Ohio. He is actively involved in planning and implementing long-term urban ecosystem restoration projects as well as developing and implementing long-term natural resource monitoring programs for terrestrial forests, streams and rivers, and wetlands in Cleveland Metroparks and the surrounding ecoregion. Formerly, John was a wetland ecologist with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency where his primary duties were developing and implementing wetland assessment methods including the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands v. 5.0 and the Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity. He was also extensively involved in studying mitigation wetlands, including an intensive study of Ohio mitigation banks and has developed standardized monitoring protocols and performance standards for mitigation wetlands in Ohio. Prior to his work as a wetland ecologist, John was a staff attorney with the Ohio EPA and worked extensively on Ohio's Wetland Water Quality Standards rule making. John has a bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University, a law degree from Cleveland State University, and masters degrees in Environmental Science (Indiana University) and Ecology (The Ohio State University).
BANQUET PRESENTATION
Thursday, February 11, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
(program will begin ~ 7:15 pm)
> Click here for information on the banquet dinner menu and how to purchase tickets.
Swampheart
Michael Perry, Author, Humorist, Speaker, Singer/Songwriter
Writer and humorist Michael Perry was raised in a rural patch of Chippewa County, Wisconsin, best described as "low-lying." As in, "git yer boots". Known for the heartfelt and humorous manner in which he brings his books and writing to life in "live" settings, Perry will range across a wide range of subjects, but promises to devote a portion of his presentation to describing the extent to which wetlands shaped his upbringing and are woven into his writing. He is also likely to squeeze in at least one cow joke.
About the Speaker
Michael Perry is a humorist and author of the bestselling memoirs Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time, Truck: A Love Story and Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting, as well as the essay collection Off Main Street. He has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Outside, Backpacker, Orion and Salon.com, and is a contributing editor to Men's Health.
Perry has performed and produced two live audience humor recordings (I Got It From the Cows and Never Stand Behind a Sneezing Cow) and he performs regularly with his band the Long Beds. Perry lives in rural Wisconsin, where he remains active with the local volunteer rescue service. He can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
> Click here to visit Michael's website
