On February 2, wetland lovers across the globe come together to recognize World Wetlands Day. As we raise awareness of rapid loss and ongoing damage to wetlands, we also shine light on the dedicated teams and individuals working to conserve, protect, and share knowledge about these vital ecosystems. By supporting wetlands within our communities, we help ensure they continue to support life for generations to come.
Our Piedmont Volunteer Wetland Monitoring sites — Horseshoe Farm Preserve, Hemlock Bluffs, Mason Farm, and Robertson Millpond — recently completed a productive winter monitoring season. Teams focused on hydrology and water-quality assessments, and each site used this period to train new volunteer monitoring leads.
A Look Back: From Humble Beginnings to Statewide Impact It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since that first meeting in June 2015 , when a small group of us gathered at a Starbucks on Lake Boone Trail to form our very first Board of Directors . I was elected President, with Steve Rebak as Vice President, Kristie Gianopulos as Treasurer, and John Dorney as Secretary. Our founding board also included Kim Matthews, Stratford Kay, Laura England , and others who helped shape the foundation of our organization. Ginny Baker (Daniel) and Robert Truesdale became co-chairs of the Science Committee, and later Amin Davis stepped up to lead the Program Committee. Together, we drafted our bylaws and registered as a nonprofit corporation in North Carolina. In 2016 , with the invaluable help of Chad Guthrie and the UNC School of Law , we achieved our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — a huge step in establishing ourselves as a recognized nonprofit. Growing Our Reach Our early years focused on building visibility and partnerships. I met with leaders across environmental and conservation organizations, and we participated in countless community and environmental events. With Laura England’s leadership, we launched the Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas Program , which has become our flagship initiative — celebrating 36 Wetland Treasures to date (23 in North Carolina and 13 in South Carolina). Expanding Our Mission In 2019 , we took a bold leap by applying for our first EPA Wetlands Program Grant in partnership with NC State University and RTI International . This effort led to the creation of a Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program , which became a model for restoring the state’s wetlands monitoring efforts. Building on that success, a second EPA grant in 2024 allowed us to expand into Hendersonville, NC , Horry County, SC , and Columbia, SC — broadening our network and community engagement. We’re now seeking a third grant to continue this important work. Supporting Vulnerable Communities Our mission has also grown to include working with vulnerable and flood-prone communities along our coastal rivers. Through collaboration with the North Carolina Office of Resilience, Working and Natural Lands initiatives, and Executive Order 305, we’ve focused on using natural infrastructure to reduce flooding and restore ecosystems. Thanks to support from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund , we’ve completed flood mitigation planning in Harnett County (Dunn, NC) on Stony Run , and are thrilled to have received a new grant to begin restoration work there. We’ve also received funding to: Assess flooding at Parker Creek (Pitt County) in a historically underserved community, Work with the Lumbee Tribe to restore wetlands near their Cultural Center, and Collaborate with the Bucksport community — with support from Defenders of Wildlife , the Betterment of Bucksport , and two Duke Accelerator grants — to address flooding linked to increased development. Looking Ahead We’ve come a long way in ten years, but there’s still much to do. Grants make much of our work possible, but they don’t cover everything. We rely on the generosity of our supporters and volunteers to help us sustain and grow our programs. Please consider celebrating this milestone with a donation — large or small — to help keep our mission thriving for the next decade and beyond. Join us on November 16th to celebrate our journey, reconnect with old friends, and look forward to the future of wetlands conservation together. Thank you for being part of our story, Rick Savage Executive Director Carolina Wetlands Association
Join Our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration! We are incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished together over the last decade, and we can’t wait to celebrate this anniversary with the entire Carolina wetlands community. From advocating for critical policies to advancing wetland science and engaging thousands of volunteers and supporters, our work is only possible because of your dedication. 10 Years of Impact: Our Guiding Mission Since the beginning, Carolina Wetlands Association has been driven by a set of core principles that guide our work across four key program areas: Outreach: Promoting widespread understanding of and engagement in wetlands. Advocacy: Encouraging policies and programs that promote wetland conservation and protection. Science: Encouraging the advancement of wetland science and practices. Sustainability: Ensuring a viable organization for the long term to protect, promote, and restore wetlands. Whether it’s protecting our saltmarshes as nature’s climate protectors (a topic we explore in depth in our recent white paper ) or coordinating hundreds of volunteers to monitor wetlands, our commitment remains the same: protecting and preserving the vital wetlands of the Carolinas. Mark Your Calendar: Sunday November 16th Join us for a relaxed and festive evening to toast a decade of wetland conservation, education, and advocacy! Enjoy local brews, connect with fellow supporters, and celebrate the incredible impact we’ve made together. Whether you've been with us from the start or are just getting involved, we'd love to see you there! Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025 Location: Hi Wire Brewing Company, Address: 800 Taylor St #9-150, Durham, NC 27701 [ Directions ] Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM We look forward to celebrating this incredible milestone with you and kicking off the next decade of protecting the Carolina Wetlands!
Please join us as we celebrate volunteers of our wetland monitoring program on October 12, 2025. Our event will take place in Roxboro, NC and start with a paddle tour of living shoreline and mixer at Black Creek Brewery. All are welcome but please RSVP.
At Carolina Wetlands Association, we work every day to educate, advocate, and restore these critical ecosystems across the Carolinas — but we can't do it without your support.
We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates from the Lumbee Cultural Center Wetland Restoration Project!
What started with a board, a website, and a dream has grown into a powerful voice for wetlands across the Carolinas. From launching volunteer monitoring programs to leading flood resilience work in vulnerable communities — we’ve come a long way.
Press Release: Introducing 2025 Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas
Volunteers faced chilly weather to complete December 2024 data collection efforts.
At this time of year, we focus on vegetation surveys along with hydrology and water quality. We have several reasons for this- for one, many of the plants we encounter still have mature leaves, are in bloom, or have fruited, which makes them much easier to identify. Our vegetation surveys can be somewhat intensive, depending on how many plants are located within the designated survey area. There’s lots of crawling around with plant books, lists, and photo taking to ensure we are capturing all of the species growing in the plot! We are very grateful for our plant-savvy volunteers who responded to our call for this monitoring season.
Dear Wetland Supporters:  The Board of Directors provides guidance and oversite to the organization. Board members serve 3-year teams and every year one-third of the board changes. I thought it would be good hear hear from our outgoing and in coming Vice Presidents about their hopes for the organization. Heather Clarkson has been a board member since 2018 and served as the Vice-President for the past 3 year. Luckily for us, she is going to stay as a general board member for another term.
This summer, the we had the privilege of having two undergraduate interns to assist us with ongoing projects, outreach programs, and their own initiatives. In this blog we asked them about themselves, and their experience working with us this summer.
Greetings Wetland Supporters, I attended the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) conference at the National Conservation and Training Center near Shepherdstown, WV. I have always said that this annual conference is one of the best to attend because of its relevance and timeliness to wetland professionals. There were really great presentations and you can see the agenda here . I was also invited to participate in a panel discussion on the Benefits of Regional, State, and Tribal Wetland Working Groups . I talked about our partnerships with stakeholders to help them find solutions to their flooding problems (e.g., Stony Run , Parkers Creek, Lumbee Cultural Center, the Gullah-Geechee), our partners with the Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program (NC State University, RTI International, and the Partners for Environmental Justice dealing with Walnut Creek. I also talked about our involvement in state initiatives including the (NC) Natural and Working Lands Initiative and the NC Salt Marsh Action Plan . Also on the panel was Tracy Hames, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association , and he discussed a wetland workgroup that included state legislators, members from the governor’s office, realtors, homebuilders, wetland scientists, and members of the interested public. This group discusses wetland issues such as protection, given the Sackett case. And because of the diversity of the group, the Wisconsin legislature and governor passed legislation to provide greater protection for wetlands. I talked extensively with Tracy and Erin O’Brien (also of Wisconsin Wetlands Association) about this workgroup and how we might implement one in NC. So stay tuned. I had several good conversations and one in particular was with Molly Martin from EPA Region 4. She is very excited about our new Wetlands Program Development Grant to expand our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program. Another good conversation was with Andy Robertson of Saint Mary’s University. He was estimating wetland protection loss for the state of New Mexico and he said that as much as 85% of the wetlands would lose their protection. Just remember the Carolina Wetlands Association is still working on ways to reverse the loss of wetland protection in the Carolinas. One thing you can do is write or call your state representatives and tell them we need to protect our wetland resources. And consider making a donation to help us continue the fight for our wetlands. So when exploring a wetland, think about what you can do to help make sure your wetland is protected. Rick Savage, Executive Director