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Water Management & Wetland Restoration Course celebrates 20 years

June 15, 2015, Ottawa – The 20th annual Water Management and Wetland Restoration Course will  be held this fall in the Ottawa region.

The four day field and classroom course runs from Sept. 14 to 17. Topics covered will include emerging water and wetland issues, including various restoration strategies such as constructed wetlands. Classroom sessions will be held at the Ramada on the Rideau, in Ottawa, and the field portion of the course will occur in several watersheds across southeastern Ontario.

The classroom learning begins on day one, when participants will learn concepts, principles and strategies on water management and wetland restoration synthesized from research across North America and Europe. When participants head out into the field, travel is by a comfortable coach that doubles as a mobile classroom. Learning begins at the top of the watersheds and works its’ way downstream, interpreting wetlands, wetland complexes, as well as drained and degraded wetlands. Selected sites are chosen for in-depth discussion and group learning exercises. Participant groups are given assignments on-site and are asked to produce appropriate wetland restoration strategies within their teams.

More than 400 resource staff from public agencies and private consultants have been trained in these concepts, principles, strategies and methods over the last 20 years. Most of the course participants are practising wetland management in one or more of its’ many forms across southern Ontario. These participants return to their communities with course knowledge and restore selected wetlands to provide more benefits and ecological services to their area. For example, several thousand acres of coastal, near shore and headwater wetlands have been protected and restored in southwestern Ontario since local resource staff took the course and began practising the recommended strategies.

The course is recommended for resource staff working in public agencies, private consultants, university students and interested landowners.

For more information on the Water Management and Wetland Restoration Course, or to register, visit www.wmwrc.ca or email info@wmwrc.ca.