March 24, 25 & 26, 2022
Salt Fork Park Lodge and Conference Center
14755 Cadiz Road US Route 22 East
Cambridge, OH 43725
Featuring breakout sessions, field trips, and keynote presentations from
two of our most engaging vernal pool authorities:
two of our most engaging vernal pool authorities:
KEYNOTE PRESENTERS:
David FitzSimmons, Ph.D.
Author, photographer, naturalist keynotes on Thursday March 24th. Biography David FitzSimmons is an award-winning photographer and writer. His 20+ children’s books have sold over 200,000 copies and have received more than a dozen national book awards, including the IBPA’s best first picture book (2012) and best picture book (2016). His books include Curious Critters, Curious Critters Volume Two, Curious Critters Marine, Curious Critters Birds, state-focus Curious Critters books (California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia), Animals of Ohio’s Ponds and Vernal Pools, Salamander Dance, and Wakem the Rooster: Up All Night. David’s magazine credits include Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, Professional Photographer, and Shutterbug, among others. An educator for twenty years, David worked first as high school English teacher and then as a university professor, having instructed at Ashland University, Ohio State University, and Cornell University. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Ohio State, with a specialty in narrative theory—investigating the components of storytelling—something that influences his photography and writing. Regularly visiting schools, David helps connect children with nature through writing and photography. He is an active leader in the Children & Nature movement. David presents seminars and workshops to a wide variety of audiences, from public school, college, and university classes to photography groups, nature clubs, and civic organizations. His works have been exhibited at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the National Center for Nature Photography, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, and the Telluride Photo Festival. “Write that Book: An Introduction to Creating and Publishing Nonfiction Children's Books”(Update) Have you ever thought about writing your own children’s book? Join David for an all-access and inspirational tour of the book-creation process. Learn about Invention (imagining the content), Creation (writing & artwork), Editing, Publishing, Legal Matters, and Marketing & Sales. Go behind-the-scenes in the making of “Salamander Dance” and the Curious Critters series, including two new books for the spring, “Curious Critters Raptors" and “Curious Critters Dogs.” Come with questions; leave with strategies, tools for success, and the confidence to start writing now. To learn more about David and his award-winning picture books, visit www.curious-critters.com. IG: davidfitzsimmons.photos FB: CuriousCritters TW: CCritters |
Thomas R. Biebighauser
Wildlife Biologist and Wetland Ecologist keynotes on Friday March 25th. Tom Biebighauser has restored over 2,700 wetlands and streams across Canada, in 26-States, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan since 1979. He designs and builds over 100-wetlands and streams each year and has worked with the Sekw'el'was, Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, and the Yaqan Nukiy First Nations in British Columbia to design and complete wetland, stream, and river restoration projects. Having built over 1,400-dams, he has since decommissioned over 300-dams. He retired in 2013 after working 34-years for the US Forest Service as a Wildlife Biologist, where he initiated wetland and stream restoration programs across the United States. Tom has served as an instructor for the British Columbia Wildlife Federation Wetlands Institute for 18-years, restoring over 300-wetlands and streams across Alberta and British Columbia since 2003. He instructs a Graduate-level class on Wetland Design for Engineers at the University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering, along with classes for the British Columbia Institute Technology. Tom has developed highly effective and low-cost techniques for building wetlands and streams for rare species across North America. The habitats he builds require little, if any maintenance, and do not involve the use of diversions, dams, dikes, pipes, or pumps. Tom has written 4-books about wetland restoration, and has received 44-awards for his outstanding contributions. Vernal pools provide critical breeding habitat to rare frogs, toads, and salamanders in every State. Unfortunately, a majority of these ephemeral wetlands have been lost to draining and filling for agriculture, and to urban development. The destruction of these vernal pools is affecting recovery efforts for listed species of amphibians, crustaceans, and shorebirds. Tom Biebighauser will talk about some of the highly successful techniques he has developed for restoring vernal pools that look and function like natural wetlands. You’ll meet dedicated individuals across the United States and Canada who are building vernal pools for rare species at schools, on rangeland, in forests, fields, and on mined land. There should be no doubt that it is now possible for landowners to build vernal ponds, and at a low cost! |
Vernal Poolooza is Ohio Wetlands Association spring wetlands science conference. It will be held March 24, 25 & 26, 2022
Salt Fork Park Lodge and Conference Center . Our experience with vernal pool workshops and expeditions have led to plenty of conversations with naturalists, environmental educators, scientists and many people who are general curious about seasonal wetlands. From this we have determined that people want to know more and to do more than we can fit into our single-day workshop framework.
We are preparing a variety of breakout sessions that should add up to dozens of presentations on a variety of topics that past workshop participants have asked about. We will have our 5 basic workshop presentations for those who have not been to one lately. These will include vernal pool; overview, plants, amphibians, macroinvertebrates and monitoring using iNaturalist.
Salt Fork Park Lodge and Conference Center . Our experience with vernal pool workshops and expeditions have led to plenty of conversations with naturalists, environmental educators, scientists and many people who are general curious about seasonal wetlands. From this we have determined that people want to know more and to do more than we can fit into our single-day workshop framework.
We are preparing a variety of breakout sessions that should add up to dozens of presentations on a variety of topics that past workshop participants have asked about. We will have our 5 basic workshop presentations for those who have not been to one lately. These will include vernal pool; overview, plants, amphibians, macroinvertebrates and monitoring using iNaturalist.
