We monitored at Robertson Millpond Preserve on Friday and managed to avoid tripping on the many cypress knees that populate our monitoring locations. Robertson Millpond Preserve is unique in that it is home to the only bald cypress habitat in Wake County, NC. We didn’t find many salamanders at this site, but we did find a Green Treefrog and Pickerel Frog.
New Volunteers Get Their Feet Wet in First Round of 2023 Volunteer Wetland Monitoring
chase.bergeson • March 7, 2023
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 Saturday, we monitored at Mason Farm Biological Reserve in Chapel Hill, NC. Our first monitoring location was wetter than we’ve ever seen it! In some places the standing water was over a foot deep and some of us had to switch to waders to avoid overtopping our boots! Because of all the water, we were able to find lots of larval salamanders who would sneak up to the surface and make themselves visible in the otherwise dark or cloudy water. We don’t usually take a water quality sample at this site and don’t have a permanent staff gauge because it is often completely dry.
This site illustrates how widely wetland hydrology can fluctuate over the course of the year. Luckily, our water level data loggers will help us keep track of the hydrology even when we can’t go out and see for ourselves. These loggers, along with our keen observations of wetland hydrology indicators, such as, drift deposits and crayfish burrows can help us to determine whether our sites are really “wet” enough to be “wetlands.” Sometimes, when we visit a wetland during the dry season, it can be hard to know how wet it is at other times of the year. These indicators and loggers help us to have a clearer picture of wetland hydrology over time.
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.
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A Look Back: From Humble Beginnings to Statewide Impact It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since that first meeting in June 2015 , when a small group of us gathered at a Starbucks on Lake Boone Trail to form our very first Board of Directors . I was elected President, with Steve Rebak as Vice President, Kristie Gianopulos as Treasurer, and John Dorney as Secretary. Our founding board also included Kim Matthews, Stratford Kay, Laura England , and others who helped shape the foundation of our organization. Ginny Baker (Daniel) and Robert Truesdale became co-chairs of the Science Committee, and later Amin Davis stepped up to lead the Program Committee. Together, we drafted our bylaws and registered as a nonprofit corporation in North Carolina. In 2016 , with the invaluable help of Chad Guthrie and the UNC School of Law , we achieved our 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — a huge step in establishing ourselves as a recognized nonprofit. Growing Our Reach Our early years focused on building visibility and partnerships. I met with leaders across environmental and conservation organizations, and we participated in countless community and environmental events. With Laura England’s leadership, we launched the Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas Program , which has become our flagship initiative — celebrating 36 Wetland Treasures to date (23 in North Carolina and 13 in South Carolina). Expanding Our Mission In 2019 , we took a bold leap by applying for our first EPA Wetlands Program Grant in partnership with NC State University and RTI International . This effort led to the creation of a Volunteer Wetlands Monitoring Program , which became a model for restoring the state’s wetlands monitoring efforts. Building on that success, a second EPA grant in 2024 allowed us to expand into Hendersonville, NC , Horry County, SC , and Columbia, SC — broadening our network and community engagement. We’re now seeking a third grant to continue this important work. Supporting Vulnerable Communities Our mission has also grown to include working with vulnerable and flood-prone communities along our coastal rivers. Through collaboration with the North Carolina Office of Resilience, Working and Natural Lands initiatives, and Executive Order 305, we’ve focused on using natural infrastructure to reduce flooding and restore ecosystems. Thanks to support from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund , we’ve completed flood mitigation planning in Harnett County (Dunn, NC) on Stony Run , and are thrilled to have received a new grant to begin restoration work there. We’ve also received funding to: Assess flooding at Parker Creek (Pitt County) in a historically underserved community, Work with the Lumbee Tribe to restore wetlands near their Cultural Center, and Collaborate with the Bucksport community — with support from Defenders of Wildlife , the Betterment of Bucksport , and two Duke Accelerator grants — to address flooding linked to increased development. Looking Ahead We’ve come a long way in ten years, but there’s still much to do. Grants make much of our work possible, but they don’t cover everything. We rely on the generosity of our supporters and volunteers to help us sustain and grow our programs. Please consider celebrating this milestone with a donation — large or small — to help keep our mission thriving for the next decade and beyond. Join us on November 16th to celebrate our journey, reconnect with old friends, and look forward to the future of wetlands conservation together. Thank you for being part of our story, Rick Savage Executive Director Carolina Wetlands Association
Join Our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration! We are incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished together over the last decade, and we can’t wait to celebrate this anniversary with the entire Carolina wetlands community. From advocating for critical policies to advancing wetland science and engaging thousands of volunteers and supporters, our work is only possible because of your dedication. 10 Years of Impact: Our Guiding Mission Since the beginning, Carolina Wetlands Association has been driven by a set of core principles that guide our work across four key program areas: Outreach: Promoting widespread understanding of and engagement in wetlands. Advocacy: Encouraging policies and programs that promote wetland conservation and protection. Science: Encouraging the advancement of wetland science and practices. Sustainability: Ensuring a viable organization for the long term to protect, promote, and restore wetlands. Whether it’s protecting our saltmarshes as nature’s climate protectors (a topic we explore in depth in our recent white paper ) or coordinating hundreds of volunteers to monitor wetlands, our commitment remains the same: protecting and preserving the vital wetlands of the Carolinas. Mark Your Calendar: Sunday November 16th Join us for a relaxed and festive evening to toast a decade of wetland conservation, education, and advocacy! Enjoy local brews, connect with fellow supporters, and celebrate the incredible impact we’ve made together. Whether you've been with us from the start or are just getting involved, we'd love to see you there! Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025 Location: Hi Wire Brewing Company, Address: 800 Taylor St #9-150, Durham, NC 27701 [ Directions ] Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM We look forward to celebrating this incredible milestone with you and kicking off the next decade of protecting the Carolina Wetlands!
Please join us as we celebrate volunteers of our wetland monitoring program on October 12, 2025. Our event will take place in Roxboro, NC and start with a paddle tour of living shoreline and mixer at Black Creek Brewery. All are welcome but please RSVP.