Celebrate the season by capturing the beauty of spring in and around Virginia’s wetlands! Submit your best photos featuring Virginia wildlife, plant life, or landscapes—entries are open now through May 4, and all photos must be taken between April and May 2026. One winner will be selected in each category by the VAWP Board, with […]
Author Archives: Alexi Weber-Smith
Registration and Sponsorship are now OPEN for our Annual Spring Meeting!
The Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals Annual Spring Meeting will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Virginia Crossings Hotel (Henrico Ballroom) in Glen Allen, Virginia. Restoration and Mitigation is the theme this spring! We have a great lineup scheduled including guest speakers from Wire Gill, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Spring Meeting Scholarship and Poster Session
Calling All Students: Present Your Research & Apply for a VAWP Scholarship! The Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals invites undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the 2025 Student Poster Session at the upcoming VAWP Spring Meeting (May 8, 2026 in Glen Allen, VA) and apply for our 2026 VAWP Student Research Scholarship. Student Poster […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Fear to Hope 2026 Symposium
Fear to Hope at CNU continues to grow as a collaborative, community‑centered model that connects K–12 students, college students and faculty, environmental professionals, and local partners through hands‑on climate research and restoration. Now entering its sixth year, the program has expanded from its original focus on Atlantic White Cedar ghost forests into salt marsh and […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Regulatory Updates
The VAWP regulatory committee is tracking current regulatory actions and updates on the federal and state level. 2026 continues to be a year of regulatory changes and VAWP is tracking the following: Federal Regulatory Actions U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Commonwealth of Virginia Regulatory Actions: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Mineral Soil Flatwood Delineation Training
VAWP board and Certification Committee member, Robin Bedenbaugh, led a group of delineators through a 2-part delineation workshop in mineral soil flatwoods in the coastal plain. This training is limited and fills up fast – keep an eye our for future VAWP emails when this sought after course comes back! Dry Season 2025 Session Wet […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Meet VAWP’s 2026 Executive Officers!
VAWP welcomes our 2026 Executive Officers and Board Members! Ted Kraska – President Ted Kraska has been an active member of the Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals since 2001 and currently serves as its President. A New England native, he built his career in Virginia and is now the Director of Environmental Services at Townes […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Upcoming Training and Exams
Upcoming Trainings: Professional Development Opportunities for the Wetland Community Upcoming Trainings Unless expressly stated, the Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals does not endorse any of the above advertised training opportunities. Please reach out to ben.sagara@dwr.virignia.gov if you would like to recommend a training program for advertisement. Upcoming Exams Commonwealth of Virginia Professional Wetland Delineator Examination […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Education Committee Updates
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 […]
VAWP Spring 2026 Newsletter: Certification Committee Updates
Board Appointment, ULR Decisions, and PWD Program Updates The VAWP Certifications Committee continues to monitor and support issues affecting the Certified Professional Wetland Delineator (PWD) program in Virginia. Below are several updates from the past six months. New Appointment to the DPOR Board On January 15, 2026, the Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the […]
