The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) holds eight webinars per year for members. NAWM Member webinars cover a variety of topics encompassing wetland science, policy, program implementation, and legal issues. These webinars, including recordings for past webinars are available to NAWM members.
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For more information about this webinar series, please contact Laura Burchill at laura@nawm.org or
(207) 892-3399. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
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View Past NAWM Members Webinar Series Here
View a List of Past NAWM Members Webinar Series Recordings Here
American Wetlands Month Webinar: Advancing Wetland Conservation Through Community Engagement
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Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - 3:00-4:30p.m. ET Presenters
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ABSTRACT
Bringing Wetlands to Your Community – and Vice Versa!
Mark Dilley and Jenny Adkins
Wetlands are a complicated and sometimes controversial topic, yet they are vital to our planet and its inhabitants - humans and wildlife alike. In this presentation, we will share tips on how to identify opportunities to restore or enhance wetlands in your community's parks and green spaces, how to manage and care for them, and most importantly, how to engage the community in meaningful and effective ways to garner interest and support for these important and fascinating ecosystems. Several illustrative (and special) stories will be shared to highlight the value of wetlands to unexpected stakeholders.
BIOS
Mark Dilley earned a B.S. in Natural Resources (Fisheries Management) in 1991 and a M.S. in Environmental Science (specializing in wetlands) in 2003, both from The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources. He and his wife Christine are co-owners of a WBE, WOSB, and EDGE-certified environmental consulting firm, MAD Scientist Associates, specializing in ecological and wetland consulting. Their company mission is Making A Difference – through Science, Service and Education. Mark has over 30 years of experience as a field biologist, ecologist, and wetland scientist. He is a Certified Senior Ecologist, Certified Ecological Restoration Professional (CERP), and Senior Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS). Mark was also a lecturer at The Ohio State University, where he taught Wetland Ecology & Restoration for 13 years. He is the Past President of the Ohio Wetlands Association and currently serves as a Member-at-Large for the Ohio Ecological Restoration Association.
Jenny Adkins works as an environmental scientist specializing in botany and environmental education at an ecological consulting firm in Westerville, Ohio. She received her M. Ed. in Adult, Young Adult Life Sciences and B.S. in Biology from Wright State University. Her position at this unique company allows her to work closely with formal and informal educators throughout Ohio, designing outdoor learning spaces, tailoring curriculum to incorporate environmental education, and leading hands-on exploration activities in the outdoors.
A Certificate of Attendance to be used toward Continuing Education Credits is available when participating in NAWM's live webinars. All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. Certificates are not available for viewing recorded webinars. More Information.
Exploring the Economic Benefits of Wetland Ecosystems and Management Programs
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Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - 3:00-4:30p.m. ET Presenters
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ABSTRACTS
An Economic Valuation of H2Ohio’s Agriculture and Wetlands Program
Glen Delaney, Earth Economic
The H2Ohio initiative is delivering measurable results for Ohio’s people, economy, and environment. The goal of the initiative is to tackle the harmful impacts of excess phosphorus in surface waters, improving water quality through wetland restoration, reducing nutrient runoff, and promoting agricultural best management practices (BMPs), among other programs. The initiative has restored more than 180 wetlands covering 11,000+ acres and enrolled over 3,200 farmers to apply BMPs across 2.2 million acres in 2024 alone, preventing 420,000 pounds of phosphorus from entering waterways. Earth Economics valued the non-market benefits created by H2Ohio’s investment and calculated the ripple effect and job creation of the initiative's spending on wetlands and ag BMPs. Analysis by Earth Economics demonstrates that H2Ohio generates strong returns on investment from H2Ohio’s work restoring wetlands and supporting farmers to reduce nutrient runoff, as the program remediates harmful algal blooms, improves drinking water security, and strengthens local economies.
What are Marshes Worth? Valuing Coastal Community Benefits with SHORE-BET
Donna Bilkovic, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Marshes are important natural capital assets for many coastal communities, providing a range of ecosystem services such coastal protection and erosion control, nutrient removal, fish habitat, and recreational opportunities. We combined economic valuation techniques with human use and preference surveys, local ecological data, and physical and geospatial modeling to estimate the monetary value and spatial variation in services provided by marsh and living shorelines, within a NOAA habitat focus area in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, the Middle Peninsula. Our interdisciplinary approach aligns with the site-specific spatial scales of restoration decisions and can be translated to other types of natural capital (e.g., oyster reefs, beaches). This study demonstrated that marsh and living shoreline ecosystem service value is a significant asset for local communities, amounting to about $90M per year in benefits to the Middle Peninsula or ~ 3.3% of the region’s GDP annually. Moreover, insights from an important stakeholder group, recreational fishers, show they place a high value on marshes in the region. Marsh and living shorelines were the most used shoreline habitats by recreational fishers and generate more than 3X the value when compared to armored shores. We developed a decision tool - SHORE-BET: Coastal Community Benefit Tool for Marsh Restoration that calculates the economic value of community benefits to be gained by using living shoreline techniques that restore marshes. This tool helps to account for these ecosystem services so that coastal communities can be better informed when making decisions impacting their environment, economy, and overall quality of life.
BIOS
Glen Delaney (he/him) is a project director and director of partnerships at Earth Economics, a non-profit with a mission to quantify and value nature for better decision-making. He has led valuations of diverse ecosystems from salmon habitat restoration in Washington to the Greater Everglades. Previously, Glen was a British commercial officer in San Francisco, supporting the UK’s climate agenda during COP26.
Dr. Donna Bilkovic is a marine ecologist and professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary and Assistant Director of the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM). With over 25 years of experience, she employs socio-ecological theory, spatial modeling, and field ecology to investigate the intersection of coastal ecosystems and human communities. Her research advances understanding of how nature-based coastal protection techniques can enhance the resilience of ecosystems and communities, while also quantifying the ecological and economic benefits of these systems for decision-making. She works at the interface of science and management, developing tools, guidance, and partnerships that inform policy and on-the-ground implementation of nature-based solutions. Her efforts have helped shape coastal management practices in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond, with a focus on sustaining both ecosystem function and human communities in the face of climate change.
A Certificate of Attendance to be used toward Continuing Education Credits is available when participating in NAWM's live webinars. All Certificates must be claimed no later than 60 days from the live presentation. Certificates are not available for viewing recorded webinars. More Information.
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View Past Members Webinar Series Here
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