13e22597

Pocosins: Carolina Peatlands of Carbon, Culture, and History

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:44:46 GMT

Continuing with the theme of unique wetlands to the Carolinas, Pocosins are amazing wetlands only appearing in NC and SC and a few in

SE Virgina. They are truly unique to the Carolina and their value to our well being is significant.

Introduction

Across the North Carolina Coastal Plain, stretching quietly between rivers and sounds, lie some of the most distinctive and underappreciated wetlands in North America: pocosins. Often described as “swamps on a hill,” these shrub-dominated peatlands are defined less by open water than by the slow accumulation of carbon-rich soils over thousands of years.

Ecological Value: Carbon Powerhouses of the Coastal Plain

Pocosins are peatlands, making them one of the most important natural climate assets in the Southeast. Their soils—built from layers of partially decomposed plant material—can reach several feet in depth, storing thousands of years of accumulated carbon. Waterlogged,

oxygen-poor conditions slow decomposition, allowing organic matter to persist.

When drained, however, these systems rapidly lose carbon as soils oxidize. Even more concerning, dried peat becomes highly flammable, and fires can release massive amounts of stored carbon. Intact pocosins also regulate water, reduce flooding, and improve

downstream water quality.

Historical Value: From Misunderstood Lands to Climate Assets

For much of American history, pocosins were viewed as wastelands. Extensive ditching and draining attempted to convert them into farmland and timberlands. North Carolina once supported more than two million acres of pocosins, but only a fraction remains today.

Modern restoration efforts are helping re-wet these landscapes, restoring their ability to store carbon, reduce wildfire risk, and support biodiversity.

Cultural Value: Indigenous Knowledge and Regional Identity

While it is a common misconception that the word "pocosin" translates to "swamp on a hill," its true Algonquian roots refer more broadly to a "stream-dissected upland" or an area where water lingers in a raised bog. Indigenous communities have long understood these landscapes as dynamic systems intricately shaped by the relationship between water and fire.

Learn More: Ryan Emanuel , a Lumbee Tribe member and Duke University hydrology professor, authored the 2024 book On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice . Published by UNC Press, the book chronicles stories of Indigenous resilience against environmental degradation in North Carolina, addressing issues like wetland loss and infrastructure development.

Today, pocosins remain an important part of the cultural identity of eastern North Carolina, representing resilience, ecological complexity, and a deep connection between people and place.

Conclusion

Pocosins challenge our assumptions about value. Beneath their dense vegetation lies one of the most effective natural carbon storage systems on Earth. Protecting and restoring these wetlands safeguards carbon, honors cultural landscapes, and restores ecological processes developed over millennia.

Where to see a Pocosin?

Carolina Bays: Unique Wetlands of the Carolinas

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:33:51 GMT

Importance of Carolina Bays

Across the North and South Carolina, a remarkable type of wetland quietly shapes the landscape—yet many people have never heard of it. Known as Carolina Bays , these shallow, elliptical-shaped depressions are one of the most unique wetland systems in the world. While a few exist beyond the region, the vast majority occur in the Coastal Plain ecoregion, where thousands dot the landscape of North and South Carolina.

Carolina Bays are among the most distinctive wetlands in North America. Their consistent oval shape and orientation—from northwest to southeast—have fascinated scientists for more than a century. Beyond their unusual appearance, these wetlands hold tremendous ecological value, deep cultural history, and an enduring scientific mystery.

Biodiversity Hotspots

Ecologically, Carolina Bays are incredibly important. Their isolated, rain-fed basins create unique hydrologic conditions that support specialized plant and animal communities. Many bays hold water only seasonally, making them ideal breeding habitats for amphibians such as mole salamanders, marbled salamanders, and barking treefrogs. Because these wetlands often lack fish, amphibian eggs and larvae can develop with less risk from predators.

Plant life within Carolina Bays is just as remarkable. Some bays support pond pine woodlands, while others contain open wetlands rich in sedges, grasses, and carnivorous plants like pitcher plants and sundews. Small changes in elevation, water depth, and fire history can create distinct plant zones within a single bay. Together, these wetlands also provide habitat for birds, reptiles, and countless invertebrates while helping store floodwaters, recharge groundwater, and filter pollutants from water.

Cultural Connections

Carolina Bays are not only ecological treasures—they are also part of the region’s cultural heritage. Indigenous peoples lived among these landscapes for thousands of years, relying on wetlands for food, medicine, and materials. Bays attracted wildlife, provided seasonal water, and supported plants used in traditional practices. Later, European settlers incorporated some bays into agriculture and forestry. Unfortunately, many were drained or altered, leaving lasting impacts on these ecosystems.

A Scientific Mystery

Despite decades of study, the origins of Carolina Bays remain one of geomorphology’s most intriguing puzzles. Their consistent shape and orientation sparked numerous theories over the years—from wind-driven processes during past climate conditions to groundwater dynamics and even extraterrestrial impacts. Today, most scientists agree that Carolina Bays likely formed through natural interactions of wind, water, and sediment during earlier climatic periods. Even so, research continues. These wetlands offer valuable opportunities to study climate history, soil development, hydrology, and ecological succession.

Natural Archives of the Coastal Plain

In many ways, Carolina Bays function as natural laboratories. They preserve records of environmental change over thousands of years while continuing to support vibrant ecosystems today. They are powerful reminders that wetlands are not wastelands, but essential systems that protect biodiversity, improve water quality, and connect us to our natural and cultural history.

Protecting Carolina Bays

Today, many Carolina Bays face growing threats, and some are no longer protected under the Clean Water Act. Protecting these wetlands ensures they remain ecological refuges, cultural touchstones, and scientific resources for future generations.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit a Carolina Bay, take it—you won’t regret it. And remember that most are no longer protected by the Clean Water Act and know that the Carolina Wetlands Association doing everything it can to protect these valuable resources.

If you believe in the importance of protecting Carolina based, consider a donation to Carolina Wetlands Association so we may continue protecting these irreplaceable ecosystems.

Winter’s Quiet Prepares Carolina Wetlands for Spring’s Awakening

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 19:59:50 GMT

Even during the cold weather we have been experiencing this winter, wetlands are quietly at work. Beneath the surface, wetland soils remain biologically active, and plants store energy in their roots. Wetlands provide refuge and are among the first parts of the landscape to signal seasonal renewal.

Early Voices of Spring: Amphibians on the Move

As daylight increases and temperatures rise, one of spring’s most joyful heralds is the sound of amphibians awakening from winter slumber. In ephemeral ponds and forested swamps, the spring peeper ( Pseudacris crucifer ) announces the season with its whistle-like call. Though tiny, their choruses can carry across the land. Spotted salamanders ( Ambystoma maculatum ) and marbled salamanders ( Ambystoma opacum ) also migrate on warm, rainy nights to breed in fish-free seasonal pools.

These early breeders rely on intact wetland hydrology. Seasonal flooding and shallow waters provide safe places for eggs and larvae to develop before wetlands naturally dry in late spring and summer.. Protecting these habitats is essential for maintaining amphibian populations and the broader wetland food web they support.

Spring Flowers: Nature’s First Colors

In early spring, wildflowers emerge across wet meadows, floodplain forests, and swamp margins. Skunk cabbage ( Symplocarpus foetidus ) often pushes through cold soils first, followed by marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris ), swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata ), and Virginia iris ( Iris virginica ). These early emerging plants stabilize soils, filter water, and provide early nectar for insects.

Carolina Wetland Treasures to Visit in Spring

There are many Wetland Treasure Sites across North and South Carolina that you are especially rewarding to visit during late winter and early spring.

Holly Shelter Game Land (Pender County, NC) – Contains a mix of pocosins, Carolina bays, and floodplain forests.
Great Coharie River Wetlands (Sampso n County, NC) – Blackwater floodplain forests rich in amphibian habitat.
Green Swamp Preserve (Brunswick County , NC) – Home to Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and unique peatland wetlands.
Carolina Beach State Park (New Hanover County, NC) – Noted for carnivorous plant wetlands and spring blooms.
Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve (Wake County, NC) – A local favorite for wetland walks and early spring wildlife.
Congaree Swamp (Richmond County, SC) – A riverine swamp forest and bottomland hardwood forest ready to bloom and with hiking trails
Francis Beilder Forest (Dorchester County, SC) – A Cypress-tupelo swamp, bottomland hardwood forest that will not disappoint with many hiking trails.

Why Wetlands Matters

Winter reminds us that wetlands are systems of patience and resilience, while spring reveals their productivity and life-giving power. Together, these seasons show why wetlands matter and why protecting them year-round is essential for wildlife, water quality, and North Carolina’s natural heritage.

Photo in header: spotted salamanders ( Ambystoma maculatum )

Celebrating World Wetlands Day by learning about Wetland Importance

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 16:58:48 GMT

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.

What is World Wetlands Day?

World Wetland Day is a global celebration of the ecosystems that quietly keep our planet in balance. This celebration is observed each year on February 2 and it serves as a reminder of the vital role wetlands play into supporting life and why protecting them matters for our shared future.

This years theme, “Wetlands: Sacred. Life-sustaining. A timeless legacy. Ours to protect,” highlighting that we are not separate from nature, instead allies, in the effort to protect what sustains us all. To learn more about celebration of World Wetlands Day go to www.wordwetlandsday.org .

Science Behind Wetland Protection

The amazing Science Committee of the Carolina Wetlands Association has developed in-depth white papers highlighting the essential role wetlands play in building healthy, resilient communities. These resources not only explore the environmental challenges our world is facing, but also point to real, science-based solutions rooted in wetland conservation and restoration.

As climate change continues to cause widespread disruption to the planet’s natural systems, wetlands have the power to help mitigate these impacts through carbon sequestration, water filtration, and flood protection. Combating climate change is not something any one person or organization can do alone. There is strength in collective action. Even the smallest wetland can make a meaningful difference by storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and protecting local communities.

New: Importance of Wetland Factsheets

Wetland Monitoring Program: Winter 2025-26

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:54:33 GMT

Our Piedmont Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program (VWMP) 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. We are grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by both new and returning volunteers throughout these colder months.

Volunteers Needed for Data Management

Winter data are now being organized and reviewed, and we are continuing to refine our data collection and volunteer management processes. If you have interest in participating in QA/QC or other behind-the-scenes data organization, please reach out to Aaron at aaron.ellis@carolinawetlands.org . These opportunities are available year-round and are conducted indoors for those of you looking to help, but stay warm and dry- and we wouldn't blame you!

Spring Monitoring Coming Soon

Looking ahead, we will open additional volunteer monitoring opportunities this spring across several North and South Carolina sites. Sign-up information and site announcements will be provided soon, but space is limited so sign up early- these fill up fast because it is a great time to survey breeding amphibians on the move!

Thank You to Site Leaders and Volunteers

Thank you to all volunteers who dedicated their time and energy this winter. Your work continues to strengthen our understanding of wetland health and supports conservation efforts across the region. See you in the spring!

Successful Hydric Soil Demonstration

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:30:46 GMT

January 11, 2026 at Robertson Millpond

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the wetland soil demonstration at Robertson Millpond this past weekend. We were fortunate to have a great demonstration by USDA Soil Scientist Reuben Wilson. We had a great group there to learn about wetland soils, from those with next to no soil science experience to professionals and everyone learned something. Look out for more workshops and field demonstrations about wetlands later this year.

New WOTUS Rule: Means Loss of Federal Wetland Protection

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:41:07 GMT

Challenging Start to 2026

This year begins at a challenging moment for wetlands conservation. Wetlands across the country continue to lose federal protections, leaving fewer wetlands safeguarded than at any point since the Clean Water Act was enacted. Learn more about the proposed changes as www.epa.gov .

So what have we been doing in response?

We’ve been actively engaged in the policy process—attending hearings on new federal rules and collaborating with partner organizations to develop coordinated strategies to respond to changes to the Waters of the United States (WOTUS). At the local level, we’ve encouraged municipalities to speak out about the vital role wetlands play in protecting their communities from flooding, improving water quality, and supporting local economies.

South Carolina

In South Carolina, these efforts are beginning to show results. Some municipalities have passed local ordinances to protect additional wetlands, while others have explored incentive-based approaches that encourage developers to conserve wetlands during the planning process. Because South Carolina operates under “Home Rule,” local governments have greater flexibility to adopt policies that reflect the needs of their communities.

North Carolina

North Carolina faces a more restrictive landscape. Under Dillon’s Rule, municipalities can only exercise powers explicitly granted by the state legislature. As a result, beyond voluntary incentive programs, local governments have limited options to strengthen wetland protections. Additionally, recent state legislation—including the Farm Bill—prevents North Carolina from adopting wetland protections that exceed federal standards.

While these challenges are significant, our work continues. By engaging at every level—federal, state, and local—we remain committed to protecting wetlands and advocating for policies that recognize their essential role in healthy, resilient communities.

Comments submitted to EPA and USEPA on the proposed rule changes:

Along with 75 other organizations, the Carolina Wetlands Association signed on to comments submitted to the Southern Environmental Law Center .
The Carolina Wetlands Association Board of Directors prepared and submitted our own comments. A special thank you to John Meagher and the Policy Committee for preparing these comments.

What is Wrong with the Proposed Changes to WOTUS?

One of the most concerning changes is the requirement for a continuous visual presence of water t o verify that an area qualifies as a wetland, as well as a continuous visible surface connection to navigable waters of the United States. Anyone who has worked with wetlands knows that wetlands are dynamic systems, characterized by seasonal wet and dry periods. Water may not be visibly present year-round, even though the wetland is fully functional. The rules provide little clarity on how these seasonal variations should be addressed.

The overarching goal of the updated rules is clear: to reduce regulation—and therefore protection—of wetlands . This is deeply troubling given how critical wetlands are for carbon sequestration, flood control, water quality, education, recreation, wildlife habitat, and overall human well-being.

As protections decrease, we will lose wetland acreage . With fewer wetlands being classified as Waters of the US, fewer impacts will be offset with compensatory mitigation. This undermines the long-standing “No Net Loss” policy established under President George H.W. Bush, which aimed to ensure that wetland losses were balanced by restoration or creation elsewhere.

This is why your voice matters.

As supporters of wetlands, we must speak up—to your state legislatures and by getting involved with organizations actively fighting for wetland protection, including our Association. Policy decisions made today will determine the health of our communities for generations to come.

The next time you explore a wetland near you, remember: healthy wetlands mean healthy communities . Protecting them is not optional—it is essential.

Contact me is you want to help make a difference.

Rick Savage

Executive Director

Addi tional Resource

How wet must a wetland be to have federal protections in post-Sackett US? (By Adam Gold)
New year, new definition: Feds set to limit water protections (by Jennifer Allen)

Celebrating 10 years of Protecting Wetlands!

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:04:30 GMT

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

Celebrating a Decade of Conservation

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:57:35 GMT

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!

Join us for Volunteer Appreciation Day!

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:47:03 GMT

We couldn't protect wetlands without you!

Please join us as we celebrate the real MVP's of our organization- YOU!

We've planned a fun-filled day of activities to recognize and reward the hard work our volunteers do to conserve and study wetlands. Our event will take place in Roxboro, NC which is about an hour north of Raleigh-Durham area. We hope you'll treat yourself to a beautiful getaway and let us provide the fun!

Please feel free to share this invitation with those have or are interested in volunteering with us in the future.

October 12, 2025 Events

1. Living Shoreline Paddle at Mayo Lake Park @ Noon

Location : 1013 Neal's Store Road, Roxboro NC 27574

Mayo Lake hosts abundant wildlife and birding opportunities, including osprey, eagle, and herons. We will meet launch area at Mayo Lake Park . Let us know you are coming and if you will need a kayak/canoe/paddleboard. We have some vessel available to borrow and rentals are available from the park. . This activity will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

2. Mixer and Appreciation at Black Creek Brewery @ 3pm

Location : 111 Depot St. Roxboro, NC 27573

Our family-friendly venue features 18 traditional style craft beers on tap that are brewed in house, along with a curated selection of NC ciders, wines, and non-alcoholic soft drinks and bottled water for purchase. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and snacks will be provided, and you may enjoy the outdoor beer garden and seating. Meet and mingle with other volunteers and Carolina Wetlands staff at Black Creek Brewery in Uptown Roxboro, NC .

4:30PM: We will begin our presentation on the outcomes of our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program , and recognition of our dedicated Volunteer Site Leaders for their hard work. We will also share our numerous and varied opportunities to get involved with Carolina Wetlands Association and the contributions of those who help keep us running!

Please RSVP so we can order enough food for everyone.

Free parking is located in the lot behind the brewery, accessible by the alley next to the beer garden, or just past the brewery entrance.

Why Your Support Matters: Protecting Carolina’s Wetlands Together

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 13:10:39 GMT

Message from the Executive Director

As Executive Director of the Carolina Wetlands Association, I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the incredible impact our Association has on preserving and protecting one of the most vital ecosystems in the Southeast—our wetlands. These rich landscapes are more than just beautiful backdrops to our lives; they are the lifeblood of biodiversity, clean water, natural resilience (flood control), and cultural heritage across North and South Carolina. But the truth is: we cannot do this work alone.

�� Wetlands Are Essential—And Under Threat

Wetlands are nature’s unsung heroes. They filter pollutants from our water, buffer communities from flooding, store carbon to combat climate change, and provide critical habitat for countless species. Yet, despite their importance, wetlands continue to be drained, degraded, and dismissed.

Every year, we lose more wetland acreage to development, pollution, and climate pressures. And with each acre lost, we lose a piece of our natural defense system, our wildlife corridors, and our shared legacy.

�� What We Do—And Why It Matters

At Carolina Wetlands Association, we work tirelessly to:

Advocate for wetland-friendly policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Educate communities through workshops, field trips, and public outreach.
Support citizen science and stewardship to empower people to protect wetlands in their own backyards through our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program.
Conduct research and restoration projects that bring science and action together in working with vulnerable communities to restore wetlands to mitigate flooding.
Community Engagement: Our work isn't just about the land; it's about the people who live, work, and play in these communities. Your donations help us organize volunteer events, workshops, and guided nature walks. By bringing people closer to wetlands, we foster a deeper appreciation and a stronger sense of stewardship.

Our work is grounded in collaboration—with landowners, educators, scientists, and volunteers. But behind every successful initiative is a network of supporters who believe in our mission and invest in our future.

�� Why Financial Contributions Are Critical

We understand that giving is a personal decision. But here’s why your financial support is not just appreciated, it’s essential:

We are a nonprofit organization with no guaranteed funding. Every dollar we receive goes directly toward programming, outreach, and conservation efforts.
Your contributions allow us to grow —to reach more communities, train more volunteers, and expand our impact across the Carolinas.
Funding helps us respond quickly to emerging threats, whether it’s a proposed development in a sensitive wetland area or a new policy that could undermine protections.

Simply put: your donation is an investment in clean water, climate resilience, and a healthier future for all.

�� A Shared Responsibility, A Shared Reward

We often say that wetlands don’t have a voice—but we do. And with your help, we can speak louder, act faster, and protect more.

Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to our work, your financial contribution makes you a vital part of this movement. It tells decision-makers that wetlands matter. It tells communities that someone is fighting for their safety and sustainability. And it tells future generations that we cared enough to preserve what matters most.

�� How You Can Help

Make a one-time or recurring donation through our website.
Sponsor a specific program or event that aligns with your values.
Encourage your workplace to match your gift or become a corporate partner.
Share our mission with friends and family—awareness leads to action.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps us move the needle. And every supporter becomes part of a legacy of stewardship and hope.

�� Thank You for Standing With Us

We are deeply grateful for the passion, energy, and generosity of our community. Together, we’ve made incredible strides—but there is still so much to do. With your financial support, we can continue to protect the wetlands that protect us.

Let’s keep this momentum going. Let’s ensure that Carolina’s wetlands remain vibrant, resilient, and revered for generations to come.

With gratitude and determination,

Rick Savage

Executive Director Carolina Wetlands Association

Summer Progress Update: Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:17:03 GMT

June monitoring weathered the storms

We’re pleased to share a major milestone in the growth of the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program. This summer, we completed the first full monitoring cycle at four new wetland sites across North and South Carolina — bringing our total to seven

active monitoring locations.

These new sites reflect the rich diversity of wetland ecosystems in our region:

A rare mountain bog at Kanuga in Hendersonville, NC
An urban wetland at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC
Expansive Carolina Bays at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve in North Myrtle Beach, SC
A large vernal pool at Horseshoe Farm Preserve in Raleigh, adding to our Piedmont network

Speaking of our Piedmont sites, recent storms brought significant flooding to Mason Farm Biological Reserve, and we have not yet been able to access the site to assess conditions. We’ll share updates as soon as we can. In contrast, Hemlock Bluffs and Robertson Millpond weathered the storms well and had an excellent turnout of volunteers for summer monitoring—thank you for your continued dedication and resilience!

At each site, volunteers collected data on groundwater levels, hydrology, amphibian activity, vegetation, and invasive species—building the foundation for long-term ecological insights.

This success would not have been possible without our exceptional volunteers. We were thrilled to welcome both new and returning participants, including master naturalists, biologists, environmental professionals, and dedicated citizen scientists. Despite extreme summer heat—and even a thunderstorm at Kanuga—our teams showed up ready to do the work, and we’re deeply grateful for their commitment.

A special highlight this season: Seana Finn and lead site volunteer Daphne Vogelsang partnered with the NC League of Conservation Voters to record a wetland monitoring demonstration that reached a broad audience through social media. Their passion and outreach are helping raise awareness about the value of community-driven science.

Looking ahead, we’ll be focused on data processing and quality checks over the coming weeks. If you’re interested in supporting this effort—especially in behind-the-scenes roles—we’d love to hear from you. Many of these tasks can be done in a cooler setting (think: air conditioning), and offer a great way to get involved. Please contact Aaron at aaron.ellis@carolinawetlands.org to learn more.

As we continue to witness the impacts of climate change, wetland monitoring becomes more critical than ever. Wetlands offer natural protection against flooding, filter stormwater runoff, and support biodiversity—and your involvement helps ensure these benefits are recognized and protected.

Thank you for being part of this growing effort.

Big Moves for the Lumbee Cultural Center Wetland Restoration Project!

katie.mcclean@carolinawetlands.org — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 12:41:48 GMT

We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates from the Lumbee Cultural Center Wetland

Restoration Project!

On July 5, our team had the honor of joining the vibrant celebration of Lumbee Homecoming at UNC-Pembroke. Surrounded by music, food, and community spirit, we set up a table to connect with folks about the restoration project and share educational materials on Lumbee traditional medicinal plants found at the Cultural Center.

We had a great turnout at our table, with many community members stopping by to learn more about the wetlands, share their memories of the Cultural Center, and offer thoughtful ideas about what they value and hope to see at the restored site. The feedback we received is already helping us shape a vision that reflects the Lumbee community’s priorities and cultural connections to the land. But we’re not done listening. If you’re a community member familiar with the area, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and dreams for the project by taking our quick survey.

What’s Next?

The restoration work is moving forward with exciting momentum. Hydrological modeling is underway to better understand how water flows across the site, which will guide strategies for improving wetland function and reducing flooding. At the same time, we’re developing an early conceptual design that weaves together ecological restoration goals with community input on access, trails, and features that will make the site more welcoming and usable. This September, we’re looking forward to sharing updates, survey results, and fresh ideas at the Lumbee Tribe’s “Dance of the Harvest Moon” Pow Wow—we hope to see you there!

Together, we’re restoring a wetland and creating a space that reflects the values and vision of the community.

More information

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years of Carolina Wetlands: A Look Back—and Ahead 🌿

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:11:59 GMT

Well, 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Carolina Wetlands Association —and what a journey it has been! It’s the perfect time to pause, reflect on how far we’ve come, and think about where we’re going. And most importantly, to recognize just how vital your support has been—and continues to be.

�� Resilience and Restoration: A Focus on Flooded Communities

More recently, our focus has shifted toward the communities most vulnerable to flooding along our rivers and coastal plain. Through our work with North Carolina’s RISE Program and the Flood Resiliency Blueprint , we’ve been able to plan and support wetland restoration projects in Harnett , Robeson, and Pitt Counties—alongside incredible partners like the Lumbee Tribe .

We also extended our efforts beyond North Carolina. A small grant allowed us to begin working with Bucksport, South Carolina—a community facing similar flooding challenges.

And our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program has grown too! It now includes sites in the NC mountains (Kanuga Bog in Henderson), and two in South Carolina (Lewis Ocean Bay in Horry County and Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia), plus a new site in Wake County.

�� What We Need Now: Your Support Matters

All this progress has been possible because of you—our community of supporters, partners, and volunteers. But as we look to the next 10 years, we face new challenges.

Wetlands in the Carolinas have never been more threatened. Protections are weaker, while pressures from development and climate change are growing.

To meet these challenges, we need more than project funding . We need support for our critical policy work, research like our State of the Wetlands Report , white papers on wetland value, and education and outreach efforts that make our mission real to more people.

These activities often aren’t covered by grants—and that’s where your help makes all the difference.

�� Join Us in Protecting What Matters

So take some time this summer to visit your favorite wetland—breathe in that earthy smell, listen to the frogs and birds, and remember why this matters.

If you’d like to support our mission—or just have questions—please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org .

From all of us at the Carolina Wetlands Association, Thank you for believing in wetlands. Thank you for believing in us. Here’s to the next 10 years!

Celebrate Wetland Treasures During American Wetlands Month!

mike.stokes@carolinawetlands.org — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 01:39:26 GMT

Press Release: Introducing 2025 Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas

Carolina Wetlands Association now recognizes 40 unique Wetland Treasures across North and South Carolina. Discover the beauty and significance of wetlands by visiting one of our Wetland Treasures. Explore wetlands near you using our interactive Wetland Treasure Map and visit our web page to learn more.

For more information, contact Rick Savage , Executive Director of the Carolina Wetlands Association.

Carolina Wetlands Association thanks the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, whose Wetland Gems program is the model for this program. The Carolina Wetlands Association promotes the understanding, protection, restoration, and enjoyment of North and South Carolina’s wetlands and associated ecosystems through science-based programs, education, and advocacy.
More information at carolinawetlands.org .

Spring: A Time for Renewal and Connection with Wetlands

kim.matthews@carolinawetlands.org — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:47:20 GMT

March News from the Board of Directors

As the seasons shift and spring arrives, nature awakens from its winter slumber. After months of cold weather, wetlands come alive, offering a vital refuge for wildlife. Ephemeral wetlands serve as important nurseries for amphibians, providing a safe space for them to lay eggs and for juveniles to grow before they transition to life on land.

Spring also brings new life to the forest floor. Early-blooming plants, eager to soak up the sun before the trees fully leaf out, bring vibrant pops of color to the landscape. This season is a reminder of nature's resilience and renewal.

For us humans, spring is an opportunity to emerge from our cozy homes and re-engage with the natural world. It's a time to renew our appreciation for wetlands and reaffirm our commitment to preserving these vital ecosystems.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

Explore a Wetland: Take a hike or paddle through a wetland this spring. If you're looking for new places to explore, check out our interactive map of Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas.
Volunteer with Us: Join our wetland monitoring program or get involved in our Science and Program committees. Your support helps us make a real impact.
Restore or Create Wetlands on Your Property: Consider restoring or creating a wetland habitat in your own backyard. Our Landowner’s Guide for Wetland Restoration is a great place to start.
Incorporate Native Wetland Plants in Your Landscape: Adding native plants to your landscape helps support the local ecosystem. For ideas, refer to the NC DEQ’s Guide to Common Wetland Plants .
Support Wetland Conservation: Consider donating to support our efforts or other organizations dedicated to wetland preservation. Every contribution makes a difference.

In addition to taking action, it's important to stay informed and engaged, especially with the rapid changes taking place in government. We encourage you to raise your voice and share your thoughts with your Senators and Representatives to help protect wetlands for future generations.

As we navigate uncertain times, let’s stay positive, kind, and connected with each other and the world around us. Take time to connect with nature, reflect on what you’re grateful for, and enjoy the simple things that bring joy.

Together, we can ensure that wetlands continue to thrive and support the rich biodiversity they provide.

Thank you for being a valued part of our community!

Warmly,
Kim Matthews

President, Carolina Wetlands Association

Winter Wetland Monitoring Recap

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 03:13:36 GMT

Volunteers faced chilly weather to complete December 2024 data collection efforts.

Wetlands at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve were completely dry at the surface during the monitoring event. This often happens in the fall which is a drier time of the year. Spring rains should see the return of the vernal pools, which are critical to reproducing amphibians. A big special thanks to our volunteers who came to Mason Farm, who not only withstood the cold, but also a very long walk carrying equipment to and from the monitoring well at Study Area 2 due to a locked gate!

In other news, thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we have received great feedback about ways to improve our program. During the winter monitoring, we tested a new data collection approach that we hope will make participation and data quality even easier. If being out in the wet and the cold isn't your thing, we need volunteers to review data entry to provide ensure we are accurately recording field data. Please email Aaron Ellis at aaron.ellis@carolinawetlands.org to learn more at this opportunity.

Enjoy the rest of the winter and we hope to see you at a monitoring event in the spring!

Fall 2024 Monitoring: Sleuthing Plant IDs and Dodging Hurricanes

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 16:13:13 GMT

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.

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

NCSU Herbarium

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.

Want to make a difference? Join a Committee.

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 02:35:06 GMT

Message from the Executive Director

Greetings Wetland Supporters:

I hope you had a nice summer and were able to enjoy some wetlands. As we head into the fall season, now is a good time to reflect on the importance of our volunteers. The Carolina Wetlands Association relies on our volunteers to plan and implement the work of the Science and Program Committees.

Our committees are run by volunteers to fulfill our mission which is to promote the understanding, protection, restoration, and enjoyment of North and South Carolina’s wetlands. The only requirements to be a volunteer with the Carolina Wetlands Associations are a general appreciation and interest in wetland ecosystems and to give generously of your time and talents. Most meetings and opportunities can be completed from your home - although we do participate in some in-person events across the Carolinas. Typically, committee meetings are held once a quarter and calls to action are sent via email. You only need a few hours a month to make a HUGE difference.

The Program Committee advocates for wetlands by promoting the value and services of wetlands to everyone and is responsible for our education and outreach efforts including the Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas program. Contact Mike Stokes to join this committee.

The Science Committee is responsible for reporting on the current state of wetland conditions and functions supported by scientific evidence through the creation of white papers, factsheets, and the well-received State of the Wetlands Report . They also give advice to landowners and communities about wetland management. Contact Ginny Daniels to join this committee.

Volunteering for one or both of these committees is a great way to show your support for your organization and to help it be more successful. We would love to have you as part of the team. Please email me for any questions.

The weather is getting cooler and it is a great time to explore a wetland and also to think about how you can help your organization.

Best,
Rick Savage, Executive Director
rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org

The Changing Tides of Leadership: A Conversation with Our VPs

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:16:05 GMT

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.

Emily Barrett has only been on the Board of Director for six short months, but did not hesitate to accept the nomination as Vice-President.

I hope you feel as confident as I do about the leadership of the Carolina Wetlands Association. If you see Heather, please thank her service as our third Vice-President and and welcome Emily Barrett as our fourth Vice President.

So as you explore wetlands near you, please think about how you can help your organization. Wetland protection is at an all time low and we need you support to continue the fight.

Yours,

Rick Savage , Executive Director

Plant of the Month: Lizard's tail

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 20:22:56 GMT

Lizard's tail ( Saururus cernuus )

By: Bryce Carelton

Saururus cernuus, often called “ Lizard’s tail ”, is a common herbaceous perennial found at our wetlands monitoring sites and other wetland areas in eastern-to-central North America. They are a native species to this part of the world, and grow primarily in wet or saturated soils, even in shallow waters. As such, it is as an obligate wetland plant in the Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. If you find it, you are likely in a wetland!

A perennial plant, after its blooming season, the Lizard’s tail will die back, but the roots remain alive until the next growing/blooming season when it grows back out and blooms.

The Lizard’s tail got its common name from the very distinct droopy, white shape of the flowers that bloom during the summer months, almost resembling a lizard’s tail. The plant can grow up 0.5 -1 meter tall and the cone, or “tail”, can grow to about 3-6 inches long. They typically grow in dense patches, and often can sprout multiple stalks from one set of roots called rhizomes. In the fall, the plant fruits, and the seeds can straighten out.

The Lizard’s tail has entire, heart-shaped (cordate) leaves that alternate along a zigzag stem. Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) has similar, but unpointed leaves.

Lizard’s tail is a known food source for beavers and possibly some beetles; where there are beavers, you can often find Saururus cernuus nearby. The Lizard’s tail plant is also often utilized in efforts to restore or create wetlands. Native Americans have used them in medicines to reduce inflammation/swelling.

For more plant resources check out the following resources.

Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina

Useful keys through the herbarium

Plant key and more information about plant parts and leaf characteristics

Don't forget to check out our our iNaturalist page to see all the plants we've found so far!

2024 Summer Interns

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:05:02 GMT

This summer, 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 Carolina Wetlands Association this summer.

1.Tell us about you and your academic background.

Bryce Carleton: I went into college undecided and tried a bunch of options out. I took business, psychology, meteorology classes, etc., and I didn’t find myself moving forward in these paths for different reasons. I decided to take a step back and think about what classes during all of my schooling that I took seriously not just to get a good grade, and that was my environmental science class. So, I moved forward with this focus and decided to aim for majoring in Environmental Tech and Management, took some classes for it and they interested me, and I plan to graduate next spring with a bachelor's degree in this major from NCSU.

Erin Mansfield: Like a lot of people in the environmental field, I’ve always had an interest in nature but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it before going to college. I went into NC State as an environmental sciences major, and I’ve really enjoyed the flexibility of the major. I took an intro to soil science class my first semester and was hooked, and since then I’ve taken several more classes for my minor, as well as working as a student lab assistant for a year in a soils lab.

2.Why were you interested in working with Carolina Wetlands Association, and how did you get involved?

Bryce Carleton: I planned on getting an internship or some other career-related work experience before I graduate. Wanting to do it outside of spring and fall semesters, I was racing for an opportunity this summer before I graduate next spring. My luck was running short until Dr. Caren Cooper told me about Carolina Wetlands Association and that they were looking for an extra intern to get something done this summer. I have an interest in wetlands and had just finished a project in a course last fall about mangrove forests of Florida and the Gulf, so these ecosystems were already at the front of my mind, so I got into contact with the director (Rick Savage) and came on board.

Erin Mansfield: Aside from soil science, I’m also interested in water quality and hydrology, so wetlands were a natural interest for me. They’re also such an important resource to protect, so I really appreciated the work Carolina Wetlands Association was doing to advocate for them. I’ve worked a lot with various university programs, but I wanted to expand my experience into the nonprofit world to get more practical career insight. I’m a student in the 2024 Climate Leaders Program at NC State, which matches you with a summer internship. Rick and everyone at Carolina Wetlands Association were kind enough to take me in, so here we are!

3. What has been some of the work you’ve done this summer, and what has been the most rewarding to you?

Bryce Carleton: My main task while working for Carolina Wetlands Association has been writing up an annotated bibliography for wetlands and their flood mitigation. Aside from my main task, I have been involved with or helped with a variety of things like working as a volunteer at the Wetland Education Summit in June, participating in the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program (VWMP) or other field events that Carolina Wetlands Association was invited to, blog posts for the website, and probably helped a little on a few miscellaneous projects or assignments that I can’t recall. Probably the most rewarding part of it was the VWMP, even though it's one of the only things not restricted to employees only. I just thought it was pretty neat to go check out and monitor these wetland locations and habitats nearby that I never knew about, despite already knowing and understanding most of the work performed during those events.

Erin Mansfield: I’ve done a little bit of everything: social media and newsletter writing, educational outreach, field work, and a lot of behind the scenes work for projects such as Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program (VWMP). I also helped Bryce as a volunteer for the Wetland Education Summit, which was a fun experience. Recently the planning grant for the Stony Run Walkable Watershed project ended, so I worked on data analysis and making figures for the final report. There was over a year’s worth of well data and water quality data to work with, so it was a significant undertaking, but it was so rewarding to see how over a year of data collection can come together into a handful of neat and tidy graphs. I’m now working on an update to the Stony Run project webpage to explain the relevance of all the data collected. I’ve also really enjoyed volunteering with VWMP and just being able to get out and experience our local wetlands.

July News: NAWM

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 02:56:54 GMT

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

Wetland Summit 2024: Promoting Outreach and Education Pratices

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 02:28:05 GMT

Working together to promote wetland protection across the Carolinas

The Carolina Wetlands Association in partnership with North Carolina State University and RTI International hosted a Wetland Outreach and Education Summit on June 5 in Research Park, NC. With over 60 attendees, we had people representing nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and universities. We also had members from four tribes including the Coharie, Lumbee, Nottoway, and Waccamaw Siouan. We appreciate all our attendees for making this event so special!

We want to thank our speakers, who were the stars of this summit. The summit started with an overview of wetland ecology. We heard from Thomas Reed and Heather Patti about amphibians and wetland plant communities, respectively. Then Dr. Michael Burchell led a session about the societal and ecological functions wetlands provide. Nicole Goddard from NC Office of Recovery and Resilience (NCORR) discussed the flood attenuation services wetlands provide and the resources available on the NCORR’s NC Resilience Exchange and Wendy Stanton from the US Fish and Wildlife Service presented the carbon capture ability of wetlands in the coastal plain. Dr. Burchell concluded the session with a discussion on the water quality benefits that wetlands provide.

Shifting gears, our Executive Director, Rick Savage, provided insights into the status of state and federal wetland protection policies. An important point to remember is that the definition of wetland has not changed; only the requirements on which wetlands are projected by state and federal policies. Bailey Recktenwald NC Climate Change Policy Advisor discussed how NC Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 305 aims to increase wetland protection by aiming to permanently conserve one million new acres of natural lands with a special focus on wetlands.

The Wetland Summit was funded by an EPA Region 4 Wetland Program Development Grant and the project was to test the feasibility of developing a volunteer-based wetland monitoring program (VWMP). Volunteer Coordinator Chase Bergeson presented the outcomes of the VWMP, and we got to hear from three of the program’s lead volunteers — Dr. Tom Schwarcz, Paul Jadot, and Michael Stokes — about their experiences in the program. The program has proven to be viable, and the team announced the program will continue and expand to more sites under new EPA grant funding.

Our final topic of the Summit was to discuss how to effectively engage with a variety of audiences to promote the importance of wetland protection. Kristie Gianopulos from the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) shared science communication tips she learned from the creation of the www.ncwetlands.org website and supporting resources. Amin Davis (NC DEQ) discussed how wetlands provide community benefits with a focus on urban communities and incorporation of green stormwater infrastructure and how to use these benefits to engage with audiences. Beth Roach works for the Sierra Club and is a member of the Nottoway Tribe (VA). She provided insight on how to best engagement with Indigenous communities to build relationship and partnerships. Brooks Rainey Pearson (Southern Environmental Law Center) explained how to build relationships and communicate with policymakers. All these talks together created an engaging, well-rounded day, which ended with an open house to network and share resources with one another.

We also had a collaborative breakout session, focused on building a theory of change for wetland protection. Led by Dr. Caren Cooper (NCSU), groups discussed current activities that are helping to our collective goal of increased wetland protection and community resilience in return. This discussion, along with the speaker sessions, sparked valuable conversations and connections between professionals, showing us the value of bringing all our talented attendees together for this event.

Finally, we want to thank everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this summit a success. Thank you to RTI, and the coordination of our emcee Kim Matthews, for hosting this event and making it run smoothly. Thank you to our interns, Erin and Bryce for all the behind-the-scenes work. And again, thank you to our attendees and speakers, for showing up and showing out. We can't wait for the next summit!

June 2024 Monitoring: Reflections from a new volunteer

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:31:02 GMT

We got to enjoy some beautiful weather for our June monitoring. We once again monitored water quality, hydrology, and surveyed for amphibians. Thank you to all who joined us this month!

We participated in the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Make a Difference Week and picked up litter from our sites as we monitored. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for us, as we always pick up trash when we go. Our wonderful volunteers like to leave our sites cleaner than when they found them. Luckily, thanks to great management, most of our sites tend not to be pretty clean from the start.

Although we saw fewer amphibians than in our previous monitoring sessions we did see a number of adult frogs and salamanders. You can view our observation on our iNaturalist page .

Although we had mostly returning volunteers this month, we were fortunate to have some great new volunteers as well, including both of Carolina Wetlands Association’s summer interns, who attended all of our monitoring sessions! As a special monitoring summary, one of our interns describes what it was like to be a new volunteer, below.

Reflections from a new volunteer

by Erin Mansfield

I'm Erin Mansfield, a student in Environmental Science at NC State and a summer intern for Carolina Wetlands Association. This was my first time volunteering with VWMP, and I was lucky enough to go to all three monitoring sites. While it's hard to pick, I would say that Robertson Millpond was my favorite of the three sites: it was my first time out monitoring, and I thought the bald cypress trees were beautiful (even if their knees tripped me a few times). Being my first time out, I learned a lot about how the monitoring process works, and the specific steps to accurately collect our data. I also learned how wonderful all the volunteers and PIs are! It was a friendly atmosphere, especially with how I was a bit nervous as a newcomer. One of my favorite things about working in the environmental field is the supportive community I often find.

My favorite part of the monitoring itself was testing the water levels in the wells. I enjoyed the mystery of when the dip meter would finally start beeping at you to tell you you've reached the water table, as well as debating with my fellow volunteers the correct hundredth-foot measurements to record. I'm a very data-oriented person, so I liked being able to record real, concrete numbers in the field and think about what they mean in the context of the wetland itself. I'm curious to see how the water level changes throughout each season. As long as I'm in the region, I'll definitely come back for future events: it'll be interesting to experience monitoring as someone used to the sites and procedures instead of as a newcomer.

Calling all plant lovers!

In September, we will be heading out to our monitoring sites once again for our annual vegetation surveys and to look out for invasive, non-native plants. We’d love to have participation from anyone interested or skilled in wetland plants, even if it’s your first time monitoring. Please let me know if you want to join!

It’s also a good time to start reviewing some of the common plants we see, by checking out some of the resources below and staying tuned for more upcoming Plant of the Month blogs. We look forward to seeing you in the wetlands!

Our previous plant observations

Previous plant of the month blogs

Common Guide to Wetland Plants

NCSU Herbarium

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

Making an Impact in the Carolinas

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 12:29:48 GMT

Message from the Executive Director

Greetings Wetland Supporters:

I want to talk about a few things that the Carolina Wetlands Association is involved with that highlights the important work your organization.

1. NC Resilience Exchange . T his site is designed to help local and state leaders understand their community’s climate resilience needs, identify appropriate mitigation actions and find the resources to implement solutions. We were part of the design team that put together the Exchange, so check it out. It includes a funding portal, a database of experts ready to help communities (yes , the Carolina Wetlands Association is there), a climate vulnerability map, and climate projections for your community. To learn more, attend an upcoming we binar., pre-registration is required:

Wednesday, June 12th  , noon
Tuesday, July 16th , 10am

2. NC Salt Marsh Action Plan . I was asked to serve on the Steering Committee for the NC Salt Marsh Action Plan being developed by the North Carolina Coastal Federation under the guidance of the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SAMSI). The role of this steering committee is to find pathways and funding for the implementation of the plan.

3. NC Natural and Working Lands Initiative . You m ay remember this initiative from a couple years ago that developed the Natural and Working Lands Action Plan . This plan laid the groundwork for Executive Order 305 (EO305) by NC Governor Cooper to restore a milli on acres of wetlands and conserve one million acres of wetlands. S o the Natural and Working Lands Steering Committee will start meeting again to find pathways for EO 305 to be implemented.

4. Wetland Educational and Outreach Summit. I want to briefly mention this event sponsored by Carolina Wetlands Association, NC State University and RTI, International as a part of our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program. Nearly 60 people from all over North and South Carolina including three tribes participated in this event. We are really excited about this summit to bring people together to brainstorm on how to protect wetlands through education and outreach. Check back next month for a summary of this event.

I hope you can see that your organization does a lot of very important work to help wetlands. In order to carry out this work, we rely on you financial support as grants do not fund most of these initiatives. So please consider a donation to Carolina Wetlands Association so we can make our best efforts to protect our valuable wetlands in the Carolinas.

Don't forget to go out and explore a wetland.

Rick

Happy American Wetlands Month

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:31:00 GMT

May: Celebrating Wetlands in the Carolinas

Greetings Wetland Supporters!

Happy American Wetlands Month! Normally, this month is when we announce a new class of Wetland Treasures of the Carolina . This year we are taking a break from designating new Wetland Treasures and will be celebrating our existing sites. We are working to improve our relationship with the managers of our existing Wetland Treasure sites. We want to promote events and activities that they host at the wetland sites and we want the site to better acknowledge that they are Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas such as posting signage and adding our logo to their websites.

Another reason for not announcing new Wetland Treasures this year is that we are considering changing the selection process and want input from YOU, our supporters. We need you to be the main source of nominating wetlands to be a Treasure. So don’t be concerned, we will continue the Wetland Treasures Program next year.

For a reminder of the existing Wetland Treasures - visit our website where we have an interactive map and factsheet for all the Treasures and even some video. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates during the American Wetlands month.

Finally, please keep in mind that our wetlands are in a serious crisis in terms of protection. The Carolina Wetland Association is working with other organizations to put as many wetlands in conservation as possible to ensure their protection.

We really need your support and if you can make a special donation to the organization, it will help us to continue our efforts to protect wetlands. Remember, there is no direct funding for this effort, all of the funding for protection wetlands comes from you, our supporters!

So go out and explore a wetland and make sure it is in fact protected.

Rick Savage, Executive Director

Annual NC WRRI Conference

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:23:31 GMT

Carolina Wetlands Association Makes an Impacts at the Annual NC WRRI Conference

The NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) was in full swing March 20-21, 2024. Carolina Wetlands Association was again a sponsor and an exhibitor at the conference location. In addition to myself, Chase Bergeson and Aaron Ellis attended the conference. In addition to staffing our exhibit booth, Chase judged student posters. Thank you, Chase!

There was a special conference section on Nature Based Solutions that was very interesting. The Plenary session was a panel discussion with Dr. Ryan Emanuel (Duke University), Samantha Krop (Sound Rivers), and Colleen Karl of the Chowan Edenton Environmental Group about community engagement and partnerships. I had a nice conversation with all three at the end of the panel discussion; Dr. Emanuel about our wetland restoration planning at the Lumbee cultural center, Samantha about coordinating more programming with Carolina Wetlands Association, and Colleen about a particular project they may need help with.

The highlight of the conference was probably the panel discussion on WOTUS (Waters of the US) sponsored and moderated by Carolina Wetlands Association. The session was entitled The ever changing world of the waters of the US: How can we deal with it, how can we change it, what can we do. The "all star" panel consisted of Julie Youngman (Southern Environmental Law Center and Carolina Wetlands Association Board member); John Dorney (Axiom Environmental); Bailey Recktenwald (Climate Policy Advisor to NC Governor Cooper); Phil May (an independent environmental consultant); and Norton Webster (wetland mitigation consultant and Carolina Wetlands Association Board Treasurer). The session was well attended and helped to explain the current state of wetland protection in North Carolina.

March 2024 highlights the benefits of wetlands

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:46:37 GMT

Wetland monitoring is important not only for the data we collect, but also to provide hands on education about why wetlands matter. Wetlands can provide so many benefits to humans and the environment, including creating habitat , flood reduction , filtering out pollution , settling sediment, storing carbon, recharging aquifers that we rely on for drinking water, and providing recreation opportunities for humans !

While not every wetland provides all of these services, this March we experienced many of these benefits during our monitoring visits.

Habitat

Wetlands provide important habitat for many species. This spring we conducted amphibian surveys at each of our sites and saw lots of amphibians! Wetlands are very important for the lifecycles of many amphibians who live in them, rely on them for food and habitat, or use them as nurseries to lay their eggs and protect their young. Unlike lakes and streams, ephemeral wetlands are not wet year-round. The periodic drying of surface water in these wetlands prevents them from being habitat for fish which may eat young salamanders.

Our spring wetlands made a great nursery for amphibians and provide habitat for adults as well. We saw:

mating American toads
spotted salamander egg masses
larval marbled salamanders
northern cricket frogs
a southern leopard frog
upland chorus frogs
northern dusky salamanders
southern two-lined salamanders

There were also several frogs that we couldn’t catch a picture of fast enough to identify. You can view our observations on our iNaturalist page .

Wetlands provide important habitat for many other animals including crayfish, fish, turtles, and birds. We saw several small fish in our wetlands with more permanent water sources. We saw:

crayfish and their burrows
turtles sunning themselves
a pair of bald eagles fighting over a fish with an osprey.

Our volunteer birders said they’ve never seen bald eagles at the site before! Birds use wetlands for nesting, breeding, food sources and refuge during migration.

Flood reduction

Our forested wetland site at Mason Farm is in the floodplain of Morgan Creek. During large rain events, the water from Morgan Creek is able to flow over its banks into the floodplain wetlands where it can be slowed down and sediment settled out. Water from the urbanized areas of Chapel Hill can flow safely into the floodplain at this point in Morgan Creek. Since there are no homes or structures built in the floodplain, there is also no damage to man-made structures. The floodplain wetlands were very wet during our visit and the water almost came up to the tops of some volunteers’ boots!

At Hemlock Bluffs, the ephemeral pools at our sites can also hold water during high low events in Swift Creek. The pools were full this month for our first visit since last June!

Cleaning water

While we will have to wait for the results of our water quality sampling to know how our wetlands affected water pollution this spring, there is a need for wetland filtration at all of our sites.

Robertson Millpond Preserve is in a rural part of Wake County and is surrounded by agricultural fields. Runoff from these fields can send excess nutrients into waterways, which can cause algal blooms and reduce oxygen availability for aquatic life.

Mason Farm abuts Finley golf course. In fact, we often find several golf balls in the wetlands while sampling. Like agriculture, runoff from golf courses can send excess nutrients from fertilizers into waterways.

Hemlock Bluffs is centrally located in a very urban area, which comes with its own pollutants, such as lawn care products, oils, grease, and chemicals.

Although our water quality samples are only analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorus, we hope that our wetlands are reducing nutrients and other pollutants downstream.

Protect our wetlands

For these reasons and many more, protection of our wetlands is important. Now more than ever, NC wetlands are at risk of degradation and destruction due to changes in federal and state regulations impacting their protections.

Restoration of wetlands is also important. Wetlands can provide us with so many benefits, but can be degraded over time by human impacts. Too many pollutants and nutrients entering a wetland can overwhelm wetlands' capacity to store them. Excessive sediment from upstream flooding can also reduce flood storage. These, among other changes, can negatively impact sensitive plants and wildlife as well. As part of Governor Cooper’s newly issued Executive Order 305, North Carolina has new goals of preserving 1,000,000 acres and restoring another 1,000,000 acres of natural lands, with a focus on wetlands. We are hopeful about what this will mean for North Carolina wetlands in the future.

Volunteer leadership

Special thanks to our volunteer team leaders who started leading parts of our monitoring last year. This quarter we had several leaders step up, attend trainings, and take full leadership of monitoring at our sites. Special thanks to Leigh Aultman at Hemlock Bluffs, Paul Jadot at Mason Farm, and Tom Schwarcz at Robertson Millpond. In addition to their site-specific leadership, they along with other volunteer leaders Daphne Vogelsang and Mickey Jo Sorrell , will help one another to lead at all sites.

Additionally, our committed volunteers Riley Westman and Mike Stokes both earned hats for their many hours of volunteer work on this project. Both Mike and Riley have been helpful in the field and behind the scenes, helping to quality control our data.

The commitment of our volunteers to monitoring and educating other about wetlands is a major success of this program so far!

Our project team is working on plans for next year. Keep a look out for more monitoring opportunities and a recap of our monitoring data thus far! Until then, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a safe and happy new year!

NC Governor's Executive Order Helps Protect Wetlands

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 13:32:52 GMT

Greetings Wetland Supporters:

On February 12, 2024, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order (EO) 305 which is geared toward protecting wetlands that recently lost federal protection under the Clean Water Act. You can read the entire Executive Order here: https://governor.nc.gov/executive-order-no-305/open .

What is the basis of the Executive Order?

Let me tell you what caused EO 305 and the role the Carolina Wetlands Association played to help increase wetland protection in the state. It began with the Natural and Working Lands (NWL) initiative started by the Governor’s office based on EO 80 to address climate change impacts. The goal of the NWL initiative was to develop a plan to restore and preserve wetlands, forests, and other lands to sequester carbon and in the process provide co-benefits to communities. The Natural and Working Lands Action Plan was the result of the initiative and Carolina Wetlands Association was a significant contributor.

How did wetlands lose protection?

The Sackett v. EPA case resulted removing protection from millions of acres of wetlands in the Carolinas. North Carolina had a statute to protect these wetlands, but the recently passed 2023 NC Farm Bill eliminated that protection and limited North Carolina’s wetland protection be no more than the Federal protection.

These changes resulted losing protection of about 60% of our wetlands as determined by the NC DEQ and probably a similar amount in South Carolina.

How will the new Executive Order Protect Wetlands?

The Carolina Wetlands Association work with several other concerned organizations (such as the Southern

Environmental Law Center, NC Conservation Network, NC Wildlife Federation, and River Keepers) to attempt to find ways to reduce the devastating impact of these decisions. The result was EO 305 which Governor Roy Cooper announced and signed on February 12, 2024.

The goals of the Executive Order are to:

Permanently preserve 1,000,000 new acres of natural lands with special focus on wetlands
Restore or reforest 1,000,000 new acres of North Carolina’s forests and wetlands
Plant 1,000,000 trees in urban areas across the state

This EO does not change to permit requirements or the jurisdictional wetlands definitions, but it does prioritize wetlands conservation. highly recommend reading the entire Executive Order. Your Carolina Wetlands Association has played a significant role in events leading to developing EO 305 and we will continue to do everything we can to continue this effort to protect our wetlands.

Please think about how you can help the Association continue this work as we need to do so more than ever.

So, when you explore that wetland, think about whether it continues to be protected!

Rick Savage, Executive Director

Discovering the Wonder of Wetlands

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 22:07:18 GMT

Celebrate NC Sci Fest on Saturday, April 6, 2024

The North Carolina Science Festival happens each year in April throughout the state and is a month long celebration of science! For the second year, Carolina Wetlands Association will help inspire learners of all ages to participate in wetland appreciation, settling a goal to encourage a better understanding of the wetland environment.

In partnership with Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary, NC, the Carolina Wetlands Association offers an outreach opportunity to showcase wetlands science. Mark the date- Saturday, April 6, with a raindate of Sunday, April 7 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm near the Stevens Nature Center building on site. Click here for directions.

Preserve visitors will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, featuring build a wetland, cover board salamanders, and leaf printing, encouraging a better understanding of the wetland ecosystem and the plants and animals that depend on this unique environment. Live species of salamanders found in North Carolina, as well as wetland plants, will be featured. The Wetland Monitoring team will provide and share collection techniques used during actual monitoring events and will be available for questions about water sampling and quality ,species monitoring and wildlife observations.

See the calendar at ncsciencefestival.org for all statewide events and additional details about this celebration.

We hope to see you on April 6 (with a raindate of April 7) to learn more about how wetlands are monitored and how to encourage your Wetland Appreciation!

Susan Christman

Program Committee, Carolina Wetland Association

Celebrate World Wetlands Day

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:22:51 GMT

February 2 is World Wetlands Day

Greetings Wetland Supporters:

Every February 2nd, World Wetlands Day joins people around the globe in celebrating the
value and beauty of our planet’s wetlands. It calls nations and each of us to act on behalf of
these highly productive natural environments whose existence is interlaced with our own.

World Wetlands Day spotlights our most vulnerable ecosystem. Wetlands are essential for human life. From filtering water, to providing food, to supporting biodiversity, to mitigating climate change, to offering livelihoods, to inspiring unique cultures, these ecosystems provide vital services that sustain our well being. Yet, wetlands are the Earth’s most threatened ecosystem and we’re losing them three times faster than forests. World Wetlands Day increases global understanding of how much wetlands do for humanity and that we must care, nurture and support them for a sustainable future.

“Wetlands and Human Well-being” is the theme for World Wetlands Day 2024. This year’s campaign spotlights how interconnected wetlands and human life are — with people drawing sustenance, inspiration and resilience from these productive ecosystems. Importantly, the theme for 2024 underscores how all aspects of human well-being are tied to the health of the world’s wetlands. It calls on each of us to value and steward our wetlands. Every wetland matters. Every wetland counts.

Please join our efforts in making every wetland count. The Carolina Wetlands Association depends on volunteers to fulfill our mission to protect and promote wetlands in North and South Carolina. Please email me or sign-up on our website if you want to join a committee, volunteer at events, or join our board. We also need your monetary donations and corporate sponsorships to help sustain the organization as we work with communities to incorporate wetlands in watershed planning solutions to reduce flooding, enhance water quality, and provide wildlife habitat. Go to our website to learn more about our projects and programs .

Thank you,

Rick Savage

Executive Director

2023: Year in Review

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:14:44 GMT

Happy Holidays, Wetland Supporters!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday break. These times with family and friends are to

be enjoyed and cherished.

Loss of Wetland Protection

This year really has been a good year for the Carolina Wetlands Association in spite of the bad news about the loss of wetland protection . By now everyone knows about the Supreme Court Case and the passage of the NC Farm Bill which resulted in more than 60% of our wetlands losing their protection. Carolina Wetlands Association has worked with other nonprofit organizations to promote wetland protection through Executive Orders, local incentives, and conservation. We are also supporting the work of several organizations who are working with NC Legislators in an attempt to undo parts of the Farm Bill.

Science Committee

Closer to home, our Science Committee (led by Ginny Baker Daniel) published the State of the Wetlands report and fact sheet . This report summarizes the historical changes in wetlands of the North and South Carolina and their current condition, stressors, and threats. This report and factsheet can be used to provide a better understanding of the benefits of wetland protection.

Program Committee

Our Program committee was active this year in wetland education at public outreach events such as NC Sci Fest, Walnut Creek Wetland Center's Mud Days, and the Town of Cary's Harvest Fest. In May, three new Wetland Treasures of the Carolina s were celebrated with tours:

Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge (Horry and Marion Counties, SC)
Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve (Wake County, NC), and
Goose Creek State Park (Beaufort County, NC).

The tours to these wetlands were well attended and very educational and fun for the attendees.

Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program

Our Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program (funded by EPA Region 4 and conducted in partnership with NC State University and RTI International) completed a second year of monitoring at three locations. The program has been successful training citizens to be scientists while collecting baseline data. We are hoping to expand program to additional sites across the Carolinas. Contact our Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested in volunteering for this program.

Projects Supporting Healthy Communities

The Carolina Wetlands Association was awarded four new grants - two grants from the NC Land and Water Fund and two grants from Duke Energy Accelerator Grant Program. We will be working with the Lumbee Tribe on a wetland restoration project in Red Banks, NC and with Pitt County (NC) on a stream and floodplain restoration project on Parkers Creek. Both projects have the goal of reducing flood impacts to vulnerable communities. The project with the Lumbee Tribe integrates the wetland restoration with plans for a new Cultural Center.

In Bucksport, SC, we received a small grant from the Association for the Betterment of Bucksport (in partnership with the the Defenders of Wildlife) to help the Gullah-Geechee Community understand their flooding problems using traditional ecological knowledge. We are hoping to receive additional funds in the near future to support this community.

We have some smaller projects in Wake County (NC) where we have provided our wetland expertise to wetland planning projects. For example, members of the Science Committee assessed how church leaders could in corporate wetland preservation and education in their site development plans to benefit the community of Juniper Level.

End of the Year Giving Campaign

While the organization has been successful in winning grants for our projects to help vulnerable communities use wetlands for flood control, we are still in need of funding that provides basic support for organization that is not covered by grants. So, if you have not contributed to our organization, please consider doing so, every gift, no matter how small, will help us continue the work to Carolina Wetland Association to protect wetlands and build community resilience.

If you hav e any questions about the Association, please contact me . I would love to talk to you about why you should support our organization.

So, use some of your holiday time to explore a wetland near you and think about how you can

help Carolina Wetlands Association.

Thanks for your support,

Rick

December 2023 Monitoring Showed that Wetlands Don't Always Look Wet!

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:56:52 GMT

We always try to emphasize to our volunteers that wetlands do not always look wet! Despite the rain, this was clear in our most recent round of monitoring.

With the recent end of the growing season at our sites and the abnormally dry weather this Fall, our sites were looking drier than usual. Particularly at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, where water levels in our monitoring wells were at or below our sensor levels, over 5 feet below ground. Both of the pools where we normally take water samples were completely dry. This marks the second monitoring event for which we were not able to take any water quality samples at Hemlock Bluffs. Hopefully, we will get more rain soon!

At Mason Farm Biological Reserve, water levels were much closer to the surface, although there was no standing water at our staff gauge. Last December, we had water over much of the surface at these sites.

At Roberston Millpond Preserve, water levels were also below the surface at our wells, but were less than 6 inches below the surface. Despite dry conditions, we were able to see evidence of previous periods of inundation, such as moss trim lines and crayfish burrows.

In addition to monitoring water, we also looked at our wetland soils. We looked at wetland soils and their adjacent upland soils to discuss the differences between the two. Wetland (hydric) soils can be one of the most useful characteristics for identifying the location of a wetland. During dry times in a wetland or in winter when vegetation is sparse and hard to identify, we can always look at the soil.

It takes a long time to develop wetland soils and a long time for them change. This is why we do not need to make records of our soils annually. However, it also makes them a fairly stable indicator of long periods of saturation. Wetland soils tend to have dark surface layers and grey profiles, with presence of redox concentrations (small pockets of red or orange). Upland (non-wetland) soils tend to be brown, red, orange, or yellow. You can learn more about why this happens and the soils at our sites in last December’s summary .

Thanks to Tom Schwarcz , Mickey Jo Sorrell, and Leigh Aultman for leading our hydrology and water quality monitoring this December! And thanks to all of our volunteers, new and returning who helped to make this monitoring event successful!

Carolina Wetlands Association gets help from the NC National Guard

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 01:20:27 GMT

We work better together to create a walkable watershed in Dunn, NC.

The Stony Run Walkable Watershed project in Dunn, NC will be getting assistance from the NC National Guard’s 105 Engineer Battalion. The first phase of the project has been funded by a planning grant from the NC Land and Water Fund.

The goals of this project are to:

Increase community understanding on flood reduction and benefits of enhanced ecological function to support future growth.
Provide a healthy stream corridor with native vegetation that can also improve water quality.
Support community goals of expanding public access to outdoor spaces and recreational trails.
Increase community involvement in planning to reduce flooding issues and improve access.

The Carolina Wetlands Association has identified restoration of the original floodplain and de-channelizing the stream below the dam as a key step to reducing flooding, and improving the health of the stream corridor. In addition, the project will provide public access via addition of a path, a fishing platform and parking. Restoration of the floodplain will enable it to provide its natural service, a location where flooding stream water can slow down, spread out and be stored for later absorption. Floodplains are also a productive environment for plants and wildlife.

The 105 Engineer Battalion expressed an interest in helping the project to combine their training with community service and environmental restoration. Major Erin Graham and Captain Ryan Baldwin visited the site late November 2023 to determine how they might assist the project. Battalion surveyors will conduct a detailed survey of the project area in January 2024 to document changes in elevation across the site, collect information needed to identify the rough boundary of the floodplain and procure the necessary permits. The Battalion also plans to dig soil pits to help determine the depth of fill material that will need to be removed from the floodplain to uncover the wetland soils. Finally, the Battalion will aid in the removal of the fill material.

The 105 Engineer Battalion’s assistance will greatly support our efforts to restore the floodplain. Their surveying of the site will allow us to begin designing the restoration without delay, as opposed to needing to wait for additional funding. In addition, the sum total of their assistance will greatly reduce the cost of the project. We are grateful that they approached us about assisting our project.

Giving Campaign

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 02:26:16 GMT

Dear Wetland Supporters,

This is a very important time of the year for the Carolina Wetlands Association; It is our Annual Giving Campaign. It is a time when we need every one of you to show your support for your organization by giving

financially to the Association. We need your donations more than ever.

It has been a difficult year for wetlands protection. The US Supreme Court with its Sackett ruling greatly reduced wetland protection; about 60% of our wetlands lost their protection. While SC has some leverage to pass state laws or local ordinances to protect wetlands, NC has none of these options since state law prohibits wetland protection beyond the federal level. This action is really difficult to comprehend given the state is poring tens of millions of dollars to use nature-based solutions (i.e., wetlands) to protect our communities and provide flood control.

The Carolina Wetlands Association is doing its best to work with other organizations to find ways to protect wetlands. We have been in a lot of meetings to brainstorm actions that we can take, working the EPA, the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as well as a dozen other nonprofit organizations. We are also considering application of the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act as possible avenues.

On the bright side, the Carolina Wetlands Association has received new grants to facilitate wetland restoration projects in Pitt County (NC); to restore wetlands and reduce flooding of the Lumbee tribe's cultural center and downstream communities (Robeson County, NC); and to learn about flooding based on traditional ecological knowledge and reduce flooding of a Gullah-Geechee community (Bucksport, SC).

All of these efforts are helping preserve and restore wetlands providing community resilience and many other benefits other than flood control, such as clean water, recreation and education, stormwater protection, and much more. We need your help because we use our general funds to work with other organizations to protect and promote wetlands and support staff in all phases of the organization. Our staff is working hard for you to protect our wetlands. Please give generously!

So, go explore a wetland and know that your generosity is helping to protect it.

Volunteer Leadership key to VWMP Fall 2023 Monitoring

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:15:57 GMT

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for making our Fall 2023 monitoring a success!! We are so grateful to our volunteers who were able to remain flexible when our monitoring was interrupted by Tropical Storm Ophelia and scattered over three weekends. If you weren’t able to make it on our new dates, we hope you will join us for our other upcoming events and for our next round of monitoring , the first weekend of December.

In addition to the great flexibility you showed, we must give a big round of applause to the volunteer leadership that was shown during our monitoring.

Special thanks to Mickey Jo Sorrell , Paul Jadot , and Tom Schwarcz for stepping up to leadership roles in our monitoring efforts.

This quarter, they volunteered to lead our water quality and hydrology monitoring and did a fantastic job explaining our methods, encouraging other volunteers, and collecting quality data.

Beyond field leadership, we also want to thank Michael Stokes , Leigh Aultman , Caleb Brownfield , and Riley Westman for helping us behind the scenes to check over our data and do quality assurance and quality control of our data. With their help, we are able to ensure that our data is of high quality. If you are interested in being involved in this process, please let me know!

Thanks also to our amazing volunteer Principal Investigator, Amanda Johnson , who has spent many, many hours helping to design our protocols, train volunteers, check data, and plan. Even though she wasn’t able to join us in the field this quarter, she prepared the information we needed on Natural Communities and Invasive Species at our sites. You can read more about Amanda’s amazing work here .

Congratulations to our wetland warriors:

Maya Hardison , who reached 25 hours volunteering with us and received her Carolina Wetlands Association hat.

and

Tom Schwarcz , who reached 50 hours volunteering with us and received a Carolina Wetlands Association magnet.

We have been monitoring for almost 2 years and we hope that more of our monitoring will be led by volunteers in the future. Please keep a look out for more opportunities to take leadership roles with monitoring in the field and behind the scenes. We hope that the excellent commitment and leadership of our volunteers will help keep our monitoring program going for a long time.

If you volunteered with us this quarter, we would love to have your feedback about the monitoring experience, what we did well, and how we could improve. Please help us, by filling out this brief (5-10 minute) survey .

In addition to our awesome volunteers, we were joined this quarter by staff from Wake County and Hemlock Bluffs that talked us through invasive species mapping and management at their sites. They also helped us look for and map invasive species on site. With their help, we were able to not only map the invasive species that we expected to find (Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese stiltgrass), but also identify Bradford pears, marsh dewflower, and thorny olive on site. As we became aware of the prevalence of many of these invasive plants at our sites, it became difficult for us not to want to immediately start removing them. You can read more about some of these common invasives, here . If you want to contribute to invasive removal, please join us on Friday, October 27 at Mason Farm Biological Reserve to learn more about invasive species at that site and help with hands-on management.

We also discussed the unique natural communities that we find at our three sites, including the furthest north and west example of a Cypress Gum Swamp in NC, a population of Hemlock trees usually found further west in the mountains, floodplain pools, and a Piedmont Swamp Forest restricted to the Triassic Basin in the eastern most portion of Orange County. You can read more about the natural communities at our site, at the links below.

Hemlock Bluffs

Mason Farm Biological Reserve

Robertson Millpond Preserve

Overall, our sites were fairly dry. We had no standing water in the pools at Hemlock Bluffs and thus were not able to take any water quality samples there. Even at Mason Farm, water levels were very low.

Although we weren’t doing an amphibian survey, we did see frogs, salamanders, and snakes as well! It’s never a dull day in the wetlands.

Plant of the Month Invasion: Stiltgrass, honeysuckle, privet, oh my!

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 16:45:11 GMT

We're being invaded by these common invasive species at our wetland sites!

In September , we will be heading out to our monitoring sites once again to look for those dreaded invasive, non-native plants! In preparation for our invasive species mapping, this Plant of the Month Blog is a 3 for 1, looking at some of the most prevalent invasives we see at our monitoring sites!

Why should you care about invasive, non-native species?

Invasive, non-native species are those that evolved in another part of the world but are introduced into a new habitat and able to reproduce, grow quickly and often disrupt native ecosystems. They are frequently introduced as ornamental plants in gardens or accidentally through the global movement of people and goods. Not all non-native species pose a risk to our native ecosystems, but invasives can displace native species by outcompeting them for resources, by parasitizing natives, or by choking them out. This can be especially problematic if the non-natives do not provide the same level of functionality to the rest of the ecosystem, such as food and habitat for wildlife. Some invasives will also form a monoculture, reducing biodiversity in the ecosystem and making ecosystems less resilient to change.

Threat levels

The North Carolina Native Plant Society ranks invasive, non-native species with various threat levels based on how likely they are to displace our native plants. Their three rank system is outlined below. All of the invasives that we will look at in this blog are Rank 1: Severe Threat species! In the field we will look for Rank 1 and Rank 2 species.

Rank 1: Severe Threat

“Exotic plant species that have invasive characteristics and spread readily into native plant communities, displacing native vegetation.”

Rank 2: Significant Threat

“Exotic plant species that display some invasive characteristics, but do not appear to present as great a threat to native communities in NC as the species listed in Rank 1.”

Rank 3: Lesser Threat

“Exotic plant species that spread into or around disturbed areas and are presently considered a low threat to native plant communities in NC.”

Japanese stilt grass may have been introduced as packing material used for shipping from Asia. This grass can grow thickly and shade out other native species. Its many seeds can spread quickly by wind or flood waters. Unlike many other plants, it is not readily browsed by deer. All these factors lead to a very problematic invasive!

While many invasive species are difficult to combat and there is debate about what their role should be in an ever-changing world, identifying where they are and trying to control or stop their spread can be very important in protecting our wetland resources.

Where can I learn more?

NC Native Plant Society Non-native Invasive list: https://ncwildflower.org/invasive-exotic-species-list/

NCDOT Invasive Exotic Plant Guide: https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/Environmental/Compliance%20Guides%20and%20Procedures/Invasive_Exotic_Plants_Manual_May_2012.pdf

A field guide for the identification of invasive plants in southern forests: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/35292

Mistaken Identity? Invasive plants and their native look alikes: https://www.nybg.org/files/scientists/rnaczi/Mistaken_Identity_Final.pdf

EPA and the Department of the Army issue Amended Final Rule Defining WOTUS

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:19:12 GMT

On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army announced a final rule that amends the January 2023 definition of “waters of the United States" (WOTUS). The amendments conform the January 2023 definition to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett and will take effect immediately upon publishing in the Federal Register (likely to happen within two weeks) . To read the pre-publication version of the revised final rule, go to Pre-publication Version of the Final Rule - Amendments to the Revised Definition of Waters of the United States (epa.gov) .

While exact details are yet to be digested, the gist of the ruling is becoming clear. First, the significant nexus rule has been eliminated; so isolated wetlands are not jurisdictional wetlands, meaning they are not protected under the Clean Water Act. Second, the new rule requires visual evidence of a continuous surface flow between a wetland and navigable water. This part of the rule can get complicated as to what constitutes visual evidence of continuous surface flow. I am sure that this will cause a lot of confusion and some developers will say there is no continuous surface flow and impact the wetland with a permit.

Suffice it to say, this puts wetlands in North and South Carolina in jeopardy. The NC Department of Environmental Quality has estimated about 2.5 million acres of wetland have lost protection in North Carolina and I am sure a similar number in South Carolina. The NC legislature could have continued to protect these wetlands; however, the recently passed Farm Bill eliminated state protection of isolated wetlands. 

We all need to brace ourselves for a lot of wetland loss and they are the very resource we need to protect our communities from flooding.  I think it is reasonable to expect more communities to get flooded, to have less clean water, and to have reduced climate resilience as well as miss the many other benefits that our wetlands provide.

So go out an explore a wetland (before it gets developed?).

Plant of the Month: Northen spicebush

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:39:30 GMT

Northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin): Follow your nose!

In our previous blogs we’ve talked about leaf arrangement and mentioned leaf shapes as well. Many people think of a classic leaf as:

Simple- just one leaflet
Entire- a smooth edge without any toothing or lobing
Elliptic- wider in the middle than on the ends OR
Ovate- egg-shaped; wider near the stem OR
Obovate- wider near the leaf tip

One of its most distinctive features is its spicy, citrusy scent! If I brush past a spicebush, I can smell it. You can also smell it by rubbing its leaves or twigs between your fingers. Many members of the lauraceae family to which northern spicebush belongs are fragrant as well. The leaves can also feel sticky.

In the springtime, northern spicebush has showy clusters of small, yellow flowers. In the late summer, you can see its bright red fruits. Its stems have raised lenticels (raised pores), that make the bark look bumpy.

Southern spicebush or pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) and bog spicebush (lindera subcoricea) are relatives of northern spicebush that also grow in wetlands, but are much rarer than northern spicebush. Both have pubescent (fuzzy) leaves that are more rounded than northern spicebush and bog spicebush grows in pocosin wetlands and bogs.

For more plant resources checkout this guide on wetland plants: https://www.ncwetlands.org/plantguide/

Useful keys through the herbarium: https://herbarium.ncsu.edu/keysetc.htm

Plant key and more information about plant parts and leaf characteristics: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/identification-of-common-trees-of-north-carolina

Don't forget to check out our our iNaturalist page to see all the plants we've found so far!

Plant of the Month: Green ash

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 02:21:42 GMT

Green ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica )

Green ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica ) is the plant that we have recorded the most times at our wetland monitoring sites. We see many of its saplings at our site as well as mature trees. So how could it be in danger?

Green ash is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered due to its vulnerability to an invasive Asian beetle: the emerald ash borer. In NC, white ash, pumpkin ash, and Carolina ash are also vulnerable. This beetle lays its eggs on ash trees and larval emerald ash borers will feed on the tree, killing it, before flying to infest new trees. They have been responsible for the deaths of millions of trees and are likely to continue spreading. Human transportation of ash lumber, including firewood, has accelerated the spread of the emerald ash borer. There are some strategies for protecting trees, including cutting and burning infected trees to stop the spread and introducing predatory wasps. There is also promising evidence that some ash trees may show resistance to the beetle. However, it is likely that ash tree populations will continue to decline. You can find the extent of the emerald ash borer in North Carolina here . For more information: http://www.ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/fh_eabfaq.htm

Green ash is a Facultative Wetland (FACW) plant in the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain, meaning you are more likely to find it in a wetland than in an upland. It makes sense why we see so many at our wetland sites.

In summertime, a great way to identify many trees is by their leaves. What do you think of when you picture a leaf? How many leaves do you see pictured below?

Each picture is of one leaf! The leaf is the part of the plant that connects to the stem at a leaf bud. Ash trees have compound leaves, which means that their leaves have multiple leaflets- which do not connect at leaf buds but are part of the leaf as a whole. Young green ash saplings may not have compound leaves.

Green ash leaflets are oval or lance shaped and toothed. They have a light green underside.

Just like red maples ( Acer Rubrum ), ash trees are one of the few trees that have opposite branching, meaning that one branch should always have a twin growing at 180 degrees from it. Of course, in the life of the tree one of the branches might fall off or be damaged, so always check for any opposite branching on the tree. If you can look closely, you might see a scar on the tree where you would expect to see a branch, indicating that there used to be one present.

Green ash trees may be confused for Carolina ash trees, but are often difficult to distinguish without the presence of its fruits (samaras). Green ash samaras are thin and pointy, while Carolina ash samaras are rounder. Although we currently conduct our vegetation surveys in summer, we can verify our identifications by returning in the Fall and winter and looking for fruits. The nice thing about iNaturalist is we can always go back and change our IDs, if necessary.

For more plant resources checkout this guide on wetland plants: https://www.ncwetlands.org/plantguide/

And useful keys through the herbarium: https://herbarium.ncsu.edu/keysetc.htm

Don't forget to check out our our iNaturalist page to see all the plants we've found so far!

June monitoring: Wetland warriors spent long days in the wetlands with plants, amphibians, and water, oh my!

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 21:04:34 GMT

We just wrapped up our second monitoring event of the year and were happy to see returning faces, new volunteers, and our plant lovers show up! We conducted our usual water quality and hydrology monitoring, but also surveyed for amphibians and plants.

We got lots of practice with our rushes, sedges, and grasses. Luckily there were some seed heads to guide us.

We found lots of hydrophytic plants that are obligate (OBL) or facultative wetland (FACW) species, meaning that if you find them, you are likely to be in a wetland! Some of these included, lizard’s tail (OBL), jewelweed (FACW), fowl mannagrass (OBL), and false nettle (FACW).

You can check out the wonderful Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina book, updated by one of our previous board members, Kristie Gianopulos, here: https://www.ncwetlands.org/plantguide/

You can learn more about a plant and check its wetland status, here: https://plants.usda.gov/home

We also monitored for amphibians, but didn’t find much. This may be because our large groups spooked them, but could also be because our drier sites caused juveniles to metamorphosize early, before their pools dried up and head to upland areas. We actually found some already hatched spotted salamander eggs. Don’t worry they’ll be back next Spring!

We did find an Eastern Narrow-mouthed toad, Three-lined salamander, Southern Leopard Frog, and Northern Cricket Frogs!

You can check out everything we found on the data page of our website.

I had a wonderful time with all of you this weekend. Thanks to all of our wetland warriors for volunteering! I can’t wait to see you at our next event. Mark your calendars for our September sampling !

Photo credits: Thomas Reed

Supreme Court Ruling Jeopardizes Wetland Protection

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 01:16:08 GMT

Dear Wetland Supporters:

I have bad news to share with you. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Sackett vs. the EPA has resulted in condemning many wetlands to unprotected status under the Clean Water Act. The details of the Sackett case are not important, but what the Supreme Court did was essentially rewrite the clean Water Act in a 5-4 decision with the descending opinions being shocked at what was done by the majority.

Loss of Federal Wetland Protection

T he Sackett case has drawn upon the Justice Scalia opinion of the 2006 Rapanos vs. United States case which wanted to require more visual evidence of wetlands being connected to a navigable stream or river. The Rapanos case ended with a 4-1-4 decision with Justice Kennedy writing the Significant Nexus opinion to deal with Isolated wetlands, so the Justice Scalia opinion never took hold. But the Supreme Court ruling on the Sackett case has greatly narrowed wetland protection requiring visual evidence: If you don’t see water, how do you know it is a wetland (a jurisdictional wetland); if you see water, but the water does not connect to a navigable stream, then it is not protected; or if it is during the growing season, there may be no water, but during the winter there is plenty of water. Granted a lot of interpretation has to take place and those interpretations will likely be challenged in courts, so this is going to be a complex process to try to save and protect our wetlands.

During the Trump Administration, the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule was rewritten based on Scalia’s opinion which resulted in about 50% of our Nation's wetlands losing protection under the US Clean Water Act. Court challenges kept the revised WOTUS rule from taking effect for most states. The Supreme Court ruling will result in more than 50% of the Nation's wetlands losing protection under the Clean Water Act. Honestly it is scary to think about how bad this could be for communities and wildlife that will be impacted by the lose and degradation of these waters.

North Carolina Wetland Protection

However, all is not lost at least in North Carolina where there is a state statute that says all waters of the state are under the jurisdiction of the state. During the brief implementation of the Trump WOTUS rule, the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) drafted rules for the state the be able to provide permitting (and protection) for wetland that were no longer federally protected. Those rules were approved by the NC Environmental Management Commission but were never approved by the Legislature (the rule is stalled by procedural disagreements with the Rules Review Commission). Therefore, these are “temporary rules” which are protecting these wetlands in North Carolina.

However, there is a bill in the NC legislature (senate), Farm Act. S.B. 582, North Carolina Farm Act of 2023, that has a provision to not protect wetlands any more stringent than federal protection. If this bill goes through with that wetland provision, it would be devastation to NC’s wetlands. It is important that this bill does not go through or that the wetland provision is removed.

What can you do?

You, our supporters, can help by contacting your state senator and explain why wetlands are important and does not belong in this bill. Tell your representative that the state has allocated tens of millions of dollars to use nature-based solutions (including wetlands) to reduce flood impacts for our coastal communities, yet they would be undermining this effort by not protecting the very resources we need to mitigate and/or reduce flooding of our communities. The Carolina Wetlands Association is working with the Southern Environmental Law Center, Sound Rivers, NC Wildlife Federation, and others to educate our legislatures on the need to protect our wetlands. You can greatly help this process by using these resources to voice your concern.

What about South Carolina?

In South Carolina, the state legislature can take steps to protect wetlands beyond those protected by the federal government. Local municipalities (unlike in NC) can also increase wetland protection within their jurisdiction. It is important that we take action with our state and local legislators to be sure we protect our wetlands, which are vital to our well-being and critical to protecting us from flooding and water quality degradation.

So when visiting your favorite wetland, think: what if it were not protected and a developer wants to build

on it?

Rick Savage

Executive Director

Carolina Wetlands Association

Silent Auction: June 4 - 17

Fri, 26 May 2023 03:04:53 GMT

Join us for our 1st (annual) Online Auction Fundraising Event

The Carolina Wetlands Association is hosting our first annual silent auction from June 4th – 17th, 2023. We have over 50 items available for bidding and purchase ranging from scenic cruises, gift baskets, theater tickets, restaurant gift certificates and much more. There is something for everyone!

Our goal is to raise $10,000 and the funds raised from this event will allow the organization to grow and implement more projects across the Carolinas. All proceeds from this event will help fund daily operations, support ongoing projects, subsidize future projects, and more.

Registration is required to bid on items. Click here to learn how to register on givebutter.com.

Thank you to our Donors!

Alley Twenty Six

Blue Wren Spice

Carolina Theater

Cathleen Savage (artist)

Chapel Hill Toffee

Charleston Outdoor Adventures

Fair Game Beverage Company

North Carolina Outdoor Adventures

North Carolina Theatre

Palmetto Outdoor Company

Squeak Cleaning Products

White House Farms (SC)

Board Members: Dan Hitchcock, Becky Ryon, Tatiana Height, Kim Matthews, Norton Webster

Plant of the Month: Red maple

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 10 May 2023 19:52:22 GMT

Red maple ( Acer Rubrum )

Red maples ( Acer rubrum ) are our most commonly observed tree species at our wetland sites! In fact, they are a very commonly observed tree species across the southeastern U.S. They are very versatile trees that can live in all sorts of habitats including wet, dry, high, low, sunny, or shady spots. One of the ways they can survive in such a wide range of habitats is their adaptable roots that can grow deep to find water in drier areas and spread wide in wetter areas. Red maples are often found in wetlands and in the southern parts of their range are sometimes called “swamp maples.”

Red maples attract songbirds, pollinators and provide habitat for over 250 species of moths and butterflies. They can also be used for maple sugar production although the use of sugar maples is more common.

Acer indicates that this tree is part of the maple family: Sapindaceae and rubrum means red ! And this maple is red! The flowers are red, the stems (or petioles) of the leaves are red, its twigs are reddish, the fall color is often scarlet, and the fruits can be red too!

Red maples flower early in the spring before it leafs out. It is easy to pick out on roadsides from all of its bunches of tiny red flowers. Its fruit is a samara- where the seed is enclosed at one end of a leaflet. These samaras grow in pairs that give it a great spin when it falls from trees, often thought of as little helicopters!

The leaves are serrate with 3-5 lobes. They are similar to the leaf shape of the maple on the Canadian flag, but much more jagged. They are pale colored on the underside.

The bark is smooth and grey when they are young, but can be scaly as it gets older. This plant has opposite branching, meaning that one branch should always have a twin growing at 180 degrees from it. Of course, in the life of the tree one of the branches might fall off or be damaged, so always check for any opposite branching on the tree. If you can look closely, you might see a scar on the tree where you would expect to see a branch, indicating that there used to be one present.

Red maples can be confused with silver maples ( Acer saccharinum ) or Mapleleaf viburnum ( Viburnum acerifolium ), neither of which we have yet identified in our monitoring plots.

Red maples can grow to be 60-90 feet high, so looking closely at branches, flowers, or leaves may be difficult. One way to help you identify such a tree is to look on the ground for fallen leaves, fruits, or young saplings. These can help you to identify the tree as long as you are reasonably sure that they came from the tree you are trying to identify.

We are sure to see some red maples on our monitoring visits, so practice your identification skills in your own neighborhood, by looking at our iNaturalist page , or by joining us to practice using iNaturalist next Wednesday at our iNaturalist practice session .

Meet the 2023 Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 02:23:56 GMT

Celebrate Wetland Treasures During American Wetlands Month!

Raleigh, NC – Carolina Wetlands Association celebrates wetlands and American Wetlands Month this May by announcing our newest Wetland Treasures. The designation of Wetland Treasures across the Carolinas selects wetlands that are ecologically valuable, protected by conservation plans, and home to an abundance of plant and animal diversity. Our recognized Wetland Treasures provide important benefits to ecosystems and human wellbeing including flood reduction, carbon sequestration, water quality, agriculture, diverse habitats, and recreation.

Despite their value, nearly 50% of the world’s wetlands have been lost in the last 100 years. Loss of these magnificent natural features endangers wildlife and humans. In North Carolina, 70% of the states endangered and threatened species rely on wetlands. In South Carolina, wetlands are the breeding ground for almost a quarter of the global population for four bird species.

As the year progresses, our organization looks to continue and expand upon our current Wetland Treasures program to include more community education and engagement opportunities with wetlands. We are hoping to increase the understanding and appreciation of wetlands across the Carolinas so that citizens and scientists alike can participate in their stewardship. As coastal states, we are obligated to protect our wetlands as their disappearance would be devastating for habitats and humans.

Goose Creek State Park

Beaufort County, NC

Wetland Type : Saltwater and tidal freshwater marshes; swamp forest
Site Owner : North Carolina State Parks
Unique Feature : Goose Creek State Park Natural Area is designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. The park contains several distinct ecological communities providing important habitat and food sources for a diverse group of animals and providing important wintering areas for several species of waterfowl.
Tour Date : Saturday, May 6; 1pm-3pm ( Register Now )

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve

Wake County, NC

Wetland Type : Floodplain Forest consisting of bottomland hardwoods and a system of natural river levees
Site Owner : City of Raleigh, Parks and Nature Preserves
Unique Feature : The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program has designated the floodplain forest that surrounds the meadow as a Significant Natural Heritage Natural Area providing habitats for diverse numbers of plants and animals.
Tour Date : Saturday, May 13; 10am-12pm ( Register Now )

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge

Georgetown, Horry, and Marion Counties, South Carolina

Wetland Type : Alluvial and black water floodplain forested wetlands; tidal forested and emergent wetlands; historic rice fields
Site Owner : U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Unique Feature : Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge spans 54,000-acres and contains portions of the Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, and Waccamaw River. It is one of the most diverse freshwater wetland systems in North America and is the primary drinking water resource for the greater Grand Strand region.
Tour Date : Saturday, May 27; 10am-3pm ( Register Now )

Carolina Wetlands Association now recognizes 38 unique Wetland Treasures across North and South Carolina. Discover the beauty and significance of wetlands by visiting one of our Wetland Treasures. Explore wetlands near you using our interactive Wetland Treasure Map .

For more information, contact Rick Savage ( rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org ), Executive Director of the Carolina Wetlands Association.

More information of the Wetland Treasure of the Carolinas .

Plant of the Month: Poison ivy

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:32:29 GMT

Toxicodendron radicans AKA Poison ivy

One of the most common plants that we’ve found at our monitoring sites is one that’s useful to know wherever you are: Poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans ). Poison ivy can be hard to identify as it can look very dissimilar from plant to plant or even at different points of the same plant. It is helpful to remember the common cautionary sayings:

“Leaves of three, let it be!”

“If it’s a hairy rope, don’t be a dope!”

Toxicodendron means poison tree. You definitely don’t want to accidentally touch this plant as it gives off an oil called urushiol, which can cause itchiness and puss-filled bumps for many people. Ick! You can get the oils from the plant on your skin from any part of the plant, even in winter or if the plant is dead. Some people have more of a reaction than others to the urushiol, but a sensitivity can develop over time, so it’s best not to touch. If you develop a rash, it is not contagious, but the oils can stay on your clothes or pets for a long time, causing re-exposure to the oils.

The second part of the name, radicans , means rooting. This is useful to remember as the vine that poison ivy often grows on can become covered in tiny roots that help it cling to and climb trees. Thus, the vine has a hairy or fuzzy appearance.

The leaves of poison ivy are trifoliate, meaning you will always find 3 leaves together . The plant may have many branches, each with 3 leaves. Be careful to look at multiple parts of the plant as it is possible that damage to the plant may cause you to only see 2 leaves, but most of the plant should have groupings of 3 leaves and never more than 3 leaves. The leaves can vary significantly in shape and color. Leaves may appear green, reddish, shiny, or matte! They may appear as smooth (entire) almond shapes or may have significant toothing (lobing). Poison ivy can grow as ground cover, a bushy plant growing out of the ground, or a hairy vine growing up a tree. Poison ivy has white fruits in the fall and yellow flowers in the summer.

Poison ivy is not a true ivy, but it is in the same family as cashews and mangoes. If you develop a severe allergy to poison ivy, you may also be affected by these plants.

Poison ivy can be confused with a couple other common plants we might see:

Young box elders ( Acer negundo ) can also be confused for poison ivy. Box elder is a type of maple that can also have groups of 3 leaves. They grow in wet areas and although they become trees, they start out small and shrubby like poison ivy. It is helpful to look at how the leaves are arranged. Poison ivy has alternate branching, meaning that only one branch will come out of the main stem at any point. Box elders, like all maples, have opposite branching, meaning that 2 branches will depart from the main stem at any point along the stem. If the plant is damaged, there may be some points where you don’t see 2 branches, but if there is any point on the stem where 2 branches come out at the same point, it has opposite branching.

Poison ivy gets a bad reputation, but it has benefits! Its fruits provide food for many animals and its roots help hold soil and prevent erosion, especially in disturbed areas.

On your next hike, look out for poison ivy in its many forms, so that you’ll be prepared to identify it at our next monitoring events. If you are still unsure, you can practice using iNaturalist on your phone to help you.

Announcing Walnut Creek Urban Waters Partnership (Raleigh, NC)

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 00:42:14 GMT

Happy spring wetland supporters!

With the weather getting warmer and plants starting to bloom, it is a good time to explore our wetlands.

One of the many important community projects that the Carolina Wetlands Association is involved with is the Walnut Creek watershed in Raleigh, NC. This watershed is notorious for its flooding issues, primarily in minority communities of southeast Raleigh. To address the ongoing environmental injustices, frequent flooding and the dumping of trash, the Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ) was formed in the mid-1990s. The PEJ was able to involve citizens in taking action to correct these issues, and one of their first tasks was cleaning the wetlands along Walnut Creek, especially around the current Walnut Creek Wetland Park . By removing trash and debris from the wetland, some reduction in flooding occurred, and citizens began to realize that wetlands could serve as a key solution to their flooding problem.

From this effort and others, the City of Raleigh commissioned the establishment of the Walnut Creek Wetland Center as a park. Since that time, the Carolina Wetlands Association has attended meetings of local and state officials as well as other nonprofits about how to deal with the flooding along Walnut Creek. About a year and a half ago, the PEJ, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the Carolina Wetlands Association started working with the US Environmental Protection Agency to have Walnut Creek designated an Urban Waters Federal Partnership. There have been only 20 such waters designated so far (in 15 years of existence of the program).

I am proud to announce that the EPA approved the application and Walnut Creek is the 21st Urban Waters Federal Partnership .

This designation will provide many benefits such as increased opportunities for funding and the hiring of a Watershed Ambassador who will be responsible for coordinating conservation and restoration projects throughout the watershed. On April 21 and 22, there will be a celebration of the designation of Walnut Creek watershed as an Urban Water of the US.

Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. (Walnut Creek Wetland Center)

A representative of the EPA will be giving a keynote address, with other top officials from the US Department of the Interior, US Forest Service, NC Forest Service; local officials from the City Raleigh and Wake County; congressional representatives; and a local organization for engaging community youth in ecology.
The Carolina Wetlands Association and PEJ will be giving the opening remarks about their involvement with Walnut Creek, the importance of the Urban Water designation for Walnut Creek and the surrounding communities, and what the future may look like with this designation.

Saturday, April 22 (Walnut Creek Wetland Center)

Join us for a community celebration entitled “Our Creeks, Our Communities Festival”.
The Carolina Wetlands Association will be staffing a table to continue communicating the importance of wetlands. If you would like to volunteer with this event, please contact Chase Bergeson .

This is truly a momentous moment for the Walnut Creek watershed and Carolina Wetlands Association is proud of the work we do with vulnerable communities to help to mitigate/reduce their flooding problems by utilizing their wetland resources.

So, take a special trip and visit the Walnut Creek Wetlands Park, the Norman and Betty Camp Education Center and the greenway through the wetlands of Walnut Creek.

Thanks for supporting this organization year-round.

Rick

MEET VWMP PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AMANDA JOHNSON

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:02:17 GMT

This is the second in an interview series of the principal investigators of the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program. If you missed it, read our last post about Thomas Reed .

Where did you grow up and if not the Raleigh/Durham area, what brought you here?

I grew up in central Florida and moved to Waynesville, North Carolina when I was in middle school. I went to college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). I moved to Raleigh for graduate school and really enjoyed the Piedmont. I moved back to Wilmington after school but decided to come back to Raleigh to be closer to my family and for better job opportunities.

Where did you go to school and what led you to your career?

I received a Master of Natural Resources degree from North Carolina State University (NCSU). While earning my degree, I had an internship and then eventually a seasonal position with the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (now Division of Water Resources) where I learned about wetlands, streams, and wetland mitigation sites. I decided I wanted a career where I can work in the field, so I pursued a job as an environmental consultant.

Could you tell us about your job at Timmons Group?

I work as a Senior Environmental Scientist at Timmons Group where most of my work is focused on wetland and stream delineations and functional assessments, protected species habitat surveys, and Clean Water Act Section 401/404 permitting.

What sparked your interest in your area of expertise?

As a child, I loved playing outside and thought I wanted to be a zookeeper. While I was in high school, I had a science teacher that inspired me to study environmental science. He encouraged me to apply for a summer internship with the National Park Service, which I got. We studied salamanders, snakes, Vesper Sparrows, moths, planthoppers, and ozone effects on plants. I was hooked on environmental science. During my senior year at UNCW, I learned about wetland restoration and thought it was fascinating, so I decided to study restoration ecology at NCSU. My internship during graduate school gave me fieldwork experience, which set me up for my first job as an environmental consultant at a small firm in Wilmington.

What do you enjoy most about your role in the VWMP? What is your favorite memory so far working in the wetlands with the VWMP volunteers?

I have really enjoyed establishing protocols for data collection and exploring the capabilities of different platforms, such as Wildnote and iNaturalist, to record our data. We have worked so hard to get the VWMP going, so it is wonderful seeing our volunteers in the field asking questions, collecting data, and having a good time. It was no surprise that our volunteers loved our amphibian surveys, but I must say, I was amazed at how much our volunteers were interested in learning about soils and getting their hands dirty at our sampling event in December 2022. I am looking forward to our next sampling events in 2023!

February Message: SciFest at Hemlock Bluffs

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 15:31:52 GMT

Dear Wetland Supporters,

The North Carolina Science Festival happens each year in April throughout the state of North Carolina and is a month long celebration of science!! Hundreds of events focusing on fun and interactive experiences take place in schools, community parks, museums, wildlife parks and wherever learning can take place.

This year, Carolina Wetlands Association will help with that engagement, inspiring learners of all ages to participate in wetlands appreciation with a goal to encourage a better understanding of the wetland environment. In partnership with Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary, NC, the Carolina Wetlands Association offers an outreach opportunity to showcase this wetland celebration. Mark the date - Saturday, April 1 from 10-1 near the Stevens Nature Center building on site.

Preserve visitors will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities encouraging a better understanding of the wetland ecosystem and the plants and animals that depend on this unique environment. The Wetland Monitoring team will provide additional data collection and share demonstration and collection techniques used during actual monitoring events and will be available for questions about water samp ling and quality, species monitoring and wildlife observations.

If you are looking for a day of outside adventures to support science and wetlands, come to Hemlock Bluffs on April 1, any time from 10-1. Add this to your calendar of April events – NC SciFest, Wetland Discovery with Carolina Wetlands Association.

See the calendar at ncsciencefestival.org for all statewide events and additional details about this celebration.

We hope to see you on April 1 to learn more about how we monitor wetlands!

Susan Christman

Program Committee, Carolina Wetlands Association

New Volunteers Get Their Feet Wet in First Round of 2023 Volunteer Wetland Monitoring

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 22:27:01 GMT

The first Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Pilot Program weekend of 2023 provided plenty of opportunities to get our feet wet (both literally and figuratively)! We had lots of new people volunteering this weekend who got to learn our monitoring protocols for amphibian surveys, water quality sampling, and hydrology monitoring for the first time. We are so excited to see the program expanding and meet new, amazing wetland warriors!

On Sunday, we had a beautiful monitoring session at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. We were lucky enough to be joined by an employee of the preserve who says she can “smell where the salamanders are.” We were able to find salamanders in every life stage from egg sacks to adults, although the numbers that we saw may have been impacted by other herpetology surveys in our study area earlier in the week.

It was great to see so many new faces and add to our already wonderful group of wetland warriors. We are looking forward to getting back out in June for another round of water quality, hydrology, and amphibian monitoring. We will also be doing our vegetation surveys, so we’ll be calling all plant lovers for our next monitoring events. In the meantime, we hope to see everybody at our second Wednesday of the month Meet & Greet social events and to get back in the wetlands soon for some more practice with our field skills.

World Wetlands Day: Wetland Restoration

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 01:50:38 GMT

Greetings Wetland Supporters!

February brings so much for us to celebrate: Black History Month, World Wetlands Day (February 2), Valentine’s Day (February 14) and President's Day (February 21).

Black History Month is a great time to learn more about many of the important events that have led to our present-day reality. We know that Black History has a played a big role in our current societal structure, but it has also been deeply integrated with our landscape. North Carolina wetlands played a role in helping escaped slaves travel on the Underground Railroad. Read this article about the role of The Great Dismal Swamp to learn more. The Carolinas are also home to the Gullah/Geechee Nation, descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the Sea Islands, and have retained their own rich culture strongly tied to place. Read this article to learn more about this community and its traditions tied to coastal salt marshes . The Carolina Wetlands Association is working with members of this community on salt marsh restoration projects and potential flood reduction projects in South Carolina. I hope that you can take some time this month to learn about the ways in which Black History and the wetlands in your community are interconnected.

The theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day was wetland restoration. Here at the Carolina Wetlands Association, we take many approaches to our wetlands work. We advocate for wetland protection, we educate about wetlands issues, we collect data on wetland characteristics, and we help communities restore their wetlands. So what is wetland restoration? The Ramsar Convention defines restoration as activities that promote a return to previous conditions as well as those that improve the functioning of a wetland without necessarily seeking to return it to its pre-disturbance condition (Ramsar HB191) .

A s described in our State of the Wetlands report , North and South Carolina have lost 50% and 27% of their wetland coverage since the 1780s. This wetland loss has put stress on our remaining wetlands to provide important ecosystem services, such as nutrient retention, flood mitigation, and wildlife habitat. Due to the diminishing area of wetlands and the increasing pressure from human influences (i.e., urban and agricultural pollutant inputs, increased volume of runoff from paved surfaces, and the introduction of invasive species), our existing wetlands can become heavily degraded and no longer able to perform services optimally. Our wetlands can become ineffective at nutrient retention if they are overwhelmed with nutrient inputs or not able to support wildlife if they are overrun with invasive plants. Restoration is an opportunity to increase the ecosystem services that we get from existing wetlands.

The Carolina Wetlands Association is working to help communities voluntarily restore or create wetlands to reduce flooding, provide recreation, and improve downstream water quality. In contrast, the majority of wetland restoration is performed to offset the filling, degradation, or destruction of wetlands elsewhere. This type of restoration is called compensatory mitigation . In this case, whomever is permitted to impact an existing wetland will have to restore or pay someone else to restore another wetland someplace else in the watershed. Compensatory mitigation is required by the Clean Water Act to achieve “ no net loss ” of wetland acreage. However, the newly restored or created wetland will not be able to immediately perform the same wetland functions as the destroyed wetland. Therefore, those who wish to impact wetlands must frequently restore a greater area of wetland than they destroyed. Both voluntary and compensatory restoration are important tools in the maintenance of our wetland resources.

As for celebrations of Valentine’s Day, I hope that we can all agree that there is a special place in our hearts for wetlands. We can show our appreciation as we do with all of those that we love by spending quality time together and showing them kindness and support. You can get started with these goals by taking the Ramsar pledge for wetland restoration, visiting a wetland near you, or joining the Carolina Wetlands Association at a future event !

I hope to work together soon!

Chase Bergeson

Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program Coordinator

January Message from the Executive Director

rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 01:35:45 GMT

Happy New Year Wetlands Supporters:

I hope that if you made any new year's resolutions, they are going well! We are almost at the end of January, and I want to reflect on our accomplishments from last year and look toward the future.

After releasing the State of the Wetlands report last month, the Science Committee continues to work on white papers dealing with wetland values and research. They also hosted a well-attended webinar given by the State of the Wetlands Report lead author Ginny Baker, co-chair of the Science Committee. For the future, the Science Committee wants to recruit new members and define new projects such as helping communities install rain gardens and other similar endeavors. The Program Committee continues to manage the Wetland Treasures on the Carolinas program and attended outreach events such as the Good Hope Farm Fall Festival in Cary. For the future, the Program Committee wants to recruit new members and increase their educational outreach and other similar efforts. The Development Committee has managed the transition of our webpage (yes, it is a wonderful new webpage for the Association, so please take a look). A huge thanks goes to Kim Matthews who managed the transition. The Development Committee also produces the newsletter and leads our annual fundraising campaign (all the infrastructure of the organization). They could use new members and are in desperate need of a Chair.

We start the year with four part-time staff. We have a wonderful grant administrator, two project coordinators, and an executive director. The Association is truly in good hands with this staff and our volunteers. We have three funded projects:

The ongoing Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program (coordinated by Chase Bergeson) funded by the US EPA Wetlands Program Development Grant (with NC State and RTI International)
The Stony Run Walkable Watershed project (coordinated by Marilyn Mayer) and funded by the NC Land and Water Fund (with Wetland Solutions, Inc. And Skeo)
The Winyah Bay Watershed Project (managed by Rick Savage) where Carolina Wetlands Association is a subrecipient of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant acquired by the Center for Heirs Property.

The future looks very good for projects as we have several more in the works. The purpose of these projects is to work with vulnerable communities who are experiencing flooding and to restore their wetlands and watersheds to reduce flooding.

We also spent a lot of time keeping up with wetland policy at the federal level and the state level (both NC and SC). This is a very time-consuming activity and can get very complicated, but it is critical that we do everything we can to keep wetland protection as strong as possible.

Financially, the Association is in pretty good shape due to our grant funding. We need to increase our sponsorships and our general donations to better establish base funding. So if you have not donated to the year end fundraiser , please do so, every dollar helps.

Personally, I want to do everything to make sure the Association is strong and stable. One of the most important assets we have is our volunteers. There are lots of opportunities to volunteer so please contact us if you are interested.

So, with the new year, find a new wetland to explore and remember that your wetlands organization is working hard to ensure they stay protected.

Rick Savage

White Pater: Importance of Marsh Migration Corridors

chase.bergeson@carolinawetlands.org — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 16:20:22 GMT

Abstract

Coastal tidal marshes are an important ecosystem in the Carolinas as they provide many essential resources and services to our coastal communities. The imminence of rising sea levels threatens to submerge marshes, which could negatively impact agriculture, drinking water, inland communities, and coastal ecosystems.

As climate changes, it will become critical to provide protected corridors through which coastal tidal marshes can migrate inland and continue to protect our coastlines. In the Carolinas, the creation of these corridors may require the aid of humans to remove man-made barriers (e.g., hardened shorelines), conserve and manage uplands, and collaborate with coastal communities and farmers to provide mutual social, economic, and environmental benefits for all.

Problem Statement

As our climate continues to warm over the coming decades, our sea levels will also rise. Many of our saltwater marshes are located on the Carolina coast, barely above current sea level. In fact, 1,729 square miles of the North Carolina coast is less than one meter above sea level (N.C. Interagency Leadership Team, 2010). As sea levels rise, these important wetlands will be vulnerable to inundation and transformation from coastal tidal marsh to open water. Human interventions, such as shorelines hardened with seawalls or bulkheads, berms, dikes, roads and even buildings could further prevent coastal tidal marshes from inland migration (Fuller, 2011). The loss of these wetlands will have negative impacts on coastal communities who rely on these wetlands as a buffer against wave action, flooding, and saltwater intrusion which can impact agriculture and harm infrastructure. It will also negatively affect the many types of flora and fauna that depend on these marshes for critical habitat.

Background

Coastal tidal marshes are non-forested wetlands occupied mostly by grasses and rushes (National Geographic, n.d.). They occur in both fresh and saltwater tidal areas. Coastal tidal marshes extend along hundreds of miles of coastline in the Carolinas (Nagy, 2015).

Coastal tidal marshes provide abundant services to humans and the environment. They help protect the shoreline from wave action and flood-causing storm surges. They help prevent saltwater intrusion, which in turn protects agricultural lands, drinking water supplies, and coastal communities. They also filter out terrestrial pollutants and lessen human impact on our oceans. Additionally, they provide habitat for many fish, birds, and other animals. (National Geographic, n.d.)

Coastal tidal marshes are abundant in the Carolinas but are threatened by human hydrologic management through ditching and channelization and activities that limit sediment flow to marshes such as upstream damming. They are also threatened by shoreline development that promotes the installation of bulkheads, seawalls, berms, and roads (Beever et al., 2012). Another major looming threat to coastal tidal marshes is sea level rise. To protect this important wetland type, marshes will need to be able to move inland to higher ground as sea levels rise. This is known as marsh migration and occurs not only in coastal tidal marshes, but to a lesser degree in inland freshwater marshes.

Coastal tidal marshes can “migrate” into adjacent uplands, through accretion of sediment which increases surface elevation and allows marshland to develop above continuously rising waters. If water level rises too quickly, current marshlands will become open water and too wet for marsh plants to survive (Fagherazzi et al., 2019). If the area inland of the marsh is unimpeded by man-made barriers, such as seawalls, and is high enough to bring the marsh close to or slightly above sea level, then with the right conditions, marsh flora may be able to shift inland. As storms inundate upland areas, upland soils will become saltier, causing die back of upland plants and creating conditions for marsh plants to grow (Fagherazzi et al., 2019). This form of “migration” can keep coastal tidal marshes from being lost altogether or can possibly even expand marshland area in some places. However, as marshes move inland, other ecosystems or land uses will be lost or transformed. This may mean a loss of arable agricultural land or forested areas which is already happening in the Carolinas (Martinez and Ardón, 2021, Holman 2022, Breisinger 2021, NOAA). Farmers in some low-lying areas have had increasing issues with saltwater intrusion from storm surges (Kaplan, 2019, CISA University of South Carolina, 2012). Forested freshwater swamps along tidal creeks and rivers have transitioned to tidal marshes full of dead or dying trees, named “ghost forests” due to their gray skeleton-like appearance (Martinez and Ardón, 2021; Holman, 2022; Breisinger, 2021).

Solutions

Some Carolina coastal tidal marshes are not able to naturally migrate due to man-made barriers or an inability to accrete sediment faster than rising sea levels. In other states natural barriers such as rocky outcrops and steep slopes may also impede marsh migration (Fuller et. al., 2011). Human intervention may aid migration through the creation of marsh migration corridors. Corridors consist of upland areas onto which marshes can slowly move upward as sea levels rise. These corridors require sufficient elevation for marshes to be higher than open water, a lack of physical barriers to migration, and a suitable natural landscape for marsh habitat to establish and thrive.

Humans can aid in the development of marsh migration corridors using the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) methodology (Shuurman et al., 2020). With this method, we can resist negative changes to our coastal system by avoiding the worst impacts of sea level rise, accept the inevitable inundation of some of our marshes, and direct the marshes’ inland migration by facilitating open corridors and conditions in which new marshland will thrive.

There are several projects along the Atlantic coast creating strategies for the creation of marsh migration corridors aimed at maintaining or increasing the total area of marshland in each area, especially as sea level rises. The scope of these projects varies from preservation of predicted natural migration corridors, to prioritization of locations for intentional marsh migration corridors, to implementation of public and private means of anthropogenically facilitating marsh migration in certain areas. The strategies suggested by these projects or related studies of marsh migration include physical alterations to the landscape, regulatory restrictions or incentive programs, and public/community outreach and involvement. Some of these strategies are highlighted below:

Identify Potential Corridors

One of the major areas of focus in marsh migration corridor research has been the identification and prioritization of potential corridors. Digital methods have included the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and modeling techniques to remotely determine which areas are most suitable for corridors (EPA, 2016). Assessments using these techniques may look for available land parcels adjacent to current marshes. They may also use elevation data and estimates of sea level rise to detect the most vulnerable areas of marshland in need of corridors. Other models will assess potential marsh habitat as a way of prioritizing marsh corridor locations. Many governmental and academic groups are using such models as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Habitat Priority Planner (NOAA Coastal Services Center, n.d.), the Salt Marsh Coastal Parcel Planning Tool (Road Island Salt Marsh Conservation Project n.d.), and the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) (Warren Pinnacle Consulting Inc., 2017). Additionally, the value of potential corridors to surrounding communities can play a big role in prioritizing corridors. If a current land use is more valuable to a community than a coastal tidal marsh, there may be resistance to a marsh migration corridor (Fagherazzi et al., 2019).

Coordinate with Local Communities and Stakeholders

Many studies have highlighted the great need to work with coastal communities and local organizations to make marsh migration a success. Local communities have their own needs and desires when it comes to marsh management. It is critical to involve the local community in shaping their own landscapes. Aligning environmental goals with community goals can help ensure the longevity of projects and avoid environmental injustices. Local communities and stakeholders have knowledge and resources that can contribute to mutually beneficial projects. They can also be important stewards of marsh migration corridors. Corridors can be created in ways that help uplift surrounding communities and fit in with their goals and needs. They can provide important ecosystem services to communities if community collaboration is obtained. Collaborating with communities in every step of the process is essential to successful projects (Van Dolah et al., 2020). A unique example of local collaboration in the coastal Carolinas is with the Gullah-Geechee community. This community is deeply knowledgeable about their local marshes and the threats that face them. They are currently part of a PEW Charitable Trust initiative to conserve a million acres of marsh. These lands are sacred to this community and thus working with the Gullah-Geechee is especially important (PEW, 2021a).

Transition Agriculture

Many coastal marshes in the Carolinas are bordered inland by agricultural fields. As sea levels rise, agricultural fields are becoming inundated with salt water, limiting the land available for farmers to grow the crops that they grew previously (Fagherazzi et al., 2019). However, there are opportunities for farmers to both protect their future finances and create space for inland marsh migration. Alternative future scenarios for farmers include, continuing current farming activities while maintaining a buffer of tidal marshland between agricultural land and open water or the planting of salt tolerant marsh crops (Lerner et al., 2013). These marshes can protect crops further inland by absorbing flooding events and preventing salt-water intrusion of cropland, allowing farmers to continue to farm some of their land as sea level rises. Another option is for farmers to transition from growing crops to aquaculture that is compatible with marshes (Andrews, 2020). With this option, the land could still be used for economic benefit, while simultaneously allowing for marsh migration. Working with farmers will be an essential component of any large-scale creation of marsh migration corridors in the Carolinas.

Conservation and Land Management

An essential component to creating migration corridors will be putting land into conservation easements and appropriately managing those easements to promote marsh migration (Fagherazzi et al., 2019). Funding for the purchase of easements could come from The Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Wetlands Reserve Program, and local land trusts, among others (Lerner et al., 2013). Some of the best practices for managing the areas upland of current marshes is to remove dead trees, invasive species, and man-made barriers that may impede migration (Beever et al., 2012; Lerner et al., 2013; University of Rhode Island, n.d.; Andrews, 2020). Dead trees left standing in transitioning forest lands inland of these marshes may limit salt marsh bird nesting habitat (Lerner et al., 2013) and even contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, by assisting the release of methane from soils (Martinez and Ardón, 2021). Hydrology and topography must also be managed so that water flows bring a steady supply of sediment to marshes (Beever et al., 2012: University of Rhode Island, n.d.). This is especially important for salt marshes that may become sediment starved (Moorman, 2021). Other management strategies have included increasing surface area elevation and reducing interior ponding (Lerner et al., 2013) and back-filling man-made pits and ditches (Beever et al., 2012).

Regulatory Action

Many communities are turning to regulatory action to protect the future of their coastal wetlands. Regulatory actions or governmental incentives have been used all along the Atlantic coastline to curb coastal development practices. Some innovative policies have included laws and regulations making living shorelines standard practice in coastal Virginia (Andrews, 2020). Living shorelines are protected and stabilized shorelines made from natural materials such as plants, sand, and rocks. The use un-hardened living shorelines, devoid of rip rap (Beever et al., 2012), can help create a transition zone for landward moving marshes. There have also been several communities in which the new development of hardened coastal surfaces more generally has been limited (Van Dolah et al., 2020; Andrews, 2020).

There are also communities in which developers are given incentives to place ideal migration corridor land in easements, in order to be rewarded with permits issued for denser development in other locations (Andrews, 2020). In areas where flooding affects homes, there are state and federal programs that can be used to voluntarily buy back land from homeowners and create easements from those tracts of land. As sea levels rise and coastal flooding worsens, these programs may be an avenue for converting developed land into corridors. However, it should be noted that the uprooting of communities in this way and the inequities associated with many communities that are adversely affected by flooding brings with it issues of environmental justice that must simultaneously be considered and addressed.

Carbon Markets

Another creative idea is the use of carbon markets and nutrient reduction incentives to encourage the protection of coastal marshes and private contributions to marsh migration corridors in order to meet project requirements or obtain pollution credits (RI Salt Marsh Conservation Project, n.d.).

Specific strategies especially for working with farmers and the communities along with details behind these strategies can be found in the resources in the Reference section.

Conclusions

Protecting the coastal marshes of the Carolinas will be a major challenge in the coming decades, but with forethought, planning, and the cooperation of diverse stakeholders across the region there is a positive outlook for the future of these wetlands. We have the tools and knowledge necessary to successfully create marsh migration corridors through which marshes can move inland. With adequate funding, resources, and local community involvement these corridors can become a reality. The PEW Charitable Trust and the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability are already working on such large-scale projects (PEW, 2021b). Successful projects in the Chesapeake Bay Region (Lerner et al., 2013) can serve as models going forward. As sea levels rise, managed marsh migration corridors will be critical for the protection of this valuable Carolina wetland resource.

Meet the Author

References

Andrews, E.A. Legal and Policy Challenges for Future Marsh Preservation in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Wetlands 40, 1777–1788 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01389-z

Beever, L. B., Gray, W., Cobb, D., & Walker, T. (2012). Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Opportunities for Salt Marsh Types in Southwest Florida. The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program.

Breisinger, H. (2021). North Carolina’s shoreline estuaries are transforming into “ghost forests,” by why? WHQR Public Media. https://www.whqr.org/local/2021-06-03/north-carolinas-shoreline-estuaries-are-transforming-into-ghost-forests-but-why

Carolina Integrated Sciences and Assessments, University of South Carolina. 2012. Assessing the Impact of Saltwater Intrusion in the Carolinas under Future Climatic and Sea Level Conditions. https://cpo.noaa.gov/sites/cpo/Projects/RISA/2013/reports/2012_CISAandSCSeaGrant_SalinitySARPReport.pdf

EPA. (2016, April 14). Maryland Analyzes Coastal Wetlands Susceptibility to Climate Change (District of Columbia) [Overviews and Factsheets]. https://www.epa.gov/arc-x/maryland-analyzes-coastal-wetlands-susceptibility-climate-change

Fagherazzi, Sergio, et al. “Sea Level Rise and the Dynamics of the Marsh-Upland Boundary.” Frontiers Environmental Science, vol. 7, 2019, https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00025 .

Fuller, Roger, et al. Marshes on the Move. The Nature Conservancy Global Marine Team and NOAA National Ocean Service Coastal Services Center, Oct. 2011.

Guimond, J. A., & Michael, H. A. (2021). Effects of marsh migration on flooding, saltwater intrusion, and crop yield in coastal agricultural land subject to storm surge inundation. Water Resources Research, 57, e2020WR028326. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028326

Habitat Priority Planner: Marsh Migration. (n.d.). NOAA Coastal Services Center. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/hpp-applications-marsh-migration.pdf

Holman, V. 2022. Ghost Whisperers. Salt Magazine. http://www.saltmagazinenc.com/ghost-whisperers/ .

Kaplan, S. (2019, March 1). Ruined crops, salty soil: How rising seas are poisoning North Carolina’s farmland. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ruined-crops-salty-soil-how-rising-seas-are-poisoning-north-carolinas-farmland/2019/03/01/2e26b83e-28ce-11e9-8eef-0d74f4bf0295_story.html

Kozak, C. (2019, December 10). Currituck Marsh Focus for Resilience Project. CoastalReview.org. https://coastalreview.org/2019/12/currituck-marsh-focus-for-resilience-project/

Kottler, Ezra. “Sea-Level Rise, Marsh Migration, and Coastal Resilience.” Wetland Restorations, 22 Mar. 2021, https://wmap.blogs.delaware.gov/2021/03/22/sea-level-rise-marsh-migration-and-coastal-resilience/ .

Ladin and Moorman, 2021, USFWS, Southeast Region SET Analysis, https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/199786

Lerner, J.A., Curson, D.R., Whitbeck, M. and Meyers, E.J., Blackwater. 2100: A strategy for salt marsh persistence in an era of climate change, 2013, The Conservation Fund (Arlington, VA) and Audubon MD-DC (Baltimore, MD).

Martinez, M., Ardón, M. Drivers of greenhouse gas emissions from standing dead trees in ghost forests. Biogeochemistry 154, 471–488 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-021-00797-5

Moorman, M. (2021, September 26). Will the Marsh Stay or Will It Go? Coastal Wetland Transformations in the South Atlantic Basin.

Nagy, R. (2015). Moving Through the Marsh. Coastwatch, Winter 2015. https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/previous-issues/2015-2/winter-2015/moving-through-the-marsh/

National Geographic. (n.d.). Marsh. National Geographic Resource Library. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/marsh/

NC Interagency Leadership Team. 2010. Climate maps. Maps produced by Renci (Renaissance Computing Institute) and UNC Asheville’s NEMAC (National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center) http://www.climatechange.nc.gov/Climate_Maps_NC.pdf

PEW. (2021a). African Descendants Have Stake in Saving U.S. Southeast Salt Marshes. https://pew.org/3hvVEjm

PEW. (2021b). How Southeast Stakeholders Are Safeguarding Salt Marshes. https://pew.org/3qZyQLH

RI Salt Marsh Conservation Project. (n.d.). The University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.edc.uri.edu/ri-salt-marsh-conservation-project/

Schuurman, G., Cat, H.-H., Cole, D., Lawrence, D., Morton, J., Magness, D., Cravens, A., Covington, S., O’Malley, R., & Fisichelli, N. (2020). Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD)—A Framework for the 21st-century Natural Resource Manager. National Park Service. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2283597

Van Dolah, E.R., Miller Hesed, C.D. & Paolisso, M.J. Marsh Migration, Climate Change, and Coastal Resilience: Human Dimensions Considerations for a Fair Path Forward. Wetlands 40, 1751–1764 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01388-0

Warren Pinnacle Consulting, Inc. (2017). SLAMM: Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model. http://warrenpinnacle.com/prof/SLAMM/index.html

VWMP Wetland Warriors Get Dirty in the Wetlands for Our Last Monitoring Event of 2022

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 18:21:46 GMT

Welcome to all of our new volunteers and it was great to see all of our returning ones! The December monitoring days for the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program (VWMP) may have been wet, but that doesn’t scare away our amazing volunteers!

Our volunteers aren't afraid of a little rain!

We were able to avoid the rain for our first monitoring site at Robertson Mill Pond, but it caught up with us on our second site, leading us to take shelter in the pavilion while we completed our soil profile descriptions. Things were a bit drier at Hemlock Bluffs and we had a beautiful day on Sunday at Mason Farms. Luckily, after all the rain, the water was still low enough in Morgan Creek for our vehicles to ford the stream and make it to our farthest monitoring site. Although the weather at Mason Farms was nice, the wetland was much wetter than in September, with standing water on much of the surface. Winter is the wet season here in North Carolina, with slightly more precipitation than in warmer months and less transpiration from plants that have died back or gone dormant for winter. This means more water is left in the ground and water tables are higher.

Veteran volunteer Tom Schwarcz teaching new volunteers Carly Catella and Ryan Kilgore how to measure the water table depth.

WATER SAMPLING

This weekend we monitored hydrology and water quality, as always, but we had some of our experienced volunteers teach our new volunteers the tricks of the trade! We also had volunteers test their technological prowess by using WildNote to fill out our data forms.

SOIL SAMPLING

This weekend we took a look at our wetland soils! In addition to wetland hydrology (water table within 12” of the surface for at least 5% of the growing season) and hydrophytic (water tolerant) vegetation, wetlands must also have hydric soils to be considered jurisdictional wetlands. Hydric soils are soils that exhibit features related to long periods of saturation. These features can take many forms, but are caused by the metabolic processes of anaerobic bacteria. In the piedmont, these soils are often gray in color with mottles (patches) of reddish/orange soil mixed in. The gray colors are a result of the iron oxides in the soils being used by bacteria, instead of oxygen for their metabolic processes. This leaches the red color from the soil. In some areas where organic material was present (such as roots) or there are pockets of air in the soil, bacteria are able to use oxygen for their metabolisms and these spots still have a reddish, orange color. These unique colorations in the soil take a long time to develop and can help wetland scientists determine what the hydrology of a site is like over long periods of time. This is especially important where we don’t have a lot of past well monitoring data.

Determining whether we have these unique colorations in the right amount, caused us to dig deep and find our inner-artist!

Comparing soil colors to our Munsell book.

Volunteer Mattie Frazier took her artistic endeavors even further, by using the soil to create “the bestest snowman that ever was!”

We had to match the colors of the soil to the colors to the colored chips in our Munsell soil books and record all of the colors in about 3’ of soil! We also got dirty, rubbing the soil between our fingers to determine soil textures at every depth. We also took intact soil cores that will be analyzed back in the lab for soil organic matter. Since soils change very slowly over time, we won’t need to sample soils every year that we monitor. You can see descriptions of the mapped soil profiles here and you can explore soil maps all over the country at https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm .

Ryan Kilgore getting his workout, taking our organic matter sample.

Thanks to the great commitment of our volunteers, we were able to achieve so much! Both Mickey Jo Sorrell and Paul Jadot, passed 25 hours of volunteer work this weekend and earned their awesome Carolina Wetlands Association hats! Mickey Jo also won a $50 Amazon gift card for filling out our volunteer survey. Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill one out and give us feedback on the program. Your feedback and commitment will enable us to have an even more successful program next year and to hopefully be able to expand the program further in the future.

We'll miss you Patty!

Sadly, this weekend marked Patty’s last field days as Volunteer Coordinator for this project. She will be greatly missed, but she is moving on to a full time position at NC State, working with Dr. Burchell. Fortunately, it won’t be goodbye forever- she’ll still be involved with the project overall.

I will be replacing her as Volunteer Coordinator and I look forward to working with all of you as the VWMP continues into its second year!

– Chase Bergeson, Volunteer Coordinator for the VWMP

Although we weren’t monitoring for amphibians this weekend, Thomas Reed still managed to find us a Cope’s gray treefrog.

All photo credits: Thomas Reed

PRESS RELEASE: CAROLINA WETLANDS PAST TO PRESENT

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:27:52 GMT

December 5, 2022. The Carolina Wetlands Association is eager to share our State of the Wetlands Report entitled, Carolina Wetlands Past to Present: How wetlands have changed in the Carolinas and their current condition, stressors, and threats . We hope our readers will come away with an overall better understanding and appreciation of the value and critical importance of wetlands, especially given years of historical decline.

Ginny Baker Daniel, Science Committee Co-chair and lead author of the report, states “We hope our readers will take a future opportunity to visit some natural areas with wetlands and share what they have learned with family and friends. We hope that they will consider supporting organizations that advocate for, conserve, or restore wetlands. We also hope that if they own property with wetlands they will consider setting up a land easement, or implementing land management measures if needed like restoration or enhancement, on their property.”

We want readers to be aware of the steps that have been taken in the Carolinas to better protect, restore, and manage wetlands through regulation, restoration, conservation, education, research, and advocacy.

North Carolina has an isolated wetland rule ( 15A NCAC 02H .1301 ) that protects wetlands not regulated at the federal level.
Compensatory federal wetland mitigation is required to offset impacts due to urban development, roadway expansions, and other reasons.
Voluntary wetland restoration projects can be accomplished by public and private land managers, municipalities, land conservancies, private citizens and nonprofits such as watershed groups.
Carolina Wetlands Association has developed a Landowners Guide to Wetland Restoration available on our website, along with other resources carolinawetlands.org .

Webinar: December 7, 2022

Join us on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 pm for a special presentation of the information in the report presented by the lead author, Ginny Baker Daniel. The webinar is free to attend but registration is required.

The webinar will be recorded and posted on our website.

Contact Us

For more information about the report, visit www.carolinawetlands.org or contact Rick Savage ( Rick.Savage@carolinawetlands.org ).

MEET VWMP PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR THOMAS REED

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 02:25:55 GMT

This is the first in an interview series of the principal investigators of the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program.

Where did you grow up and if not the Raleigh/Durham area, what brought you here?

Thomas: I grew up in Union County, NC and moved to the triangle in 2015 to attend NC State. I have been in the triangle since and currently live in Chatham County.

Where did you go to school and what led you to your career?

Thomas: I have a BS in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from NC State. Growing up I was always in the woods chasing snakes and turtles and when I realized I could pursue working with wildlife as a job I knew it was the route I wanted to take. Since going to NC State, I have had many field research related positions working with flora and fauna from butterflies in North Carolina to snakes and frogs in China.

Could you tell us about your job at Wake County?

Thomas: I am the Assistant Manager for Wake County’s Open Space program. The Open Space Program currently conserves over 8,500 acres in Wake County with goals to manage and maintain these properties for the preservation of natural resources, water quality, and cultural/historic significance. I also work with the public to coordinate research permits on the sites we manage and conduct inventory efforts on rare flora/fauna.

What sparked your interest in your area of expertise?

Reptiles and Amphibians have always been the animals I was most interested in growing up. Something about the way they looked and behaved caught my attention when I was very young, and I continued to research and search for them whenever I had the chance. I was fortunate to have multiple volunteer opportunities with local museums, zoos, and universities that could help me further my knowledge and allow me the pursue working with these misunderstood animals.

What do you enjoy most about your role in the VWMP? What is your favorite memory so far working in the wetlands with the VWMP volunteers?

I love having the opportunity to help people get more hands-on experience working with the natural world around them while also contributing to research efforts. Being able to show someone the beauty of a marbled salamander or even a terrestrial leech is an opportunity to spread awareness for conservation efforts and help people gain a greater appreciation for wildlife. I wouldn’t be where I am today without having the opportunity to get involved with research efforts and interacting with nature hands-on outside of a classroom. Working with the amphibian inventory efforts is particularly close to my heart as I love helping people have a better understanding of the connections between such a small animal to the larger wetland system as a whole.

VWMP COMPLETES THIRD ROUND OF WETLAND MONITORING

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:26:16 GMT

The September monitoring outings for the Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program (VWMP) were a great success. Seven program veteran volunteers as well as two new volunteers joined us over the weekend. We were concerned about the forecast for this outdoor field work but we were very lucky to only have some light rain on day one and the threat of potential thunderstorms on day two never materialized, thankfully.

Volunteer Tom Schwarcz earns his Carolina Wetlands Association cap for volunteering over 25 hours to the VWMP.

WATER SAMPLING

Our monitoring outings at each site this time out was kicked off with water monitoring working with our NC State University water team headed up by Dr. Mike Burchell and graduate student, Molly Landon.

We observed that even with some recent heavy rainfall, the hot and dry summer left some of our wetland sites without any standing water to sample. Water samples and well data were taken by our now very skillful volunteers and we are starting to see how this type of activity might be scaled if this program is expanded in the future

Dr. Mike Burchell, Mattie Frazier and Megan Dunn take the new YSI meter out for it's maiden voyage.

Plant Communities

Once a year we are tasked with filling out surveys on the plant communities and the invasive non-native plant species we’re finding in our study areas.

Plant communities are groups of plants sharing a common environment that interact with each other, animal populations, and the physical environment. This helps us understand the bigger picture of the health of the wetlands we’re studying. We used Wildnote to log this information and look forward to sharing this data in the near future.

Amanda Johnson works with volunteers on assessing the plant communities at Mason Farm.

Invasive Species Monitoring

We also recorded plant life in our study wetlands that are non-native, invasive species. Invasive plant species spread quickly and can displace native plants, prevent native plant growth, and create monocultures.

The participants in the VWMP do not remove those plants since they are part of our study area. However, it’s a common activity for organizations and volunteers to strategically remove these plants to restore a natural environment back to healthy and diverse native plant communities.

Ace, Chase and Mickey Jo record non-native plants in the area around the marsh at Mason Farm.

Wildlife Observations

We did not perform an amphibian survey as part of this quarter’s monitoring event, but we did record sightings of the wildlife we saw in iNaturalist in the VWMP Project.

We found several frogs, a male box turtle and a Green Heron watched over us as we worked at the Mason Farm marsh. Even though not officially in one of our study sites, pictured is our siting of one of North Carolina’s most feared but beautiful snakes, the copperhead.

You can see all of our observations by clicking HERE .

Check out the Facebook posts HERE and HERE about this event.

Visit the Volunteer Resource Page for more information on the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program.

VWMP VOLUNTEERS VISIT THE WALNUT CREEK WETLAND CENTER IN RALEIGH TO LEARN ABOUT ASSESSING WETLAND QUALITY

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:48:06 GMT

For our July activity for the VWMP, Project Manager, Amanda Johnson demonstrated how the NC WAM can be used to evaluate the condition of a wetland. This volunteer activity included a review of the NC WAM manual, preliminary desktop analysis, and a visit to the Walnut Creek Wetland Center in Raleigh, NC on the morning of July 23, 2022.

NC WAM Manual

To use the NC WAM in any official capacity, one must go through the training class (3 days of training and an exam) to become certified as trained. This activity was for demonstration and research purposes. The latest version of the NC WAM manual can be found here: NCWAM Manual | NC DEQ .

Objectives

The objectives of this volunteer activity were to:

Become familiar with the purpose of NC WAM and how it may be used
Practice using the NC WAM assessment form
Develop an understanding of what factors may affect the condition and health of a wetland

We are looking forward to the upcoming VWMP activities including a visit to the new Carolina Wetlands Association office to review some of the data we have collected so far and our wetland monitoring site visits in September. For more information on the pilot Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program, visit the VWMP Webpage .

Visit the Volunteer Resource Page for more information on the Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program.

13e22597

Pocosins: Carolina Peatlands of Carbon, Culture, and History

Introduction

Ecological Value: Carbon Powerhouses of the Coastal Plain

Historical Value: From Misunderstood Lands to Climate Assets

Cultural Value: Indigenous Knowledge and Regional Identity

Conclusion

Where to see a Pocosin?

Carolina Bays: Unique Wetlands of the Carolinas

Importance of Carolina Bays

Biodiversity Hotspots

Cultural Connections

A Scientific Mystery

Natural Archives of the Coastal Plain

Protecting Carolina Bays

Winter’s Quiet Prepares Carolina Wetlands for Spring’s Awakening

Celebrating World Wetlands Day by learning about Wetland Importance

What is World Wetlands Day?

Science Behind Wetland Protection

New: Importance of Wetland Factsheets

Wetland Monitoring Program: Winter 2025-26

Successful Hydric Soil Demonstration

January 11, 2026 at Robertson Millpond

New WOTUS Rule: Means Loss of Federal Wetland Protection

Challenging Start to 2026

South Carolina

North Carolina

Comments submitted to EPA and USEPA on the proposed rule changes: ﻿

What is Wrong with the Proposed Changes to WOTUS?

Addi tional Resource

Celebrating 10 years of Protecting Wetlands!

A Look Back: From Humble Beginnings to Statewide Impact

Growing Our Reach

Expanding Our Mission

Supporting Vulnerable Communities

Looking Ahead

Celebrating a Decade of Conservation

Join Our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration!

10 Years of Impact: Our Guiding Mission

Mark Your Calendar: Sunday November 16th

Join us for Volunteer Appreciation Day!

We couldn't protect wetlands without you!

October 12, 2025 Events

1. Living Shoreline Paddle at Mayo Lake Park @ Noon

2. Mixer and Appreciation at Black Creek Brewery @ 3pm

Why Your Support Matters: Protecting Carolina’s Wetlands Together

Message from the Executive Director

�� Wetlands Are Essential—And Under Threat

�� What We Do—And Why It Matters

﻿

�� Why Financial Contributions Are Critical

�� A Shared Responsibility, A Shared Reward

�� How You Can Help

�� Thank You for Standing With Us

Summer Progress Update: Volunteer Wetland Monitoring Program

June monitoring weathered the storms

Big Moves for the Lumbee Cultural Center Wetland Restoration Project!

We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates from the Lumbee Cultural Center Wetland

Restoration Project!

What’s Next?

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years of Carolina Wetlands: A Look Back—and Ahead 🌿

�� Resilience and Restoration: A Focus on Flooded Communities

�� What We Need Now: Your Support Matters

�� Join Us in Protecting What Matters

Celebrate Wetland Treasures During American Wetlands Month!

Press Release: Introducing 2025 Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas

Spring: A Time for Renewal and Connection with Wetlands

March News from the Board of Directors

Winter Wetland Monitoring Recap

Volunteers faced chilly weather to complete December 2024 data collection efforts.

Fall 2024 Monitoring: Sleuthing Plant IDs and Dodging Hurricanes

Want to make a difference? Join a Committee.

Message from the Executive Director

The Changing Tides of Leadership: A Conversation with Our VPs

Plant of the Month: Lizard's tail

2024 Summer Interns

July News: NAWM

Wetland Summit 2024: Promoting Outreach and Education Pratices

Working together to promote wetland protection across the Carolinas

June 2024 Monitoring: Reflections from a new volunteer

Comments submitted to EPA and USEPA on the proposed rule changes: