Northeastern plants of the wetland boundary is 24-contact hour course designed to give participants the knowledge and skills necessary to identify many commonly encountered plants on either side of the wetland boundary in the Northeastern United States (and adjoining Canada). The course focuses on basic plant identification, terminology, keying, and field characters. A self-directed field component provides participants the opportunity to submit digital photographs of plants they have identified for verification and to interact with experts and peers on the course discussion forum. Lecture notes are available for download in full color in either two or three images per page. Participants are responsible for printing your own lectures notes.

This course is best suited for beginner to moderate skill levels and are ideal to prepare for one of our Basic Wetland Delineation courses.

Learn more and register online: https://wetlandtraining.com/course/ne-plants/

Wetland Identification, Delineation, and Ecology

July 14 – July 20, 2019

This intensive training is based in large part on the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (1987) and Regional Supplement:  Northcentral and Northeast Region (2012). The training addresses the requirements for basic delineation training as specified by the Corps of Engineers for its regulatory training course in wetland identification and delineation course. Classroom instruction will cover background information and methodologies. Topics will specifically include the science of hydric soils, hydrophytic vegetation, wetland hydrology, and the application of that science in the field. In the field, participants will apply the methods to collect data on the field indicators of wetland vegetation, hydrology, and soils used to determine the occurrence and location of wetland boundaries. Successful completion of this seminar will provide participants with a sound knowledge base and basic field experience for identifying wetlands, delineating their boundaries, and understanding how wetlands relate ecologically to the surrounding landscape.

Matt Schweisberg (matt@wetlandsns.com) is the principal of Wetland Strategies and Solutions, LLC (http://www.wetlandsns.com). He is a Professional Wetland Scientist under the Professional Certification Program of the Society of Wetland Scientists. He is a retired federal wetlands ecologist and wildlife biologist who spent more than 32 years with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency at its HQ office in Washington, D.C. and New England Region office in Boston. Matt served as Chief of the New England Region’s Wetlands Protection Program and Senior Wetland Ecologist, and on national work groups developing guidance and regulations on Clean Water Act jurisdiction. He testified before federal grand juries and served several times as an expert witness. He teaches courses in wetland regulation, restoration and creation, wetland ecology, and wetland identification and delineation for federal and state agencies, academic organizations, and environmental consultants. He received his degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine. 

Joe Homer (bathome@ne.rr.com) served as the New Hampshire State Soil Scientist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retired after more than 33 years with the NRCS, Joe has performed and managed mapping and field work in New England, with additional work in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oregon and Minnesota. He also served as Field Soil Scientist, Soil Survey Project Leader, and Assistant State Soil Scientist in NH. Joe is the author of the Grafton County and Coos County (NH) Soil Survey Reports. He conducted hydric soils and wetland identification and delineation for USDA in NH, and trained federal and state agency staff as well as New England consultants. Joe is a member of the New England Hydric Soils Committee, and the Regional Working Group for the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual for the Northcentral and Northeast Region. He received his degree in Soils and Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire.

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Trichoptera of the Northeast

July 14 – July 20, 2019

This seminar focuses on the natural history and taxonomy of caddisflies (Trichoptera) in northeastern North America, including systematics, ecology, and behavior of larvae and adults, with emphasis on those aspects important in ecological studies, biological monitoring of water quality, and sport fishing.  Insects will be collected from local habitats and resulting specimens will be identified in the laboratory. 

Dr. John C. Morse (jmorse@clemson.edu) is a Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Clemson University in South Carolina. Besides courses in insect systematics, insect larvae, and a variety of other topics, Prof. Morse has taught courses related to aquatic insects at Clemson University, at Highlands Biological Station in North Carolina, in several other states, and in 10 countries so far in Asia and Europe for more than 43 years. His research specialty is the identification, biology, and historical development of caddisflies (Trichoptera), which he has studied in many streams of the world since 1967. He and his students also investigate the identification, biology, and distribution of other aquatic insects, of stream ecology and conservation, and of the use of insect communities to monitor water pollution.

Dr. Paul B. Frandsen (paul_frandsen@byu.edu) is an Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Paul’s research is focused on the systematics and biodiversity of Trichoptera with a special focus on their use of silk. He has conducted extensive field research in North America and countries such as Panama, Guyana, Russia, Mongolia, and Nepal.

Click Here for Link to Descriptive Flyer 

A plant identification course designed for wetland delineators working in the Upper Midwest.

Through a combination of field site visits and classroom familiarization with the use of floristic keys, students will learn identification principles, descriptive vocabulary, and diagnostic characteristics of species frequently encountered by wetland delineators on the wetland-nonwetland interface of a wide variety of Upper Midwest habitats.

Plant lists are provided. 32 contact hours/ Instructor: Newling.

This four-day course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in the field applying the methods and getting critiqued by the instructor and their peers. Taught by regional experts in plant identification, hydric soil recognition, and wetland delineation, you will learn how to analyze vegetation patterns, recognize hydric soils and separate them from nonhydric soils –essential skills for wetland identification and boundary delineation.  Students will be introduced to the basic concepts and methods in lectures and through field exercises.  During the course, students will be spend approximately two days of time in the field learning how to determine the presence or absence of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology indicators and to use these indicators to identify and delineate wetlands following federal methods.  The instructors will demonstrate sampling techniques and guide students through the steps in conducting wetland delineations.  Students will work in groups to identify wetlands and delineate their boundaries.  Their work will be evaluated by the instructors and their peers. 

Focusing on the use of the Corps Wetlands Delineation manual and the latest regional supplement, there will also be a discussion of key differences between this manual and state methods, where appropriate.  The fee includes all course materials – the Corps of Engineers manual; the regional supplement; Regional Wetland Plant List, and additional information relevant to making wetland determinations plus a hardbound copy of "Wetland Indicators" (Tiner, 1999) – a college textbook providing a comprehensive review of the science behind wetland delineation, various delineation methodologies, and aids to wetland identification.

• This course is designed for students with some familiarity with plant id.
• Meets the training requirements for SMC Certified Wetland Specialist.

http://www.lakecountyil.gov/Stormwater/FloodplainStormwaterRegulations/Wetlands/Pages/CertifiedWetlandSpecialist.aspx

• Appropriate for required hours toward the Society of Wetland Scientist’s Professional Wetland Scientist certification program (www.sws.org).  

COURSE FEE:  $975.00 includes all course materials - textbook "Wetland Indicators" by R.W. Tiner (1999), 1987 Corps Wetlands Delineation Manual, Regional Plant List, Regional Supplement and various handouts. 

Instructors:  Michael Whited & Ralph Tiner

Advanced Hydrology for Jursidictional Determinations is an entirely online course and includes 24 contact hours of lecture. It provides in-depth treatment of the principles, concepts, and methods essential for working with disputed jurisdictional boundaries. Go beyond basic wetland hydrology and hydrologic indicators. Policy topics include: wetlands, other waters, ordinary high water marks, and “Significant Nexus.” Technical concepts include: saturation, porosity, Darcy’s law, hydraulic conductivity, permeability, infiltration, use of climate records, calculation of runoff, groundwater observation well installation, well data analysis, stream flow analysis, rating curves, and the effects of drainage by streams, ditches, and tiles. Learn more and register online: https://wetlandtraining.com/course/advanced-hydro/

Ericaceae and Ericaceous Heaths of Maine

July 21–27, 2019

The focus of this seminar is on the plant family Ericaceae. Coastal Maine is particularly rich in ericaceous species with approximately 32 shrub and herb species placed in 17 genera. Ericaceae in the broad sense (incl. monotropoids, pyroloids, empetrids) are abundant in a broad range of coastal and inland habitats providing opportunities to study the taxonomic diversity in a phylogenetic context. Ecological components of the family, e.g., niche/habitat and fungal and pollinator associations will be considered for independent study. Field trips will target local plant community types with abundant ericad diversity, followed by guided identification of collections, supplemented by examination of species found in other parts of North America. Participants are encouraged to bring collections they have made in other geographic areas.

Paul Manos (pmanos@duke.edu) is a Professor of Biology at Duke University, Durham, NC. He has worked on the systematics of Northern Hemisphere woody plants with an emphasis on oaks, hickories, and walnuts. More recently, he has studied the biogeography of the eastern Northern American flora. He has extensive teaching experience in the southern Appalachians and a well-developed interest in the diversity and ecology of Ericaceae, and in the systematics of Vaccinium. https://biology.duke.edu/people/paul-s-manos

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North Central plants of the wetland boundary is 24-contact hour course designed to give participants the knowledge and skills necessary to identify many commonly encountered plants on either side of the wetland boundary in the North Central United States (and adjoining Canada). The course focuses on basic plant identification, terminology, keying, and field characters. A self-directed field component provides participants the opportunity to submit digital photographs of plants they have identified for verification and to interact with experts and peers on the course discussion forum. Lecture notes are available for download in full color in either two or three images per page. Participants are responsible for printing your own lectures notes.

This course is best suited for beginner to moderate skill levels and are ideal to prepare for one of our Basic Wetland Delineation courses. Learn more and register online: https://wetlandtraining.com/course/nc-plants/