Education Committee Updates: Advancing Skills and Inspiring the Next Generation

In case you missed it, Hammer Environmental, LLC held a “Leveraging Soil Survey Data for Wetland Delineations” webinar on January 27, 2026. This informative two-hour webinar taught wetland delineators and scientists how to accurately and effectively use soil data from sources like the USDA Soil Survey Map, while avoiding common pitfalls associated with these resources. The webinar focuses on using online soil data to develop estimates of soil types and hydric soils that may occur onsite and then confirming those hypotheses rather than relying solely on field observations.

The webinar is available on demand on Hammer Environmental’ s website with training certifications of completion. Additionally, their Hydric Soil Indicator Insights webinar is free of charge, and certificates of completion are free for VAWP members. The VAWP member discounted payment link for the soil survey webinar is https://square.link/u/QNwKsQtp.

Additionally, VAWP will once again be offering a scholarship this year to an outstanding student conducting research in, or related to, wetland science. We continue to be impressed by the many outstanding students who return to present their research after receiving the VAWP scholarship.

If you are a student or educator, please join us at this Spring Meeting for engaging presentations and to learn about the latest wetland science research across the Commonwealth. The VAWP conference is also a great opportunity to network with future employers and connect with professionals currently working in the field.