Rain date: Thursday, May 21, 2-4:30 pm

Small streams and wetlands have a greater influence on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems than their size would suggest. Many are missing from public maps and are often overlooked and unregulated. To fill the gaps in state and federal protections, some Hudson Valley communities are conserving these important resources through local policies, conservation design, and open space protection. 

To foster planning decisions that proactively consider the importance of small streams and wetlands, this field workshop will discuss: 

• the values of small wetlands and streams; 
• how to find and identify them, even in dry conditions; 
• threats to wetlands and streams; and 
• effective regulatory and non-regulatory protections.

The workshop will be held outdoors. Participants must be comfortable standing for the duration of the workshop and walking approximately one mile on uneven ground. The specific meeting location for the workshop will be shared with participants prior to the program. 

The workshop is offered by the Hudson River Estuary Program and partner Hudsonia Ltd., and is especially designed for municipal officials, including elected officials, members of planning boards and conservation advisory councils, and for members of watershed groups, land trust staff, and others who are regularly engaged in municipal or other land use planning and policy-making, reviewing development proposals, advising landowners, or making land management decisions. This workshop is targeted towards those with less experience with small streams and wetlands and priority registration will be given to individuals that meet this criteria. 

The event is free, but registration is required. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. Municipal training certificates for 2.5 hours of credit will be available. If you need more information regarding the workshop location in order to register, please contact lstickle@bard.edu.

This workshop was developed through a partnership with Cornell University and the Hudson River Estuary Program with funding from New York State's Environmental Protection Fund.

Register for the field workshop here.