From April 26th to April 29th, the Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. hosted its seventh annual National Watershed & Stormwater Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Each year, this conference provides a forum for sharing fresh ideas on watershed and stormwater management principles and practices. This year, there was a tremendous level excitement felt by the conference attendees in participating in the in-person event after two years of virtual conferences. The Center went above and beyond to make this a thrilling event filled with presentation about cutting edge research with experienced practitioners, evening activities which provided opportunities to network, and field trips to enjoy the local. Here are some highlights from the conference!
Who was there?
About 200 watershed professionals from across the nation (and some international) joined us in St. Pete’s this year. Attendees were affiliated with a variety of organizations: federal, state, and local government agencies, consulting firms, universities, and non-profits—just to name a few.
What did we learn?
The 2022 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference was centered on a core of high-quality, interdisciplinary presentations and workshops with optional field trips and activities that highlighted the protection of water resources and exploring the beauty of St. Pete’s Florida.
The conference began with a couple interactive pre-conference workshops, including The Watershed Game hosted by John Bilotta of the Minnesota Sea Grant, Karen Bareford or the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, and Maggie Karschnia of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. This workshop delivered the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate and use this highly effective tool community engagement tool that is used in over 20 states to facilitate critical conversations around community resilience and land use planning.
(left) Photo taken by John Bilotta during The Watershed Game pre-conference workshop.
The Center for Watershed Protection hosted a second pre-conference workshop which included presentations about the origins and obligations of MS4 regulation, a case study from Salsbury, MD and lessons learned about successful partnerships, and financing for local stormwater programs. This largely informal, yet informational workshop was well received by the attendees, who strongly encouraged the Center to host again at future conferences!
The conference continued with presentations and workshops slotted into the following primary tracks:
- Watershed Planning, Management & Governance
- Protection & Restoration of Natural Lands/Green Space
- Hydrology & Stormwater Management
- Watershed Management Tools & Techniques
- Community Education, Involvement and Outreach
Hye Yeong Kwon, Center for Watershed Protection Executive Director offered a warm welcome and opening remarks pictured above. (photo credit: Marlyn Argueta). There was also a plenary talk given by Steve Davis, the Chief Science Officer of The Everglades Foundation.
If you’re interested previewing the technical content presented at the 2022 Conference, presentations will be made available at a later date. In addition to the 80 presentations and workshops, the 2022 Conference featured a number of field trip and networking activities. Some of these activities included:
A kayaking excursion in the Weeden Island Reserve. Tour guides led the group through the mangrove tunnels at Weedon Island discussing the local ecology and notable facts about Tampa Bay’s watershed. (Photos above by Carol Wong)
Conference attendees had the opportunity to visit to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center and take a trip around the Bay on the brand-new Tampa Bay Watch eco-vessel. A trawl was conducted, and attendees were able to take a closer look at the local aquatic species.
Apex Companies, LLC hosted a well-attended cocktail reception for CWPA members at Woodhouse Spa, which included unlimited drinks and appetizers, as well as a non-stop game of corn hole. Center staff were joined by Conference attendees in an evening Roof Top Happy Hour at St. Pete for drinks after a long day of presentations. Pictured above by Miola Aganovic. Attendees also unwound after a long day with a game night of trivia games—not to mention pizza and champagne, and a visit to the renowned Dali Museum featuring a Van Gough exhibit.
What our attendees had to say
91% of conference attendees said, “the information I received from this conference strengthened my skills and knowledge, or provided me with new tools.”
“I learned a lot and enjoyed the conference.”
“The [Center] used the Whova app well and the periodic messages were upbeat and helpful.”
“Happy hours and field trips were awesome for networking.”
“It was fantastic!”
How the conference was made possible
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the 32 industry sponsors who helped make this year’s Conference such a tremendous success!
What’s ahead for 2023
Mark your calendars and pack your bags, because the 2023 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference will be held in San Diego, California! The 2023 Conference will be hosted at The Westin in the Gas Lamp Quarter on April 23-27th—so save the date! We look forward to seeing you there!
From the Center Staff who were in St. Pete’s – it was wonderful to see you all there, we hope to see you next year!
Lea Spencer
Lea joined the Center for Watershed Protection in 2021. As the Watershed and Stormwater Training Manager she is responsible for coordinating and expanding the training offered by the Center including our Clean Water Certificate Training Program. She has been developing team-building, leadership training, and hands-on environmental science curriculum since 2005 for K-12 students and adults. Lea has a B.S. in Environmental Chemistry, with an environmental studies minor from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She also spent a semester at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica.
