Call for Oral & Poster Presentations

We will offer two different types of oral presentations. Presenters will express their preference for which of these sessions they wish to be considered for when they submit their abstract(s). Speakers are expected to present analyzed results and conclusions as well as address the critical “why should we care” question.

• 5-minute “lightning” presentations. Speakers in the 5-minute “lightning” presentation session will present to all conference attendees as part of the morning plenary session. Presenters will submit their final PowerPoint presentation and video recording to WWA by February 17, 2025, so that WWA can compile all the presentations into one file for efficiency during the lightning session.
• 15-minute “standard” presentations Speakers in the 15-minute “standard” presentation sessions will present either on Wednesday or Thursday during concurrent sessions. Presenters will pre-record their presentation and submit this recording to WWA by February 17, 2025, so that we can make recordings available via the conference app to individuals who are unable to attend the conference or who wish to watch presentations again. WWA will provide guidelines and technical support for these recordings. These recordings will also be used in the unlikely event that we must move the conference online.

Oral presentation topics:

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.

Topics include:

• Coastal wetland communities
• 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 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

• Posters are encouraged as they allow for extended informal discussions and active participation by authors and co-authors. Appropriate poster content:
  • Any topic that would be appropriate for the oral sessions.
  • Preliminary research or projects where data have yet to be collected and/or analyzed.
  • Projects that may not have resulted in new information or techniques.
• A pdf of the poster will need to be submitted to WWA by February 17, 2025.
• We anticipate that the official in-person poster session will be Wednesday, February 26, 2025, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm. We ask that poster presenters have their poster up by 9 am on Wednesday so that interested attendees can view the poster even when the author is not staffing their poster.
• Posters need to be no larger than 3’H x 4’W to fit on the display boards. Please plan accordingly.

Check out this guide to creating an effective research poster.

Abstracts are due November 15, 2024.

You will be asked to submit the following information when submitting an abstract:

• Type of presentation (oral presentation (‘standard’ or “lightning”) or poster)
• Presenter information (name, affiliation, job title, phone, email, twitter handle)
• Presenter biography (limit 400 characters, spaces included)
• Whether you wish to participate in the student presentation competition (students only)
• Presentation title (limit 110 characters, spaces included)
• Abstract (limit 1750 characters, spaces included)
• If conditions require WWA to pivot and host the conference virtually (and NOT in-person), are you willing to attend and present virtually?
• If you anticipate needing technical assistance from WWA to record the presentation
• Special considerations for your presentation (e.g. “I can only present Wednesday morning,” or “This is part of 3 presentations that all fit together”).
• Up to three topic selections (for oral presentations only) that best fit your presentation’s focus (list available in Guidelines for oral presentations, above)
• Co-authors (if any, including name and affiliation) – please limit to 5 co-authors. Note: Only one individual should present during a 5- or 15-minute oral presentation time block.

Submit your abstract.

We ask that presenters register and pay the appropriate registration fees in order to help cover conference costs.

We encourage presenters to register by January 17, 2025, in order to receive the lower early bird registration rate.

Current Wisconsin Wetlands Association members receive a 20% discount on conference registration fees. Join or renew today at wisconsinwetlands.org/give.

Students receive a 50% discount on conference registration fees. We also anticipate being able to offer student scholarships this year, so students are encouraged to apply for these scholarships.

Registration information will be available in December.

Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of wetland experts. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by December 20, 2024.