American Wetlands Month Webinar: Advancing Wetland Conservation Through Community Engagement
Held Thursday, May 20, 2026 - 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
In celebration of American Wetlands Month in May, this Members' Webinar was open to all.
INTRODUCTION
- Portia Osborne, National Association of Wetland Mangers [PDF Presentation]
PRESENTER:
- Kellie Uyeda, UC San Diego Natural Reserve System [PDF Presentation]
-
Mark Dilley, MAD Scientist Associates [PDF Presentation]
-
Jenny Adkins, MAD Scientist Associate
ABSTRACTS:
Community Outreach through Love Your Wetlands Day
Kellie Uyeda
Love Your Wetlands Day is an annual celebration of wetlands at UC San Diego's Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve that consistently attracts more than 1,000 people. The event was started by UC San Diego staff in collaboration with the City of San Diego and was attended by just a few dozen volunteers in 2005. In the last few years, San Diego Bird Alliance and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve have joined as hosts as well. All the event hosts have slightly different motivations for engaging in this outreach event, which I explored in this talk.
Bringing Wetlands to Your Community – and Vice Versa!
Mark Dilley and Jenny Adkins
Wetlands are a complicated and sometimes controversial topic, yet they are vital to our planet and its inhabitants - humans and wildlife alike. In this presentation, they shared tips on how to identify opportunities to restore or enhance wetlands in your community's parks and green spaces, how to manage and care for them, and most importantly, how to engage the community in meaningful and effective ways to garner interest and support for these important and fascinating ecosystems. Several illustrative (and special) stories were shared to highlight the value of wetlands to unexpected stakeholders.
BIOS
Kellie Uyeda is the Executive Director of the UC San Diego Natural Reserve System, where she works at the intersection of research, education, and conservation. She has a PhD in Geography from San Diego State University/UC Santa Barbara.
Mark Dilley earned a B.S. in Natural Resources (Fisheries Management) in 1991 and a M.S. in Environmental Science (specializing in wetlands) in 2003, both from The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources. He and his wife Christine are co-owners of a WBE, WOSB, and EDGE-certified environmental consulting firm, MAD Scientist Associates, specializing in ecological and wetland consulting. Their company mission is Making A Difference – through Science, Service and Education. Mark has over 30 years of experience as a field biologist, ecologist, and wetland scientist. He is a Certified Senior Ecologist, Certified Ecological Restoration Professional (CERP), and Senior Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS). Mark was also a lecturer at The Ohio State University, where he taught Wetland Ecology & Restoration for 13 years. He is the Past President of the Ohio Wetlands Association and currently serves as a Member-at-Large for the Ohio Ecological Restoration Association.
Jenny Adkins works as an environmental scientist specializing in botany and environmental education at an ecological consulting firm in Westerville, Ohio. She received her M. Ed. in Adult, Young Adult Life Sciences and B.S. in Biology from Wright State University. Her position at this unique company allows her to work closely with formal and informal educators throughout Ohio, designing outdoor learning spaces, tailoring curriculum to incorporate environmental education, and leading hands-on exploration activities in the outdoors.
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Introduction: Portia Osborn, National Association of Wetland Managers; Presenters: Kellie Uyeda, UC San Diego Natural Reserve System; Mark Dilley, MAD Scientist Associates; and Jenny Adkins, MAD Scientist Associates
2026 Nationwide Permits and Opportunity to Comment on Potential Future Changes
Held Thursday, May 7, 2026 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
INTRODUCTION
- Portia Osborne, National Association of Wetland Mangers [PDF Presentation]
PRESENTER:
- Katie McCafferty, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ABSTRACT:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissued its nationwide permits (NWPs) effective March 15, 2026. The NWPs authorize activities subject to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 as long as the proposed activity meets the terms and conditions of the NWP. In the 2026 NWPs, 56 NWPs were reissued, one new NWP was issued, and one NWP was not reissued. These NWPs authorize activities associated with various categories of projects ranging from aids to navigation, mooring buoys, maintenance activities, utility line crossings, residential developments, agricultural activities, aquatic ecosystem restoration activities, and improving passage for aquatic organisms. This webinar provided an overview of the 2026 NWPs, with a focus on the changes to the NWPs, as well as an overview of the notice requesting comment on potential future changes to the NWPs. The comment period on the notice ends on May 15, 2026.
BIO
Katherine (Katie) McCafferty is a Regulatory Program Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters, where she currently leads initiatives related to the nationwide and general permit programs. With over 20 years experience in the USACE Regulatory Program, she has been a Regulatory Project Manager in Louisville and Alaska Districts, and an Administrative Appeals Officer for the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. Her experience includes the evaluation of applications for Department of the Army authorizations for work in waters and wetlands, reviews of jurisdictional determinations, and mentoring and training USACE Regulatory staff. Most recently, she led the national effort to finalize the reissuance of the 2026 Nationwide Permits.
Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.
Part 1: Introduction: Portia Osborn, National Association of Wetland Managers; Presenters: Sunny Fleming, Esri and Andy Carroll, Skytec
Scaling Wetland Intelligence with GeoAI: Tools, Trends, and a National Vision
Held Thursday, January 29, 2026 - 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST
INTRODUCTION
- Portia Osborne, National Association of Wetland Mangers [PDF Presentation]
PRESENTERS
- Sunny Fleming, Esri [PDF Presentation]
- Andy Carroll, Skytec
ABSTRACT
The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is the most authoritative national dataset for wetlands, yet in many areas its coverage is decades old. Recent policy changes, including the Sackett v. EPA decision, place greater responsibility on states to develop strategies for protecting wetland resources. This webinar you learned how the state of Tennessee partnered with Skytec to enhance Esri’s Wetland Identification Model (WIM) with advanced GeoAI and cloud computing to produce more accurate, scalable wetland predictions. They also covered tools to help states get started, how these efforts align with emerging policy trends, and a vision for scaling this approach nationally. You will see how these innovations help states make informed, data-driven decisions for conservation, permitting, and land-use planning.
BIOS
Sunny Fleming is Esri’s industry lead for the domains of environment, conservation, and natural resources. Throughout her career, she has applied GIS concepts and technology to environmental policy, conservation, and natural resources, from monitoring species in the field to helping state parks manage assets and assess their economic impacts. She continues to pursue her passion for the environment by helping industry leaders streamline and improve their work with GIS technology, whether in the field or in the office, and whether setting policy or managing wildlife and resources.
Andy Carroll is a Co-Founder and CTO at Skytec, a remote sensing and geospatial technology company specializing in the application of satellite-based remote monitoring and spatial data analytics for natural resource management. Prior to Skytec, Andy managed and directed the Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and served as a Project Manager at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Andy is a licensed Professional Geologist, a certified GIS Professional and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Appalachian Carbon Exchange.
Please click only once on each video recording to view in this window.
Part 1: Introduction: Portia Osborn, National Association of Wetland Managers; Presenters: Sunny Fleming, Esri and Andy Carroll, Skytec
