Hello and allow me to introduce myself, Aaron Ellis, as your new Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program Coordinator! Chase and I will continue to work together for a few more weeks until she goes on maternity leave. We'll miss you Chase!
Fall 2024 Monitoring: Sleuthing Plant IDs and Dodging Hurricanes
chase.bergeson • October 21, 2024
Please also welcome, Seana Finn, a graduate research assistant at NC State University, and is assisting Carolina Wetlands Association (CarWA) with their Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program. Her research interests focus on using participatory science for water quality and exploring people's perceptions of valuable ecosystems like wetlands. "I’ve had a blast attending the VWMP events so far! I am a Florida native, but I’ve called North Carolina home for the past six years. I’m a proud Shaw University alumna, and before becoming a research assistant, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, which deepened my love for this amazing state and its natural wonders. I’m excited to be working with CarWA and look forward to being involved in such a fun project!" says Seana.
Our fall monitoring went very well at Hemlock Bluffs and Robertson Millpond, with clear weather and many of our seasoned volunteers on site, with a few new faces too. At Mason Farm, we also had a great day, but unfortunately were unable to do our complete monitoring at Study Area 2 due to damage to the road from Hurricane Helene and inundation of our vegetation plots. Some of our lead volunteers still made the mile-long trek back to the site to offload our well data and take a site visit summary. Special thanks to Paul, Andrew, and Daphne! The power of flows from Helene also knocked down many of our boundary poles at Hemlock Bluffs.
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.
Also we would like to thank NCDEQ employee and our resident wetland plant expert Kristie Gianopulos for attending our monitoring days, and her invaluable help at identifying plants! In fact, it’s her book, Guide to Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina, that we use as a primary reference in much of our work.
We also conducted invasive vegetation species surveys at each of our sites. We saw many of the usual suspects, including Chinese privet, patches of Japanese stiltgrass, a few Callery pear, and also the appearance of a few autumn olive. Overall though it appeared as though there was not a large increase in their documented areas at Robertson. However, we did discover a large patch of a non-native wintercreeper bordering Study Area 1 at Hemlock Bluffs.
We were able to map the percent coverage and location of each invasive in a new test form that Chase built in Kobo Toolbox. We will continue exploring and refining how we document invasive species, so if you are or know of a tech-savvy someone who can help us design a great solution, please let us know! Our volunteer opportunities don’t stop at taking physical measurements in the field- we would love help with our QA/QC of data we collect as well.
If you want to freshen up your plant ID skills, see the resources below.
Our previous plant observations
Previous plant of the month blogs
Common Guide to Wetland Plants
Identification of Common Trees of North Carolina
NC Native Plant Society Non-native Invasive list
NCDOT Invasive Exotic Plant Guide
A field guide for the identification of invasive plants in southern forests
Mistaken Identity? Invasive plants and their native look alikes
Please feel free to save my email,
aaron.ellis@carolinawetlands.org, for any questions, concerns, or other volunteer opportunities! I am looking forward to meeting more of you in our upcoming monitoring sessions.
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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.