Abstract submission deadline: November 15, 2020
Wisconsin Wetlands Association invites you to submit an abstract for presentation at our 2021 Wetland Science Conference, to be held in virtually February 16-19, 2021.
We seek proposals for oral presentations and posters on wetland research, restoration, and management projects. We welcome presentations on work done in all wetland community types and from the Midwest region, as long as the content of the presentation applies to wetlands of Wisconsin. We especially encourage submissions on topics related to the theme, It’s All About the Water.
This virtual conference will be held over four half-days, February 16-19, 2021, and will include keynote speakers, an organized symposium on hydrologic restoration, topical oral sessions, a virtual poster session, working groups, topical discussion groups, and virtual field trips to wetlands across the state. Our virtual event platform will make connecting with your colleagues and friends during the conference easy.
- We ask that authors submitting abstracts for oral presentations select up to three topical areas from the list below
that best fit the presentation’s focus. This will help conference planners to assign accepted abstracts to the most
appropriate session. We reserve the right to change session titles to best accommodate accepted abstracts into the
conference schedule. - Effective wetland conservation partnerships
- Effective wetland restoration and management techniques
- Science-informed wetland policy
- Wetland challenges (invasive species, land use practices)
- Wetland conservation in agricultural landscapes
- Wetland flora and plant communities
- Wetland soils, hydrology, and geomorphology
- Wetland wildlife
- Wetlands and management in a changing climate
- Wetlands and people (history, culture, outreach, citizen monitoring)
- Wetlands and water management (flooding, runoff, water quality)
- Wetlands as solutions in watersheds and communities
- Wetlands as solutions to site-specific issues
- Wetlands 101 – this session, new last year, was very well-received and features presentations tailored
for students, newcomers, and those wanting a refresher. Topics could include wetland soils, wetland
policy basics, basic wetland hydrology, wetland functions & benefits, wetland amphibians, birds,
mammals, or invertebrates, wetland restoration
Abstracts that address the theme It’s All About the Water will receive priority consideration in the review process.
Guidelines for oral presentations:
- We will offer two different types of oral presentations: 15-minute “standard” presentations and
5-minute lightning presentations. Presenters will express their preference for which of these sessions they wish to be considered for when they submit their abstracts. - Speakers are expected to present analyzed results and conclusions as well as address the critical “why should we care” question.
- Speakers in the 15-minute presentation sessions will pre-record their presentation and submit this recording to WWA by February 1, 2021. WWA will provide guidelines and technical support. We will group presentations into sessions as we do every year; the recorded presentations will be aired back-to-back within a session and we’ll have a live moderated Q&A with presenters at the end of the presentations.
- Speakers in the 5-minute lightning sessions will submit their final Powerpoint presentations to WWA by February 1, 2021. The lightning talks will be presented live with WWA controlling the presenters slides while the presenter speaks to minimize transition times between speakers during the sessions. After all of the presenters have given their talks, the moderator will pose audience questions to the speakers in a live Q&A.
- Speakers must be virtually present in the event platform during their session for live Q&A with the audience following the presentation.
Guidelines for poster presentations:
- We will offer a virtual poster presentation in which presenters will display their poster as a pdf, jpg, or other visual file. Poster presenters will also have the option to record a 3-minute video of their presentation abstract in addition to displaying their poster.
- Posters will be up for the duration of the conference. We will also have a set time for an official poster session during which the author(s) should be virtually present to engage with people visiting their posters.
- Any content that would be appropriate for the oral sessions is appropriate for a poster. In addition, posters are a great place to share preliminary research or projects where data have yet to be collected and/or analyzed or to share a project that did not result in new information or techniques.
- Poster presenters will upload their posters to the virtual event platform by February 1, 2021.
- Poster presenters must be virtually present in the event platform during the scheduled poster session for live Q&A with poster visitors.
Student presentation competition
As part of our ongoing efforts to encourage and support the next generation of wetland scientists and practitioners, Wisconsin Wetlands Association will host a student presentation competition again this year, awarding cash prizes to the best oral presentation and best poster presentation by a student. Current students and recent graduates who are presenting their student research at the conference are eligible to participate. Those interested in participating should indicate this when submitting their abstracts. Oral poster presentations will be evaluated by judges prior to the start of the conference, and the winners will be announced during the conference.
We expect to be able to offer scholarships to students to offset registration fees. Priority for these scholarships will go to student presenters. Information on student scholarships will be available this fall.
Instructions for Submitting Abstracts for Oral Presentations or Posters
Deadline: November 15, 2020
Access the abstract submission form here.
Decisions will be announced by December 18, 2020.
Note: Presenters need to register and pay registration fees in order to help cover conference costs. We encourage presenters to register by January 31, 2021, in order to receive the early bird registration rate. We expect to be able to offer scholarships for student presenters as well as substantial discounts for students and WWA members. Registration information (fees etc.) will be available soon; online registration will open in December 2020.
All abstract-related inquiries should be directed to Katie Beilfuss at programs@wisconsinwetlands.org or (608) 250-9971.