SWS Membership Benefits

The New England Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering conservation and understanding of wetland issues in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The objectives of the New England Chapter of the SWS are:

To operate solely and exclusively as a non-profit and educational organization to foster conservation and understanding of wetland issues of particular interest to New England.
Advance public education and enlightenment concerning New England's wetland resources.
Provide an independent forum for interchange of ideas and data focusing on wetland science in New England.
Develop and encourage wetland science as a distinct discipline by supporting student education, curriculum development, and research in New England.
Encourage and evaluate the educational, scientific, and technological development and advancement of all branches of wetland science and practice with a focus on New England wetlands and issues.
Encourage the knowledgeable management of wetland resources of New England.

Follow us on Instagram @sws_newengland, Twitter @sws_newengland, LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook!

Consider joining our LinkedIn page for current information and discussions.

Please contact us for further information about the SWS NE Chapter.

Chapter Members

News

2024 Society of Wetland Scientists New England Chapter Scholarship

Congratulations to Kelly McCusker of Antioch University New England on being awarded the Society of Wetland Scientists New England Chapter Scholarship!

Call for Nominations for Board of Directors

The New England Chapter is seeking nominations for President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. If you're interested in one of these roles, complete this form no later than September 15.

Looking to get involved but not ready for the Board of Directors?

We are looking for volunteers to help with an Awards Committee, an Annual Meeting committee, an Educational Committee, and a Nominating Committee. If you're interested, email me at iehegemann@gmail.com and April Doroski at adoroski@fando.com.

Awards Committee: Coordinate with the office to send out Call for Awards and notices of availability of student grants or scholarships. Help review applications for Awards and Student Scholarships. Attend annual meetings and present Awards and/or Scholarships. Coordinate with applicants and winners. See SWS-NE web page for an example.
Annual Meeting Committee: Develop Annual Meeting Topic, Coordinate with Board of Directors, find location (we try to rotate between the New England states), put out a call for speakers and review submissions, put out a call for Posters and review applications, coordinate logistics (field trip, hotel, venue, food).
Education Committee: This committee will participate with the Annual Meeting Committee but will also develop educational activities on its own. In the past, SWS NE has conducted field trips in different states and we're looking to continue that, or conduct educational activities in conjunction with peer groups (state wetland associations, etc). Define this committee yourself and have fun being wetland scientists!
Nominating Committee: We will need a Nominating Committee for the 2023 Board of Directors vote. This committee issues the call for nominations, reviews applications and makes recommendations for Annual Meeting vote.

2021 Student Research Grant Award Announcement

Objective: To encourage and support graduate and undergraduate research in wetland science, policy, and management within the SWS New England Chapter area.

Grant Award: One award of up to $2,000 will be given to an undergraduate or graduate student submitting the best proposal for wetland related research to be conducted in 2022. The grant will be awarded within 30 days of selection and formal acceptance by the awardee.

Requirements: All research projects must be conducted in New England. Papers and/or presentations based on the funded research must acknowledge the support of SWS-New England. SWS-New England strongly encourages presentation of the results of this research at its Annual Chapter Meeting in the fall of 2022. In lieu of presentation, a report of the research results must be submitted by August 31, 2022. If this research is part of a larger project, partial results are acceptable.

Students must submit their application by email in a single, consolidated document—pdf format—to the contacts listed below. Go to Application Form for the required information.

Applications must be received no later than April 30, 2021.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Process/Schedule: The proposals will be reviewed by the Student Awards Committee of SWS-NE for relevance, clarity of hypotheses, suitability of methods, feasibility, and qualifications of the applicant. All applicants will be notified of the decision no later than June 30, 2021.

Contacts: All applications should be emailed to:

Meredith Avery mavery@vhb.com 781-308-5317

Matt Schweisberg matt@wetlandsns.com 508-783-6026
April Doroski adoroski@tighebond.com 215-620-9689

Contact Meredith, April or Matt for more information.

Support Student Research

February 5, 2018

Our New England Chapter of SWS will hold a raffle at the upcoming Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting (March 8, 2018) to benefit our student research grant fund. We are requesting donated items to offer in the raffle. Last year we had a number of great books. This year we currently have two $50 gift certificates (Cabela's and REI). One was donated by our New England Chapter. Donated items can be sent to Tony who will be staffing a table at this event:

Tony Federici
c/o Kleinschmidt
35 Pratt Street
Suite 201
Essex, CT 06426
Phone: (860) 718-0295

New version released of Field Indicators for Identifying Hydric Soils in New England

The New England Hydric Soil Technical Committee (NEHSTC) has completed Version 4 of the Field Indicators for Identifying Hydric Soils in New England. This version supersedes older versions of the Indicators and is approved for use in New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). This version is a working copy for wetland and soil scientists to use in the field for wetland ID and delineation. A copy will be published through the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission in the fall of 2017. Learn more on the NEHSTC website.

2017 Student Research Grant Award

To stimulate and support graduate and undergraduate research in wetland science, policy and management within the New England Chapter area.

Grant Award:
One award of up to $1,000 will be given to an undergraduate or graduate student submitting the best proposal for wetland-related research to be conducted in 2017. The grant will be awarded within 30 days of selection and formal acceptance by the awardee.

Requirements:
All research projects must be conducted in New England. Papers based on the funded research must acknowledge the support of SWS-New England. SWS-New England strongly encourages the presentation of the results of this research at its Annual Chapter Meeting in the spring of 2018. In lieu of presentation, a report of the research results must be submitted by February 28, 2018. If this research is part of a larger project, partial results are acceptable.

Process/Schedule:
The proposals will be reviewed by the Student Awards Committee of SWS-NE for relevance, clarity of hypotheses, the suitability of methods, feasibility and qualifications of the applicant. All applicants will be notified of the decision no later than March 24, 2017. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Fall Newsletter - Oct 2015

The newly elected SWS New England Executive Board is hard at work organizing our chapter conference meeting for the spring, looking into informative and exciting workshops and field trips and finding ways to build the chapter membership through social media, student chapters and our new quarterly newsletter.

Check out our Fall chapter newsletter introducing the Board. You will also find articles from our student members as well as information on upcoming field trips.

SWS 2015 Annual Meeting hosted by the New England Chapter

The SWS New England Chapter was a proud host of the 2015 SWS Annual Meeting. This ground-breaking conference was held in Providence, Rhode Island and examined the role that wetlands play in the global carbon cycle, how wetlands provide climate adaptation services and how wetlands are being impacted by our changing climate. This meeting was very well attended - over 650 attendees gathered to share their research and love of wetlands.

New England Chapter 2014 Technical Conference and Annual Meeting

The SWS New England Chapter was reinvigorated with its 2014 Technical Conference and Annual Meeting held at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA on May 1. This meeting was well attended, with chapter members from a wide range of backgrounds, including government, academia and consulting. Click here to access meeting abstracts.

Past Events

Annual Chapter Conference & Field Trip: Restoration in the Face of Climate Change
October 6, 2023 at the Pompositticut Community Center

The day will begin at the Pompositticut Community Center in Stow, MA with an update on SWS-NE initiatives since the 2022 Conference, and two presentations to set the scene for the field trip. During the field trip at Stow Acres Country Club, we will examine filled wetlands proposed for restoration to a wet meadow and stream complex. Filled wetlands will be evaluated via soil test pits and soil IRIS tubes. Following the field trip, we’ll venture back to the Community Center, enjoy lunch and a field trip recap discussion, and the final three presentations.

Please contact April Doroski (adoroski@fando.com, 413-282-7008) with any questions.

SCHEDULE

8:30-9:00 - Registration & Light Breakfast
9:00-9:15 - Opening Remarks and Business Meeting
9:15-9:45 - David Hilgeman, Senior Environmental Engineer, MassDEP Massachusetts Inland Wetland Replacement Guidelines – BVW Manual
9:45-10:15 - Kathy Sferra, Conservation Director, Town of Stow, Stow Acres: From Plan to Action
10:15-12:30 - Stow Acres Field Trip
12:30-2:00 - Field Trip Debrief & Lunch - At the Community Center
2:00-2:30 - Matt Burne, Senior Ecologist, BSC Group, Inc, Planning Restoration and Resiliency on the Stow Acres Golf Course
2:30-3:00 - Madeliene Meadows-McDonnell, PhD Candidate, University of Connecticut, How does texture of added sediment affect carbon sequestration of restored coastal salt marshes?
3:00-3:15 - Break & Light Refreshments
3:15-3:45 - David Wong, MassDEP, Freshwater Invasive Species in Massachusetts in the Face of Climate Change

Learn more and register here.

Getting Your Feet Wet as A Wetland Scientist Panel Discussion
February 24, 2023 at the University of Connecticut

This program will facilitate a dialogue between panelists and participants about career experiences across industries. Students, young professionals, and those curious about the variety of career options as a wetland scientist are strongly encouraged to join.

Brought to you by: Society of Wetland Scientists – New England Chapter, Environmental Business Council, and Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) at the University of Connecticut.

Learn more and register here.

2022 New England Chapter Annual Meeting and Conference
The Role of Wetlands in Climate Resilience

AGENDA

8:00-8:30	Registration, coffee and continental breakfast
8:30-8:45	Opening Remarks & SWS NE Business Meeting: Dwight Dunk, SWS-NE Chapter President See the meeting minutes here.
8:45-9:30	Evaluating thin layer placement in Long Island Sound marshes using a multi-scale approachDr. Beth Lawrence, University of Connecticut
9:30-10:15	Design of an Innovative Gated Bridge to Support Restoration of the Herring River and its Historic Salt MarshesNils Wiberg, PE, CFM, Fuss & O’Neill
10:15-10:45	AM Break
10:45–11:30	Effects of historic and on-going phosphorus inputs from treated wastewater effluent on a freshwater emergent marsh, Rindge NHDr. Catherine Owen Koning and Dr. Shannon Stroble, Franklin & Pierce University
11:30–12:15	Come Rain, Come Shine: Methane Cycling and Emissions in a New Hampshire Peatland Under Drought and Heavy RainClarice Perryman, University of New Hampshire (2021 Scholarship Awardee)
12:15–1:15	Lunch
1:15–3:00	Field Trip: Living Shorelines at Wagon Hill Farm, Durham NHDr. David Burdick, University of New Hampshire; Tom Brightman, Osprey Ecological Services, LLC
3:00–5:00	PM Refreshments at the University of New Hampshire

2021 New England Annual Chapter Meeting

The theme this year was: Long-Term Success / Successional Trends Of Wetland Restorations.

The Virtual Annual Meeting and Conference was scheduled for Friday, September 17, 2021.

The field trip was scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2021 in Vermont – St. Albans area.

Virtual Meeting - September 17th
10:00 - 10:15 - Welcome
10:15 - 10:30 - Annual Meeting
10:30 - 11:30 - Presentations 1 & 2
11:30 - 11:45 - Break / Networking
11:45 - 12:45 - Presentations 3 & 4
12:45 - 1:00 - Closing Remarks and Adjournment

Registration is free.

Field Trip in Vermont - September 25th
More Information to Come
9am-3pm
Limit of 25 participants

Hotel Block
Hampton Inn St. Albans
43 Lake Street
St. Albans, VT 05478
Cost: $209 Room Block Name: Society of Wetland Scientists
Reservation cut off date is: August 25th
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/B/BTVSAHX-WET-20210923/index.jhtml

Registration cost is $25

2020 New England Virtual Annual Chapter Meeting

October 30, 2020 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET)

Keynote Speakers

Gillian Davies, PWS, BSC Group, Inc.

Paul Minkin, PhD, US Army Corps of Engineers

May 2018: Coastal Restoration in the Face of Climate Change - Rhode Island

On Friday, May 4, there was a field trip to examine salt marsh restoration through thin layer deposition projects at two National Wildlife Refuges. The program started at 10:00 am with a presentation followed by a restoration site visit to the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge for lunch (provided), followed by restoration viewing and discussion.

On Saturday, May 5 was a full day of conference talks and networking opportunities at Save the Bay Conference Center. The day included presentations on the previous day’s field trip, living shoreline design, IPCC update on salt marsh response to climate change, salt marsh restoration at Plum Island Ecosystems LTER and more. Additionally, we had an update from our 2017 student grant winner on the impacts of road salt on the function and structure of forested wetlands. We also gave an update on current SWS activities, at the international and chapter level, and announce the 2018 student grant recipients.

May 2017: Wetland/Aquatic Restoration Success and Failures - Maine

On Friday, May 5, there was a field trip to look at the good, bad, and ugly of wetland mitigation. First, the attendees visited a mitigation site in Sanford that failed and learned about the site that replaced itt. Later they headed to Westbrook and Scarborough to see other sites and discussed how they are better - or not? - than the morning site.

On Saturday, May 6, the full-day meeting featured talks focused on wetland restoration sites, the Connecticut In-Lieu Fee program, Vernal Pool conservation and land use, wetland restoration in a changing climate and more. The meeting featured posters and a chance to learn about activities and opportunities within the SWS NE Chapter. The day ended with an optional field trip on the University of New England campus to see a constructed wetland. Learn more about the full meeting program.

September 2016: Hydrologic Considerations in Wetland Restoration –Vermont

The New England Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists hosted a trip, led by USDA Wetland Specialist, James Eikenberry. We visited several excellent sites that are closely located to one another in Brandon, Sudbury, and Leicester, VT. Eikenberry highlighted a wide range of wetland areas; some had been restored for several years and we're doing well, others had been restored for several years, but needed invasive plant control (possibly with some restoration planned for this summer), and lastly some sites that were new and in need of full planning and future funding. Interestingly, this is the only site with active hydrology manipulation used for waterfowl management.

July 2016: River Floodplains - Vermont

The New England Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists visited Northern Vermont floodplain forest communities and learned of the efforts by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to restore floodplain forests. Led by Christian O. Marks, Floodplain Ecologist with TNC, we visited two locations (Maidstone and Lemmington, VT) and spent the day studying floodplain forest patches, point bars and oxbow wetlands. We learned of the ecological relationships between species distribution and flooding, sediment deposition and floodplain forest succession.

We then visited floodplain forest restoration areas, reviewing stream buffer plantings and comparing natural regeneration in old hay and cornfields. The plantings included field trials of American elm-crosses that were part of a collaboration between TNC and the USDA FS to develop new cultivars of the American elm that would have greater disease tolerance and other desirable traits.

Resources

State Wetland Scientists Organizations

Wetland Related Links

Documents

2023 - Bordering Vegetated Wetlands Delineation Handbook Roundtable

A Virtual Roundtable on the new Bordering Vegetated Wetlands Delineation Handbook was co-hosted by the New England Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists and Association of Massachusetts Wetland Scientists on July 18, 2023. The slides from that roundtable are linked below: