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2019 Society of Wetland Scientists' President's Service Awards Announced

6/15/2019

During the 2019 Society of Wetland Scientists' Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, this week, Jodie Murray Burns of Cattails Environmental, along with John Lowenthal of Cardno, was awarded the 2019 President's Service Award for representing the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) at the 2019 sole Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Public Hearing in Kansas City, Kansas, this past February and presenting the society's oral comments during the public hearing. The President's Service Award recognizes those members who have made significant contributions by serving the Society and its members. Recipients of this service award have promoted the goals of the society that extended above and beyond their duties as teachers, researchers, and administrators.

The oral statement was developed by the Society of Wetland Scientists' Public Policy & Regulation Section led by John Lowenthal, Section President & Chairman, working collaboratively with Ms. Burns to effectively represent the SWS' thoughts and views on the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers' 2019 proposed re-definition of Waters of the U.S. The 2019 proposed redefinition of WOTUS eliminates protection for the upper watershed ephemeral reaches of streams and some wetlands currently under federal protection.

Additional members of the SWS Public Policy & Regulation Section are Robert Parker, the section's Secretary General; and Richard Chinn, the section's Treasurer.

Congratulations to Ms. Burns and Mr. Lowenthal for recognition of this volunteer service to the Society and our community!

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Society of Wetland Scientists’ (SWS) South Central Chapter (SCC) Election Results Announced at Annual SWS SCC Business Meeting, Baltimore, MD

6/13/2019

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Jodie Murray Burns

The Society of Wetland Scientists’ South Central Chapter members elected Jodie Murray Burns of Cattails Environmental, LLC, Bentonville, Arkansas, as President-Elect to the Executive Board of the South Central Chapter. This is a 6-year board commitment with 2 years as President-Elect, 2 years as Chapter President, and another 2 years as Immediate Past President. Another addition to the board during this election cycle is Eric Fuselier, environmental scientist of Crafton Tull, Rogers, Arkansas, who will be serving a 2-year term as an Executive Board Member for the chapter. They both hope to provide continued continuity for the chapter activities and ensure

the chapter is fulfilling the mission of the Society, along with providing networking opportunities for chapter members and wetland educational events for the public.

The South Central Chapter of SWS has a roster of over 350 members represented in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky. The chapter’s executive board is currently planning the next chapter’s annual meeting to be held in Galveston, Texas, in October of 2019.

Eric Fuselier

Other members of the SWS South Central Chapter Executive Board are President Scott Jecker (TX), Immediate Past President Robert Kroger (MS), Treasurer Jayme Jecker (TX), Secretary Jessica Brumley (OK), Executive Board Member Chuck Walker (TN), and Executive Board Member Chad Copeland (TX). Amber Robinson (LA) volunteered to remain on the board for another two years as an Executive Board member.

The Society of Wetland Scientists is an international membership organization of more than 3,000 wetland professionals dedicated to fostering sound wetland science, education, and management and whose mission is to promote understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands.

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2019 Northwest Arkansas Wetland Ecology Tour

5/10/2019

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Photo by Westfall Photography.

Photo by Hannah Beavers.

The South Central Chapter (SCC) of the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) hosted a Northwest Arkansas Wetland Ecology Tour at the Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary, Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 4th, 2019. Fifty-three attendees enjoyed the half-day event which consisted of 90 minutes of ecology lectures (birds, botany, herps, and wetland soils) and a choice of 3 expert-led hikes: herps, birding, or botany. The wetland soils portion of the lectures was given by Faye Smith, PhD student at the University of Arkansas. The other lecturers led the hiking portion of the event: Dr. J.D. Willson, University of Arkansas herpetology professor; Joan Reynolds, local Audubon member; and Karen Williard, PhD student at the University of Arkansas. The overcast day was perfect for the observing the sanctuary’s wetland from the upland berms within the sanctuary. The tour was capped with a drawing for wetland-related door prizes that the attendees entered by completing correctly a “drawing quiz” regarding the lecture material.

Owned and maintained by the City of Fayetteville, the Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary is a 44-acre mitigation site for the 9.88 acres of wetland impacts from the city’s West Wastewater Treatment Plant construction. One of the Society of Wetland Scientists’ members, Bruce Shackleford of Environmental Consulting Operations, Inc., and engineers from McGoodwin, Williams, and Yates Consulting Engineers, Inc., were involved in the design of the mitigation site. The protected sanctuary is full of prairie mounds, a natural feature of unplowed or moderately plowed former prairies, and was historically a former seasonal wetland associated with Tallgrass Prairie habitat. Only 2,000 acres (nearly one percent) of the original two million acres of tall grass prairie in this region of the country remain unplowed, making this a true jewel of a wetland in northwest Arkansas.

Intended to be family-friendly, one-third of the attendees were children at this second annual tour. The educational fundraising event was planned by Jodie Murray Burns, the SWS SCC President-Elect, along with Eric Fuselier, SWS SCC Executive Board member. Refreshments were donated by Rick’s Bakery of Rogers, Arkansas, and Cattails Environmental, LLC. This year’s sponsors of the wetland ecology tour were the Arkansas Native Plant Society & their Ozark Chapter; Cattails Environmental, LLC; Crafton Tull; Ecological Design Group, Inc.; Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association; FTN Associates, Ltd.; Northwest Arkansas Land Trust; and Whitenton Group Associates.

Over $2,000 were raised for the SWS South Central Chapter. The chapter anticipates continuing to host annual events of this type across their 8-state area to support the mission of the Society of Wetland Scientists - to promote understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands – and to raise scholarship funds for student researchers to attend and present research findings at the annual SWS meeting. If any local SWS members are interested in assisting with this event next year, please contact Jodie Murray Burns (jodieburns@cattailsenvironmental.com).

2019 NW AR Wetland Ecology Tour organizers and lecturers: Jodie Murray Burns, Cattails Environmental, LLC; Dr. J.D. Willson, University of Arkansas professor; Faye Smith, University of Arkansas PhD student; Karen Willard, University of Arkansas PhD student; Joan Willard, Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society; Eric Fuselier, Crafton Tull. Photo by Westfall Photography.

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OPPORTUNITIES: Wetland Ecology Tour to wriggle and peep with family-friendly science

4/22/2019

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Find the above article written by Celia Storey of ArkansasOnLine.com News here.

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Northwest Arkansas Birding Tour Hosted by SWS South Central Chapter

5/1/2018

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Photo source: Angela Westfall of Westfall Photography.

The South Central Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists hosted a Northwest Arkansas Birding Tour at the C. B. Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery, Centerton, Arkansas, on April 28th, 2018. Forty attendees enjoyed a beautiful day of birdwatching led by renowned ornithologist, Joe Neal. The tour began with an educational lecture by Joe Neal and then all hiked the grounds around the hatchery ponds. Thirty-three different species of birds were seen during the tour of the hatchery. Operated by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, the 141-acre hatchery has been designated by the Arkansas Audubon as an Important Bird Area.

Intended to be a family-friendly event, one-third of the attendees were children. The fundraising event was planned by Jodie Murray Burns, Arkansas Educational and Outreach Coordinator for the South Central Chapter, along with Eric Fuselier, South Central Chapter member. Coffee and doughnuts for the event were donated by Starbucks and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Corporate sponsors for the birding tour were Cattails Environmental, LLC, and Garver.

The local representatives of the SWS South Central chapter anticipate hosting this birding event annually to raise chapter funds and support the mission of the Society of Wetland Scientists - to promote understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands. If any local chapter members are interested in assisting with this event next year, please contact Jodie Murray Burns.

Photo source: Cassie Schmidt

List of Birds Seen on April 28, 2018: Greater Yellow legs, Lesser Yellow legs, Northern Shoveler duck, Blue-wing Teal ducks, Cliff swallow, Blue Heron, Spotted sandpiper, Green heron, Pied-Bill Grebe, Tree swallow, Scissor-tailed flycatcher, Killdeer, Canada Goose, Carolina wren, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, White-Throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Double crested cormorants, Bald Eagle, Purple Martin, Yellow warbler, Brown thrasher, Ruby crowned kinglet, Yellow-Rumped warbler, Eastern kingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-Breasted grosbeak, Eurasian collared dove, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue jay, Cowbird, Red-tailed Hawk

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2017 Society of Wetland Scientists South Central Chapter Election Results

6/29/2017

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Jodie Murray Burns of Cattails Environmental, LLC, was recently elected for a 2-year position on the Executive Board of the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) South Central Chapter. She will be joining another new member of the board, Amber Robinson of HDR, Inc., in providing continuity and ensuring the chapter is fulfilling the mission of the Society, along with providing a local resource for networking, education and other wetland-related events for chapter members.

The South Central Chapter of SWS has a roster of 377 members represented in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky. The chapter’s executive board is currently planning the next chapter’s annual meeting to be held in Middlesboro, Kentucky, in mid-October of 2017. Other members of the SWS South Central Chapter Executive Board are President Scott Jecker, Past President Robbie Kroger, recently re-affirmed Treasurer Jayme Jecker, Secretary Tyler Thigpen, Executive Board Member Jessica Brumley, and Executive Board Member John White.

The Society of Wetland Scientists is an international membership organization of more than 3,000 wetland professionals dedicated to fostering sound wetland science, education, and management and whose mission is to promote understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands.

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Society of Wetland Scientists' Volunteer Chapter Position Accepted

4/28/2017

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Congratulations, Jodie Murray Burns, on accepting the volunteer chapter position for Society of Wetland Scientists' South Central Chapter, as their Education & Outreach Coordinator for the state of Arkansas!

Her mission is to increase awareness of SWS-SCC and the benefits of membership. As the SWS-SCC Education and Outreach Coordinator for Arkansas, she will help identify possible courses and workshop leaders, organize and advertise the workshop and collect funds raised from attendees for the chapter. Ms. Burns will also be looking to implement free public educational events in the state of Arkansas to increase the knowledge and appreciation of wetlands and their ecological value.

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Northwest Arkansas Community College Earth Day Lecture, April 21, 2016

4/23/2016

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2019 Society of Wetland Scientists' President's Service Awards Announced

Society of Wetland Scientists’ (SWS) South Central Chapter (SCC) Election Results Announced at Annual SWS SCC Business Meeting, Baltimore, MD

2019 Northwest Arkansas Wetland Ecology Tour

OPPORTUNITIES: Wetland Ecology Tour to wriggle and peep with family-friendly science

Northwest Arkansas Birding Tour Hosted by SWS South Central Chapter

2017 Society of Wetland Scientists South Central Chapter Election Results

Society of Wetland Scientists' Volunteer Chapter Position Accepted

Northwest Arkansas Community College Earth Day Lecture, April 21, 2016

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