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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Michigan Wetlands
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261005
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261010
DTSTAMP:20260506T222617
CREATED:20251208T135610Z
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UID:21002-1791162000-1791507599@miwetlands.org
SUMMARY:Michigan Wetlands Conference 2026
DESCRIPTION:Michigan Wetlands Conference 2026\nPartnerships for Wetland Protection\nOCTOBER 5-8\, 2026\nThe H Hotel (Midland\, Michigan) \nMichigan Wetlands Association will be holding its Conference on October 6 through 8\, 2026 at The H Hotel in Midland\, Michigan with special pre-conference workshops being held on October 5. The conference will include sessions on Current Topics in Wetlands Science\, Wetland Restoration and Stewardship\, and Protection of Wetlands\, Lakes and Streams. The conference will also include field trips\, presentation and sponsorship opportunities\, networking\, and social activities. \n \nROOM RESERVATIONS: \n\nMake your reservations to stay at The H Hotel using the MWA room block while they are still available!  MWA has a special group rate of $180 per night + taxes and fees at the conference hotel. \nTo book your stay\, you can use our online booking tool or call the front desk at (989) 839-0500 (press 5) to speak with the on-site team. Please mention that you are booking within the Michigan Wetlands Association (MWA) 2026 Conference block. \nThe H Hotel will honor the group room rates one night before and one night after the official conference dates (Sunday October 4 – Thursday October 8). If you wish to reserve a room outside of the conference dates\, please call the front desk at (989) 839-0500 and mention that you are with the MWA 2026 Conference. You are not able to book a room outside of the conference dates using the online booking link. \nIf you encounter any issues or have questions\, you can call the hotel directly at (989) 839-0500 or email the MWA Conference Planner. \n  \n \nEVENT OVERVIEW: \n\nThe MWA is a statewide organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of wetlands and associated ecosystems through science-based programs\, education and stewardship. The conference includes keynote speakers\, general sessions and themed tracks\, and social and networking activities. \nThe conference is open to both members and non-members. Attendees will include participation from state\, federal\, and local agencies; private consulting firms; colleges and universities; conservation and environmental organizations; and other interested citizens. \n \nMonday Workshop Descriptions: \n\nAll Monday Workshops will run from 10:00am-4:00pm at the H Hotel\, please only register for one workshop. Lunch will be provided. \nWorkshop #1Workshop #2Workshop #3Workshop #1 \nAdvances in Michigan’s Wetland Mitigation Program: Tools\, Technology\, and Templates\nPrimary Presenter: Mike Pennington\, EGLE Wetland Mitigation Specialist\nCost: $75 \nDescription:\nJoin staff from the Michigan Department of Environment\, Great Lakes\, and Energy (EGLE) for an in-depth overview of recent advances in the state’s Wetland Mitigation Program. This session will highlight innovative tools and updated resources designed to improve the planning\, implementation\, and long-term success of wetland mitigation and wetland bank projects across Michigan. Specifically\, the following topics will be covered: \n\nThe current status of wetland banking in Michigan and an outlook on future bank development.\nEGLE’s new GIS system developed to assist applicants with finding bank credits.\nEGLE’s new wetland mitigation monitoring tool aimed at standardizing data collection and reporting efforts.\nInitial results from statewide Wetland Hydrology Pilot Project aimed at better understanding natural wetland hydroperiods.\nUpdated EGLE templates for required mitigation documents (mitigation plans\, monitoring reports\, long-term management plans and stewardship agreements).\nThe process of transitioning wetland mitigation sites from active monitoring/management to long-term management and stewardship.\n\nWorkshop #2 \nA Deep Dive into Feasible and Prudent Alternatives\nPresenters: Anne Garwood (EGLE Field Operations Support Section Manager) and Kathryn Kirkpatrick (EGLE Wetlands Policy Analyst)\nCost: $75 \nDescription: \nThis workshop is designed specifically for wetland consultants\, environmental planners\, engineers\, and permitting professionals who regularly prepare applications under Part 303\, Wetlands Protection\, of Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). \nParticipants will gain a clearer understanding of how EGLE evaluates Feasible & Prudent Alternatives analysis during wetland permit review. The workshop will focus on what constitutes a complete alternatives analysis and how avoidance and minimization must be documented. \nThrough practical case studies and applied exercises\, attendees will learn: \n\nHow EGLE reviews “feasible and prudent” alternatives in wetland projects.\nCommon deficiencies in alternatives analyses.\nConsiderations of location\, configuration\, size\, methods\, and other factors.\nHow mitigation fits into — but does not replace — avoidance.\nHow to prepare and provide documentation that reduces review delays and correction requests through MiEnviro.\n\nWorkshop #3 \nUtilizing Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Monitoring Data\nPresenter: Katie Fairchild\, EGLE Great Lakes Wetland Ecologist \nCost: $30 \nDescription:\nThis workshop will feature the ongoing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program\, highlighting the ways the results can be applied for project planning and design. Organizations from across the Great Lakes basin are invited to attend and gain insight on utilizing this data using the Site Mapping Tool and Decision Support Tool. The workshop is being held for land managers\, wetland practitioners\, researchers\, state agencies\, tribes\, conservation and environmental organizations\, and others. Topics covered will include: data results\, habitat projects\, academic research that have been implemented utilizing the data collected from the project and sharing ideas for how these results can inform future management and restoration of coastal wetlands. \nSponsored by EGLE and presented by the Great Lakes Coastal Monitoring Project Principal Investigators. \n\n \nTuesday Wetlands Under the Lights Reception: \n\nCost: $50\nJoin us for an unforgettable evening of connection\, conservation\, and conversation at Wetlands Under the Lights\, our off-site social networking event overlooking the Dow Diamond baseball field. \nThis reception has been specifically curated to create a comfortable\, yet elevated atmosphere designed to bring together wetland professionals\, agencies\, researchers\, companies\, and conservation organizations. The Dow Diamond is just a 15-minute walk or short drive from The H Hotel and offers the perfect setting to deepen conversations\, grow your network\, and share your passion for Protecting Michigan’s Wetlands. \nDon’t miss this signature social event by adding the Wetlands Under the Lights Reception to your conference registration and experience the conference from a whole new perspective. Advance registration is required.  \n \nThursday Afternoon Field Trip Descriptions: \n\nAll Thursday field trips are concurrent from 1:00-4:00pm\, please only register for one. Participants should wear appropriate clothing and be prepared to drive/carpool to the field trip sites (excluding Mosses with Jeremy). We recommend that all field trip attendees add a boxed lunch ($25) to their registration. \nField Trip #1Field Trip #2Field Trip #3Field Trip #4Field Trip #1 \nFour Lakes Dam Disaster and Rebuild Tour\nPresenters: Jason DeMoss\, Robb Roos\, Luke Trumble\nLocation: Edenville and Sanford\, Michigan\nCost: $25 \nDescription: \n\nDegradation and alteration of adjacent wetlands driven by shifts in groundwater hydrology.\nFormation of new wetlands on the exposed lakebed bottomlands\, which have undergone natural regeneration and disturbance-driven succession.\n\nIn response to the disaster\, the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF) (the counties’ legal delegated authority) undertook the long‑term effort to rebuild the Secord\, Smallwood\, Edenville\, and Sanford Dams and restore the four lakes. \nThis field trip will expand on the May 2025 Michigan Wetland Association webinar (available on YouTube)\, Michigan Dam Disaster: Evaluating Wetland Extent on the Bottomlands of a Drained Lake System. Participants will explore: \n\nThe water resources and wetland systems affected by the dam failures.\nBottomlands that have been exposed since 2020 and are undergoing ecological transition.\nThe newly constructed Smallwood Dam and other reconstruction sites.\nOn‑the‑ground views of dams progressing toward substantial completion.\n\nThis rare tour provides a firsthand look at how a major dam failure reshapes ecological systems\, landscapes\, and communities – and how large-scale restoration efforts are unfolding across the Four Lakes region. \nJoin us after the field at a local tavern (cost on your own) to socialize\, network and relax! \nBring weather-appropriate field gear and footwear. \nField Trip #2 \nMosses with Jeremy\nPresenter: Dr. Jeremy Hartsock\nLocation: The H Hotel (Classroom)\nCost: $25 \nDescription: \nMosses and liverworts – collectively referred to as “bryophytes” – are small but fascinating plants that occur in nearly all ecosystems – sometimes in great abundance. Despite their high species diversity\, they are frequently overlooked\, even by skilled botanists because many diagnostic features require magnification to see. This welcoming\, hands-on\, in-classroom workshop is geared toward educators\, botanically inclined amateur naturalists\, and natural resource professionals curious to learn more about common bryophytes. Participants will learn how to use hand lenses and microscopes to recognize some of the most common moss and liverwort genera found in Michigan wetlands\, as well as a few upland species too. \nJoin us after the classroom session at the Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom (cost on your own) to socialize\, network and relax! \n \nField Trip #3 \nExploring Michigan’s Rare Wetlands – Floodplain Forests\nPresenters: Todd Losee\, Mike Pennington\, Tyler Smith\nLocation: Forestview Natural Area\nCost: $25 \nDescription:\nStep into Michigan’s Floodplain Forests\, where the ground squishes\, the trees lean\, and every log looks like it has a story to tell. This guided field trip takes you into one of the state’s most dynamic natural communities—places shaped by rivers that rise\, fall\, and wander. Floodplain Forests are dynamic\, river‑influenced ecosystems that play a vital role in Michigan’s ecological landscape. \nThis field trip introduces participants to the structure\, function\, and characteristic species of these seasonally flooded forests\, emphasizing how hydrology\, soil processes\, and disturbance regimes shape their composition and ecological importance. Through guided instruction\, learners explore the defining features of Floodplain Forests. This field‑based experience is designed for all skill levels and offers an engaging\, on‑the‑ground look at one of Michigan’s most important wetland natural communities. \nJoin us after the field at the Midland Brewing Company (cost on your own) to socialize\, network and relax! \nBring weather-appropriate field gear and footwear. \n \nField Trip #4 \nBats in the Bark: Finding Potential Bat Roost Trees\nPresenters: Nicolette Sexton with Michigan Natural Features Inventory\nLocation: Chippewa Nature Center\nCost: $25 \nDescription:\nJoin bat experts from Michigan Natural Features Inventory and other agency staff for a guided hike through the forests of the Chippewa Nature Center to learn how to identify potential summer bat roost trees in both floodplain and upland forests. Participants will look for key roost characteristics such as loose or peeling bark\, cavities\, cracks\, and broken tops\, and discuss how tree species\, size\, decay\, sunlight\, canopy cover\, and proximity to water influence bat use. The group will practice scanning and documenting potential roosts while exploring how forest management and disturbance affect habitat quality. \nThe trip will also cover practical federal regulatory considerations\, including how the Endangered Species Act applies to listed bats\, when coordination with state and fedearl agencies USFWS may be needed\, and how roost assessments inform project planning\, seasonal clearing limits\, and impact avoidance. Expect a moderately paced walk with frequent stops for close inspection of trees and forest structure. \nJoin us after the field at the Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom (cost on your own) to socialize\, network and relax! \nBring: binoculars\, sturdy hiking boots\, and weather-appropriate field gear. \n\n \nPreliminary Agenda \n\nView Agenda\n  \n \nRegistration: \n\nRegister for the Conference\n  \n \nPresenters: \n\nStay tuned as more information becomes available!
URL:https://miwetlands.org/event/michigan-wetlands-conference-2026/
LOCATION:The H Hotel\, 111 W. Main Street\, Midland\, MI\, 48640\, United States
CATEGORIES:2026 Michigan Wetlands Conference
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261005
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261010
DTSTAMP:20260506T222617
CREATED:20260209T133232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T171744Z
UID:21423-1791162000-1791507599@miwetlands.org
SUMMARY:Michigan Wetlands Conference 2026 (Style Backup)
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URL:https://miwetlands.org/event/michigan-wetlands-conference-2026-2/
LOCATION:The H Hotel\, 111 W. Main Street\, Midland\, MI\, 48640\, United States
CATEGORIES:2026 Michigan Wetlands Conference
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