Wetland Training Institute Blog
A blog about wetlands and wetland trainingUPDATE for users of the 2008 Montana Wetland Assessment Method (MWAM)
*Updated on 02/01/2021* Here is the link to the new version of the MWAM for your use: https://app.mdt.mt.gov/weas/ Please be advised that due to new security protocols with this new version of the MWAM form, you will need to create an OKTA password and account to...
In Memoriam: Bernie Goode 1936 – 2021
On September 6, 2021, Bernie Goode croaked! Not my choice of term to describe his demise, but his own. Interesting term because this is the third time I have written a goodbye to friends/colleagues that were intimately involved in wetlands work. The first being Gary...
Tales from the Swamp: Sweepsnakes
I am not fond of snakes venomous or otherwise. While sitting in a Denny’s the first morning with the clients waiting for breakfast to be served, I computed on a napkin, based upon the estimated population of snakes and the area of Guam, that there should be about 120 snakes on the parcel that we were about to delineate…
Tales from the Swamp: Maui Wowie in the Wetland
Tales from the Swamp: Maui Wowie in the Wetland Story by Bob Pierce In 2020, one of the participants in our Online Wetland Delineation course introduced herself with some of her background. “Hi there! My name is Christina S. I am an environmental consultant working in...
Tales from the Swamp: Remembering 9/11
Tales from the Swamp: Remembering 9/11by Charlie Newling and Bob PierceOn September 11, 2019, Bob Nailon, a colleague with Cardno in Houston Texas sent Charlie a short email which he forwarded to me and paraphrased below:Lest we EVER Forget 9/11 and the sacrifices...
Tales from the Swamp: The Rain in Erie Falls Mainly on the Attorney
I got a call from an attorney in Erie, Pennsylvania, saying that he had a client that was being accused by the federal government of violating the Clean Water Act by dumping fill in some wetlands. “Do you think you can tell if it has been filled or not?” I said, “Well, you bet.”
Tales from the Swamp: Eye to Eye
Eye to EyeStory by Blake Parker, transcribed by Bob PierceWe were in a long-leaf pine plantation and it didn’t have any underbrush. All that was on the forest floor was pine needles. And this guy had run into a soil that he’d never seen before. He said, “would you go...
Tales from the Swamp: Know Thine Enemy
Do you know who that is?” I said: “Yes I sure do.” He said: “Well, he’s working for the other side.” And I said: “Well, I’ve known him a lot longer than I’ve known you.” And he said: “Well, I hope you don’t tell him anything that we’re doing.” And I said: “Well, I hope you don’t think that I’m that stupid.”
Tales from the Swamp: The Baggage We Carry With Us
THE BAGGAGE WE CARRY WITH USStory by Blake Parker, transcribed by Bob PierceWhen I got ready to retire, the Fish and Wildlife Service was having a meeting in Tuscon, Arizona. John Montenaro was the head of that office out there. He said, “We’re going to Tuscon next...
In Memoriam: William Blake Parker, 1931 – 2019
On August 21, 2019, dear friend and Wetland Training Institute (WTI) associate, William Blake Parker, passed away at the age of 88. Blake grew up on a farm in Weedowee, Alabama. He was an Auburn University graduate and had additional soils training at the Soil...
Certification
At the successful completion of any course provided by WTI, the participant will be awarded a “certificate of completion” that specifies the contact hours required to complete the course. Your certificate of completion can be used to document instructional hours received in a topic.