Wisconsin Wetland Association Education

Intro || Where We Work || Education || Advocacy || Events || Publications

Our education programs reach the most important groups for wetland conservation. We teach landowners how to restore their wetlands and how to secure the funds to cover the costs of wetland restoration and protection. We teach lay people how to recognize purple loosestrife, and, in the process, we teach our fellow citizens to appreciate the wonder and value of wetlands. We provide teachers with educational materials on purple loosestrife, allowing us to reach a great number of future leaders, voters, responsible citizens. Finally, our annual Wetland Science Forum gathers together the academics, the regulatory personnel, the consultants - the wetlands professionals - and allows them to educate each other on the latest wetland science. For more information on any of these programs, email our Outreach Programs Director

Wetland Science Forum
This annual event began in 1995 as a daylong roundtable discussion and grew to a two-day conference that attracts more than 300 wetland scientists, water resource professionals, students, and others. The themes have included wetland-related topics such as ephemeral wetlands, wetland restoration, conservation ethics, prairie wetlands, coastal wetlands and riverine wetlands.

Wetland Restoration Handbook
WWA produced, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the second edition of the Wetland Restoration Handbook for Wisconsin Landowners in 2004. Over 7,000 copies of the first edition were distributed throughout the state, and the popular handbook won the "Distinguished Document Award -2000" from the Wisconsin Library Association.

Wetland Restoration Workshops
WWA has coordinated training and instruction on wetland restoration for landowners. The Handbook serves as the textbook for the technical aspects of wetland restoration, and we developed a brochure that lists cost-sharing programs that can assist landowners in funding wetland restoration on their land.

See Cella Chow! - Purple Loosestrife Monitoring and Control
Cella (pronounced CHEL-luh) is our adopted Galerucella beetle, and we are helping Cella to control our state's purple loosestrife infestation. We have published, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, See Cella Chow!: A Purple Loosestrife Biological Control Manual for Teachers. We recruited and trained 140 volunteers in summer 2002 to map the purple loosestrife in 23 counties, and we trained seventy new volunteers to raise and release Galerucella beetles to control purple loosestrife in their local wetlands.

Educational Wetlands Poster
Wisconsin Wetlands Association, with the support of Hangers Cleaners, Quick Quality Press, and Dog-Eared Publications has released an Educational Wetlands Poster. The poster features winners of our 2003 "Wetlands Up-Close" photo contest, which was designed to encourage people of all ages to get out and explore and appreciate Wisconsin's wonderful wetlands.