Wetlands – Virginia Master Naturalists

This page contains numerous curriculum resources that may be used flexibly by Virginia Master Naturalist chapters and trainees to meet their learning needs.  These resources also are available to other volunteer programs and the public for their use, but please note that watching or reading these materials cannot substitute for enrolling in and completing a basic training course with a VMN chapter in order to become a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer.

Thank you to the numerous people who contributed to the creation of these materials, including NEW LIST HERE. Michelle Prysby, VMN Special Projects Coordinator, served as the lead author and project coordinator.  Funding for the development of the Wetlands Ecology and Management curriculum was provided by a grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment.

• The definition of a wetland and the water, soil, and plant features that define wetlands
• Adaptations of wetland plants and animals
• Common wetlands flora and fauna
• Wetland ecosystem functions and values
• Types of wetlands in Virginia and characteristics of each
• Threats to wetlands, and both voluntary and required protections for wetlands.
• Education, citizen science, and stewardship projects they can do to support wetlands conservation

• • Use programs such as the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Virginia Conservation Lands Database or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory to locate different types of wetlands in their communities
  • Observe wetlands hydrology indicators, such as water marks and drift lines, in the field
  • Communicate with the public about the value of wetlands and what citizens can do to assist with wetlands conservation.

 

What: Short videos to introduce volunteers to the topic of Wetlands Ecology and Management.

Possible uses:

• Have trainees watch before class as preparation
• Watch as part of class
• Have trainees watch after class as review or supplementary material
• Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

Coming soon: An interview with Anne Wright about vernal pools

Most Recommended Readings​

• Restoring Virginia’s Wetlands: A Citizen’s Toolkit, focusing on Sections 1 and 2 (pages 1-18) http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Water/WetlandsStreams/restoringvawetlandstoolkit.pdf
• Wetlands overview, http://www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/Water/WetlandsStreams/Wetlands.aspx
• Wetlands Functions and Values (US EPA), http://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/pdf/modules/WetlandsFunctions.pdf
• Get the Facts on Wetlands in Virginia, http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Resources/Factsheets/GetTheFacts_Wetlands.pdf
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Supplemental Readings​​

• Mid-Atlantic Wetlands: A Disappearing National Treasure (US Fish and Wildlife Service), http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Documents/Mid-Atlantic-Wetlands-A-Disappearing-Natural-Treasure.pdf
• Common Wetland Plants of Virginia’s Piedmont: A Field Guide (The Piedmont Environmental Council), http://www.pecva.org/library/documents/Resources-Publications/Publications/Plant-Wildlife/WetlandPlantGuide.pdf
• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Natural Heritage Fact Sheets on Virginia’s Rare Natural Environmenta
  • Bald Cypress-Water Tupelo Swamp, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fscypress.pdf
  • Groundwater Seepage Wetlands, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fsground.pdf
  • Pocosins, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fspocosins.pdf
  • Sea-level Fens, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fsslfen.pdf
  • Seasonal Ponds, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fsseasonalponds.pdf
  • Tidal Freshwater Marshes, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fstfm.pdf
• Wetland Primer (Institute for Wetland & Environmental Education & Research), http://www.wetlanded.com/Primer.cfm?OrderID=39214
• Coastal Wetlands of Chesapeake Bay (Baldwin, A. H. , et al.), https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/19190/serc_Baldwin_et_al_2012.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Above and Beyond, for those seeking more in-depth information
Note that book publisher websites are provided, but often these books are available from other sources at varying prices.

• In Search of Swampland: A Wetland Sourcebook and Field Guide (Ralph W. Turner), http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/product/In-Search-of-Swampland,31.aspx
• Pocketguide to Eastern Wetlands (T. Travis and Shanda Brown), http://www.stackpolebooks.com/Pocketguide-to-Eastern-Wetlands-P1296.aspx
• ​Vernal Pools – Natural History and Conservation (Elizabeth A. Colburn) http://www.mwpubco.com/titles/vernalpools.htm
• A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools (Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne), http://www.vernalpool.org/fldgide.htm
• Wetlands Self-Taught Education Units (VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management), http://ccrm.vims.edu/education/wetlands_selfeds/index.html
• Waterfront Homeowner’s Guide (Wetlands Watch), http://www.wetlandswatch.org/CitizenAction/HomeownersGuide.aspx

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Wetlands Mapping Tools

• National Wetlands Inventory Wetlands Mapper, http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/
• Virginia Conservation Lands Database (Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation), http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/clinfo

COMING SOON
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What: A three-part set of online videos of PowerPoint presentations… Combined, they are approximately XX minutes long.

Possible uses:

• Have trainees watch before class as preparation
• Watch as part of class, combined with hands-on activities
• Have trainees watch after class as review
• Share with instructor to give him/her an idea of the type of material to cover
• Have trainees watch as a make-up for a missed class on the same topic
• Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic

User Notes: Please note that you can make the video full-screen, toggle between standard and high definition, and toggle the closed captioning on and off.  Also, if you do not have an internet connection that is sufficient for streaming video, you may instead download the videos to watch offline simply by clicking on the title of the video so that that it opens on the Vimeo site and then clicking the “Download” button below the video.  Please also note that these videos are intended to be used in conjunction with the handout provided below.

Note for Basic Training Chairs and Course Instructors: The script for the full Powerpoint presentation is provided below for download in MS Excel format, which makes it easy to add, delete, or re-order slides.  Basic training chairs for VMN chapters may contact the state office for access to the full Powerpoint file.  Both the Powerpoint and the script may be used and adapted for your courses.  Please pay attention to the image license restrictions listed in the notes section for each slide in the Powerpoint file.

COMING SOON
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What: A two-page handout that matches up with the presentation.  It is best printed in color, but black and white is acceptable.

Possible uses:  The handout is meant to accompany the PowerPoint presentation or the videos, so if an instructor is using the presentation in class, he/she should distribute the handout in lieu of a handout containing all the slides.  It is not recommended that you print the slides for a handout, as they are almost entirely image-based and would not make good reference material.
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Note: VMN chapters may want to include an additional handout listing specific related volunteer projects and opportunities approved for their chapters.  ​

COMING SOON

​What: Lesson plans for an interactive activity on …

Possible uses: This activity can be used during class time to encourage trainees to apply the material they have learned and to break up lecture time with an interactive exercise.  The lesson plan is written so that it may be led by a non-expert, including VMN volunteers.

COMING SOON

​What: A set of possible assessment questions on this topic for VMN trainees.

Possible uses: Incorporate these questions into written or practical assessments during the course.

What: Evaluation packet consisting of a summary form to be completed by the chapter’s training chair and individual evaluation forms to be completed by chapter trainees.

Possible uses:  We would like to have you help us evaluate the effectiveness of these materials for meeting program goals.  We request that chapters using any of these materials have their trainees complete the evaluation form.  The training chair or coordinator for that class should complete the cover sheet and return the cover sheet and all individual forms to the VMN statewide program office.