Welcome to the International Chapter of the Society of Wetlands Scientists. This chapter brings together wetland scientists and other professionals from different countries that demonstrate a global interest in wetlands.
Our co-chairs represent SWS in Latin America and the Caribbean region (Román Alejandro Canul Turriza) and the African region (Alanna Rebelo), as well as other countries not specifically incorporated into an SWS regional chapter. African region webpage.
SWS International Chapter promotes the development of wetland science and management through various opportunities, such as student grants, conference support, and internships.
SWS International Chapter is pleased to provide a quarterly webinar series on tropical wetland science topics of interest.
- Check out our SWS Spanish webinars page
- Check out our LAC region Facebook page
- Check out our African region Facebook page
Webinar registration is complimentary to all SWS members. LAC webinars are in Spanish, but Portuguese and French webinars are coming soon!
The International Chapter was founded in 1986 and harbored foreign countries that were not included in other chapters. In 1986 the chapter had 146 members. This chapter was initially part (informally) of the Canada Group but began to emerge as a separate entity in 1985, briefly as the Overseas Region and eventually as the International Region (Region 8) Group. It was first chaired by Armando de la Cruz and Francis Heliotis. Eric Gilman filed the official documents for this chapter in 2000 (Ewel 2020). Since the 10th INTECOL International Wetland Conference in Changshu, China, in 2016, there have been two co-chairs, one for Africa and the other for Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently, the chapter has 238 members, two co-chairs, and a 3-year term for leadership (International Chapter Bylaws and Standing Rules 2022).
Current leadership
Román Alejandro Canul Turriza, June 2025 to June 2028
Latin America and the Caribbean region co-chair
Alanna Rebelo, 2022-2025
African region co-chair
Past leadership
Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, 2019-2022, 2022-2025 (re-elected)
Luisa Ricaurte, 2016-2019 (LAC region)
Ian Bredin, 2018-2022 (Africa region)
Fred Ellery, 2016-2018 (Africa region)
Elijah Ohimain 2007-2015
Marinus L. Otte, 2002-2006
Eric Gilman, 2000-2002
Armando de la Cruz and Francis Helioti, 1986
Updated in August 2022
References:
Ewel, K.C. 2020. Society of Wetland Scientists: The First Forty Years. Wetland Science and Practice, 37(3): 129-149.
International Chapter Bylaws and Standing Rules (created in 2018 and updated in 2022).
Dingha is a PhD student at the University of Bamenda, Cameroon. His main interest lies in the sustainable exploitation and consumption of natural resources especially wetlands. He is passionate about community engagement, and awareness raising for wise use of wetlands and environmental sustainability. Currently working at the Water Sciences Unit (UCIA) in Cancun, Mexico (Yucatán Scientific Research Center (http://www.cicy.mx/unidad-de-ciencias-del-agua/introduccion). Personal website https://eduardocejudo.weebly.com/ Gillian Davies is a Senior Ecologist & Natural Climate Solutions Specialist at BSC Group, Inc., where her work focuses on climate change and wetlands, working with local communities to develop Nature-based Solutions, particularly wetland, forest, and soil conservation and restoration, and providing wetland peer reviews for Conservation Commissions. She is a Visiting Scholar at Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute, is Immediate Past President of the Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program, was the 2016-2017 SWS President, is a co-lead for the SWS Climate Change and Wetlands Initiative and chairs the SWS Rights of Wetlands Section and the WOTUS ad hoc sub-committee. She serves on the International Association for Ecology (INTECOL) Wetlands Working Group. Gillian served on the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Action Plan working group. Gillian has a Master of Environmental Studies degree with a concentration in ecosystem ecology from the Yale School of the Environment, and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist, a Registered Soil Scientist, and has received the SWS President’s Service and SWS 40th Anniversary Awards. In her spare time, she and her husband enjoy hiking, mountain biking and skiing. With a total of 33 years of experience (20 as a manager) working within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Mr. Der is currently executive principal of Andrew T. Der and Associates, LLC practicing in the water resources consulting and contracting industry regionally and nationally since 2013. Before that and since 2000, he was Director of Environmental Services for two civil engineering firms in the Washington DC/Baltimore, MD metro region. Previously, he completed 18 years of service at the Maryland Department of the Environment leaving as a manager. Specialties include regulation and compliance; assessment; watershed studies; advocacy; permitting; feasibility studies; nonpoint source pollution; wetland and stream mitigation; water quality; and Clean Water Act and NEPA, as well as various federal and state pollution and waste programs. He is an Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals (ABCEP) Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) by eminence, and also teaches seminars, publishes industry-related and natural resources articles, a member of industry and advisory committees, recipient of numerous awards of recognition, and provides expert testimony and media interviews. Bismark is an Associate Professor in Environmental sanitation and health with a strong background in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and environmental health sectors for over fifteen (15) years. His engagements as a consultant and researcher in the sector include desk studies/reviews, research and evaluation, training and capacity building, data collection and analyses, development of sector plans and programmes, institutional context analysis and reforms etc. Following a BSc in Biochemistry, his PhD and MSc were in the areas of water supply, environmental sanitation and waste management emphasising on costing sustainable WASH services, and wastewater treatment using constructed wetlands. Bismark has worked with recognised local and international organizations in Ghana and outside. He has worked with agencies like the IRC (Netherlands based), UNICEF Ghana, IRC Ghana, WaterAid Ghana, Triple S projects, i-San (UK), SANDEC-EAWAG (Switzerland), Water Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP, UK), Adam Smith International/WASH Facility (Sierra Leone), SafeWater Network, OPM Consulting Group (UK), Ecopsis (Switzerland), Ghana Water Company, District Assemblies in Ghana, private consultants, and others. He has excellent communication skills and has been involved in writing several research and consultancy including training reports, policy briefs/briefing notes, WASH sector documents, project methodologies and field manuals, and academic peer-reviewed journal articles. He has attended a couple of international conferences and workshops in Sierra Leone, Uganda, the Netherlands, Denmark and USA. I earned my B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa). After a post-doc at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), I took a faculty position in Plant Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University, where I have been since 2001. I have served on the editorial board for Wetlands and on the executive committee for the South Central Chapter of SWS. I am a freshwater scientist, with over 10 years of working experience, currently practicing in George as a wetland and river specialist. I have authored over 100 reports and applications and constantly contribute to the scientific and local community. Most of my projects involve (as a minimum) in-depth wetland and river field delineation (including soil investigations via augering, vegetation identification, and classifying the hydrological characteristics), laboratory analysis (such as water quality and sediment analysis), classification, characterisation, ecological health and ecosystem functioning assessments (using the latest available tools), as well as impact rating, buffer determinations, mitigation recommendations and detailed rehabilitation plans. I am highly proficient using GIS software to incorporate accurate spatial analysis and visual aids (No Go Area maps etc.) into reports. I hold a M.Sc. degree in Environmental Science from Rhodes University, by thesis, entitled: The geomorphic origin and evolution of the Tierkloof Wetland, a peatland dominated by Prionium serratum in the Western Cape. https://www.teriin.org/user/15680 Mr. Sayanta Ghosh has been working in the field of Geospatial Technology Applications for the last seven years in different reputed national institutes and CSIR labs in India. Presenlty, he is working as the Area Convenor of Centre for Geospatial Technology Application (CGTA) under the Land Resources Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India. Major activities of his present engagement are Forest Biomass Assessment using Multisource Earth Observation Data. He is basically handling the RS-GIS activities of various projects of the Land Resources division such as modelling spatial carbon stock and carbon sequestration potential of different LULC classes, Carbon Stock Assessment, Soil Organic Carbon Mapping, Vulnerability Assessment of forest & biodiversity, etc. He has experience in multiscale weather and climate modeling, specifically extreme weather modeling for high altitude areas. He has adequate knowledge in the applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in Agriculture and Crop Monitoring, Environmental Impact Assessment, Forestry and Ecology, Water Resources, Integrated Disaster Modeling over GIS platform. Mr. Sayanta Ghosh has presented his research findings at various international conferences in different countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey, Germany, Austria, U.S.A., Canada, and Nepal. As of now, he has more than 25 publications in his credit in various reputed scientific journals and international conference proceedings. He has been a life member of Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and Indian Association of Hydrologists (IAH). Also, he has been a regular member of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), European Geosciences Union (EGU) and Indian Regional Association for Landscape Ecology (IRALE). He has received many awards including INSPIRE scholarship from the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and Best Oral Presentation award in the prestigious “International Conference on Technological Interventions for Sustainability” (CHEM-CONFLUX22). PhD Student in Plant Ecology and Biodiversity / Ecology and Environmental Engineering Thematics: Ecology and mycorrhizal symbiosis of spontaneous hygrophilic flora of natural wetlands, and the impact of pollution on aquatic fauna (Northeastern Algeria) Manish Kumar holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the Central University of Rajasthan, with specialisation in hydro-biogeochemistry and remote sensing. His doctoral research explored the biogeochemical evolution of playa lakes in arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan using integrated geochemical modelling and Earth observation tools. Currently a Research Fellow at the University of Delhi, he is involved in a SERB-funded project focused on the transformation of reactive nitrogen in semi-arid aquatic systems. He has contributed to several international projects on climate change, water-energy-food nexus, and sustainable urban water management in collaboration with institutions like UNU and IGES-Japan. His expertise spans geospatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine), remote sensing (ENVI, ERDAS), hydrological and geochemical modelling (ModFlow, SWAT, PHREEQC), and water quality assessment techniques. He has co-authored publications in Science of The Total Environment, Climate Dynamics, and CLEAN–Soil, Air, Water. Dr. Kumar’s research is dedicated to advancing sustainable water resource management and informing policy through interdisciplinary science. She holds a graduate degree in Environmental Management (2010), with a Master's Degree in biodiversity of coastal environments (Unesp, 2017). Currently, she is a doctoral student in Ecology at the São Paulo State University. Research lines: estuarine ecology, mangrove fisheries, crustaceans fauna, outdoor education, and human ecology. Research Professor | Chapter Chair at the Society of Wetland Scientists | PhD, PWS My research interests focus on the ecology, landscape genetics, restoration, and conservation of freshwater ecosystems. I have been working on large-scale spatial patterns of aquatic plants, combining community, population, and landscape approaches. I serve as Associated Editor of the journals WETLANDS and Aquatic Botany. Marti is a wetland biologist, with over 25 years of experience. She works in the transportation field in western Washington and is part of the Pacific Northwest Chapter. Mi nombre es Charles W. Olaya-Nieto. Nacido en Santa Marta, Colombia, en donde estudié y me gradué como Ingeniero pesquero en la Universidad del Magdalena en 1986. Luego realicé estudios de Maestría en Ciencias en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez en donde me gradué en el año 2001. Con experiencia docente de 30 años, desde 1997 estoy adscrito al Departamento de Ciencias Acuícolas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia de la Universidad de Córdoba, en donde soy profesor Titular. Dr. Sah is a Research Professor, and his research focuses on ecosystem processes and their management implications in the seasonal wetlands in Everglades, coastal wetlands of the Southeast Saline Everglades, and the tropical and sub-tropical upland forests of the Miami Rock Ridge and adjacent islands in South Florida. Dr. Zati Sharip is a senior researcher at the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) and serves as the Unit Head of Lake and Reservoir Research at the Water Quality and Environment Research Centre since 2007. She is also an associate to the Academy of Science Malaysia. She obtained her PhD from the University of Western Australia, Australia focusing on physical-chemical-biological interactions in a tropical lake. She has conducted various researches on more than 40 lakes and wetlands in Malaysia for more than 16 years. Her research deals with hydro-ecological and hydro-biological studies in freshwater ecosystems. Ashikur Rahman Shome is an aspiring wildlife ecologist, working in the field of wildlife research and biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh. He is currently working in wetland wildlife conservation, urban wildlife conservation, and conservation of wildlife in the Ganges floodplain of Bangladesh. As a wildlife ecologist, he works in the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) Bangladesh. Geographer with a master's degree in regional and urban planning. I'm currently pursuing a PhD in Geography at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon. My research has focused on the analysis of socio-environmental conflicts, political ecology, environmental planning and social movements. In particular, I've emphasized the study of environmental management and governance of water resources and wetlands. International Chapter
Tiasa Adhya
Jaime Antonio Almeida
Juan Pablo Alvarez
Touré Fréjuce Amoule
Deyzon Anúdelo Vergara
Dingha Babila
Leonardo Felipe Bairos Moreira
Myriam Susana Barrera Lobaton
Antonia Belcher
Pamela Bernabeu
Mahieddine Boumendjel
Daniela Cardona Álzate
EDUARDO CEJUDO
Lorena Chavarro Chaux
Ruben Dario David
Gillian Davies
Maria De los Angeles Castaño López
María Denaro
Jose Andres Deosa Velilla
Andrew Der
Bismark Dwumfour-Asare
Gary Ervin
Debbie Fordham
Sayanta Ghosh
Lukho Goso
Aidan Gouws
Sofia Grimaldi Calderon
Sergio Alejandro Guarín Torres
Nelson Enrique Gutiérrez Osorio
Ali H. Elyasi
Chayma Hammana
Tamara Heartsill Scalley Ph.D.
Esnedy Hernandez
Zeena Jayan
Steven Khosa
Manish Kumar
Judith Lacava
Rikus Lamprecht
Maria Carolina Las-Casas e Novaes
Anton Linstrom
Melissa Lintnaar-Strauss
Romina Llanos
Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães
Marti Louther
Monica Sofia Maldonado Fonken
Suheil Malek Hoosen
Daniela Marin Henao
Sebastian Matiz Cely
Musa Mlambo
Pablo Moncada
Florencia Mariel Monti Areco
Victoria Montilla
Nkosingizwile Ndlovu
Sharon Ndze
Louis Nkembi
Charles Olaya-Nieto
Melisa Olivelli
Johnson Olusola
Mariana Ospina
Juan Sebastian Ospino
Valentina Pardo
Mateo Parra Cuadros
Jenny Marcela Peñuela López
Cristian Pérez Agudeló
Maria Pimiento
Kimberli Ponzio
Kimberli Ponzio has over 36 years of experience working in Florida wetlands as an Environmental Scientist for two water management districts in the state of Florida, USA. Kim has been certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist for 25+ years, finding it important to ensure stakeholders from public, academic, and consultancy sectors that she has the education, work history, and skill-set necessary to deliver professional wetland services, and that she is committed to upholding a high standard of ethical behavior. Kim has been involved in leadership with the Society of Wetland Scientists since 2007, was SWS President in 2015, President of the SWS Professional Certification Program (SWSPCP) in 2020, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the SWSPCP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Kim is actively involved in helping to globalize the SWSPCP by making the Program accessible to qualified individuals, regardless of geography or financial standing. Kim’s approach has always been one of a collaborative spirit, which she believes is one of the most powerful mechanisms to further the cause of conserving, restoring, and protecting wetlands.
Kevin Poveda
Diana Quevedo
Mario Alberto Quijano
Jhonatan Mauricio Quiñones Montiel
Rubén Quintana
Kurnia Rachmawati
Anu Rai
Manuel Ralda
Michelle Ramer
Alanna Jane Rebelo Ph.D.
Maria Paula Rey Baquero
Josue Reyes Amaya
Johana Reyes
Charlene Russell
Jay Sah
Dr. Sah’s expertise is in studying vegetation-environment relationships and effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on pattern and processes in various types of plant communities, including upland forests and floodplains, wet prairies, marshes and other seasonal wetlands.
His research approach includes the use of both univariate and multivariate statistical tools to analyze and interpret relationships among vegetation and environmental variables in large data sets, spatial integration of the analytical results via extensive GIS databases, and system dynamics modeling. He is also involved in inter-disciplinary research on socio-economic issues, conservation, and natural resource management in Nepal.Hajera Sana
Omar Santiago Ph.D.
Yolandi Schoeman
Joseph Schubauer-Berigan Ph.D.
Ts'epo Sekaleli
Tshiamo Mcdonald Setsipane
Zati Sharip
Ashikur Rahman Shome
Milena Soula
Stephen Ssemwaka
Ivan Andres Tarquino Calderon
Andrea Tipe Garcia
Rodrigo Toledo
Camilo Torres
Carlos Troche Souza
Jana Uys
Jenny Patricia Veloza Torres
Silvia Lucia Villabona
Gabriel Wanyoike
Fasil Wolebu
Ricardo Wong
Emmanuel Yeboah Okyere
2024 Awards
This year, the Internationa Chapter co-chair for Latin America and the Caribbean region, Dr. Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, received the 2024 SWS International Fellow Award and the SWS Presidential Service Award at the SWS Annual Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan. The International Fellow Award recognizes her exceptional contributions to the field of wetland science, while the Presidential Service Award highlights her extensive service to the Society, particularly her role as co-chair of the international chapter since 2019.
Congratulations to our new members!
Twenty-three new members from Latin America have received a complimentary one-year membership to the Chapter. Several awardees contributed to the SWS Colombia meeting in Medellin as course or field instructors; others were students who attended the meeting as speakers or participants.
Welcome!!
Jaime Almeida, Brasil
Elisabet V. Wehncke, Argentina
Diana Quevedo, Chile
Camilo Torres, Colombia
Esnedy Hernandez, Colombia
Mario Alberto Quijano, Colombia
Ivan Andres Tarquino Calderon, Colombia
Juan Pablo Alvarez, Colombia
Juan Sebastian Ospino, Colombia
Jhonatan Mauricio Quiñones Montiel, Colombia
Cristian Pérez Agudeló, Colombia
Valentina Pardo, Colombia
Nelson Enrique Gutiérrez Osorio, Colombia
Silvia Lucia Villabona, Colombia
Ruben Dario David, Colombia
Johana Reyes, Colombia
Maria De los Angeles Castaño López, Colombia
Daniela Marin Henao, Colombia
Deyzon Anúdelo Vergara, Colombia
Daniela Salazar Suaza, Colombia
Daniela Cardona Álzate, Colombia
Maria Paula Rey Baquero, Colombia
Mateo Parra Cuadros, Colombia
Congratulations to our new members!
Five new members have received a complimentary one-year membership to the Chapter from the Africa Region. The awardees were winners of a membership drive and were chosen based on short film submissions discussing their local wetland systems which will be shared with the Chapter.
Welcome, Dingha, Damaris, Ts'epo, Chayma and Sharon!
Latin America and the Caribbean Wetlands Issue Planned for Wetland Science & Practice and Photo contest
Wetland Science & Practice (WSP, Society of Wetland Scientists' e-publication) is planning a third issue focused on Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) wetlands. The purpose is to provide readers with an update of current research, restoration and conservation activities and concerns involving the region’s wetlands. Articles on the natural history of wetland fauna or flora are also of interest as well as profiles of individual wetlands of national or local significance.
We are also launching a SWS LAC photos contest! Photographs of wetland animals, plants or scenes are also sought for consideration for display in the Notes from the Field section; please include an appropriate description for the caption (wetland type, species names, locality, country, year, author) and submit your photo here.
The deadline for articles and photos submissions is October 1, 2023. Please review the WSP publication guidelines. If you have any questions feel free to contact Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, Special Issue Coordinator, or Ralph Tiner, WSP Editor.
HumMentor Award 2022-2023
The SWS International Chapter and Education Section offered two awards for HumMentor students Judith Lacava and Azul Denaro from Argentina to attend the SWS 2023 Colombia, 7-10 Nov 2023. Students will present their projects in 15-minutes talks. Judith's presentation will be "Estrategias para la fitorremediación de residuos de fármacos veterinarios empleados en sistemas ganaderos del Bajo Delta del Río Paraná" and Azul will present on "Caracterización de microorganismos aislados de humedales contaminados para su aplicación en procesos de biorremediación."
HumMentor students Judith Lacava (left) and Azul Denaro (right).
SWS Student Research Grant 2023
Efrain Noriega Rico from Colombia was selected for the 2023 SWS Student Research Grant. Efrain will use the grant to develop his master's thesis research titled "Functional Connectivity of California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus) in Mexican Highland wetlands" at the Instituto de Ecología, INECOL México.
South African National Wetland Indaba 2022
International Co-Chair Alanna Rebelo led a workshop for the SWS Africa Region at the South African National Wetland Indaba 2022 from 24-27 October. The workshop aimed for the newly-forming SWS Africa committee to interface with our South African members, share updates, and hear ideas. The session covered: an update on SWS Africa and the vision for the next term; a presentation on the SWS Professional Certification Program (PCP) and how it can benefit African members; talks on wetlands in other African countries from guest speakers who are involved in the SWS Africa committee; and an interactive workshop session where participants had the opportunity to discuss the potential of SWS Africa in small groups, and share their ideas and input that will be used by the new committee to guide the vision for SWS Africa going forward. The workshop was attended by 20 people and was a great success.
Students Awarded SWS Membership for Best Student Talks
Congratulations to Sebastian Matiz Cely and José Andrés Deosa Velilla for presenting the best talks of the past Colombian Ecohydrology Meeting (VI WORKSHOP EN ECOHIDROLOGÍA Y ECOHIDRÁULICA by REDECOHH, Universidad de Antioquia and Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, 30-31 August, 2022)! Because of their great work, they've been awarded a 1-year membership to SWS.
We're proud of their efforts in presenting the following talks:
- Sebastian Matiz Cely, Hoja de ruta desde el modelamiento para la remoción de mercurio en ciénaga, Universidad del Norte, Colombia.
- José Andrés Deosa Velilla, Integridad ecológica de sistemas lóticos intermitentes del bosque seco tropical a través del análisis complementario en los cambios espacio-temporales de rasgos funcionales de macroinvertebrados y fitoperifiton, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia.
The International Chapter Co-Chair (LAC region), Dr. Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, will talk about the SWS HumMentor Mentorship Program on August 31, 2022, at 10:55 am (Bogotá time) as part of the “VI WORKSHOP ON ECOHYDROLOGY AND ECOHYDRAULICS,” an event that will be held in a hybrid manner with the support of the University of Antioquia, REDECOHH and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute, Medellín, Colombia. The event will be broadcast through the channels: https://lnkd.in/gxGQkSii and https://lnkd.in/gSwCHrdg. The International Chapter also offers two 1-year memberships for the event's best talks.
The SWS International Chapter (Latin America and the Caribbean Region) is organizing a thematic group titled Aquatic Botany Group of the Society of Wetland Scientists. We invited interested people to the first meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Among the participants, 56 people from 12 countries (19 people are from Mexico, 10 from Colombia, 10 from Peru, 5 from Brazil, 4 from Argentina, 2 from the USA, and 1 person from other countries). The Chapter Co-Chair Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães will welcome the participants and discuss the objectives and opportunities for the group. Then we will establish the first group committee by voluntary nominations.
Check out our latest events.
Society of Wetland Scientists 2023 Colombia: first-ever in-person SWS meeting in Latin America
Through the support of Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program (SWSPCP) and the 2022 Chapter Development Award (International Chapter, SWSLAC, Latin America and the Caribbean), we organized the “Society of Wetland Scientists 2023 Colombia” 4-day event and the first-ever SWS meeting in Latin American countries (view the full program here). The event occurred on 7-10 November in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. It was hosted by the International Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists in collaboration with local partners: Investigación de Recursos Biológicos, Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antioquia, Red de Investigadores en Ecohidrología y Ecohidráulica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Instituto Javeriano del Agua, Universidad del Norte, Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Universidad Católica de Oriente, and Cátedra UNESCO. This initiative had three primary objectives: (1) To establish a dialogue on wetlands, their importance, and the role of the wetland scientist; (2) To exchange knowledge about wetland ecosystems and their conservation and to promote opportunities for collaboration between individuals/countries/institutions; and (3) To promote the SWS in Latin America, to encourage publication in Wetlands as well as Wetland Science and Practice, and to discuss the many SWS activities, such as Professional Wetland Scientist certification, Wetlands of Distinction, Wetland Interviews, Webinar Series, and mentorship program HumMentor. In total, 160 people registered to participate. The event invited over 48 speakers, panelists, moderators, and instructors from eight countries - Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States. It encompassed 18 talks on wetland subject matters, three panels of experts about wetland publication, wetland education, and wetland classification, six worktable sessions about ‘interaction with sectors’ and ‘living on wetlands’ subject matters, and one session about international collaboration. Also, participants had the opportunity to join a field day in the Guadalcai (La Amalita) wetland and attended five wetland courses certified by SWSPCP. It was a tremendous academic and professional development opportunity for individuals and institutions. Also, during the award session, the International Chapter offered SWS 1-year free memberships, hats, buttons, and T-shirts to remarkable participants. We recognized the 2022 SWS HumMentor students Judith Lacava and Azul Denaro with a $500 travel award each, sponsored by the 2021 Section Development Award (HumMentor program, joint application of Education Section and International Chapter).
Participants of the Society of Wetland Scientists 2023 Colombia meeting in the closing session
Field day of the Society of Wetland Scientists 2023 Colombia meeting
SWS Annual Meeting - Spokane, June 2023
BOD meeting in Spokane, June 2023
The SWS International Chapter hosted a meeting at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Grand Rapids in June 2022. Around 30 participants from both regions, LAC and Africa, joined to discuss the Chapter perspectives and opportunities. We take this opportunity to thank the co-chair Ian Bredin for his 3-years of service in this position, welcome Alanna Rebelo, the co-chair-elect for the Africa region, and to thank Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, re-elected as co-chair for the Latin America and the Caribbean region. Stay tuned for upcoming news and meetings!
Ian Bredin, Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, and Derek Faust in the International Chapter meeting, JASM 2022, Grand Rapids, EE.UU.
The SWS International Chapter (Latin American and the Caribbean Region) organized an inaugural meeting on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, followed by a certificate course in Scientific Publication on Wetlands (SWSPCP). We hosted eight speakers (Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, Patsy Milena Muñoz Barra, Marinus L. Otte, Gary Ervin, Gillian Davies, Kimberli Ponzio, Matthew Simpson, and Rob McInnes), two moderators (Héctor Aponte and Daniel Campbell) and more than 70 participants. See the recorded meeting on the SWS YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/gibnEhIEjJQ
NEWS
Luis Enrique Olguín Chávez from Mexico was selected as a 2021 SWS International Chapter – Latin America Grant recipient of the 2021 SWS Student Research Grant. Luis used the grant to develop his undergraduate thesis titled "Understanding reproductive aspects of the distylous aquatic plant Nymphoides fallax Ornduff (Menyanthaceae)" at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. He finished his research and graduated in Biology on June 8, 2022.
Luis Enrique Olguín Chávez doing fieldwork, temporary wetlands, Central Mexico highlands.
Students Awarded SWS Membership for Best Student Talks
Congratulations to Josue Roberto Reyes Amaya, Andrea Tipe Garcia, and Lorena Chavarro Chaux for presenting the best student talks of the past Colombian Wetland Meeting (III Congreso Internacional de Ríos y Humedales)! Because of their great work, they've been awarded a 1-year membership to SWS.
We're proud of their efforts in presenting the following talks:
- Josue Roberto Reyes Amaya: Dinámica del nitrógeno en un ecosistema dependiente de agua subterránea
- Andrea Tipe Garcia: Propuesta para la evaluación del servicio ecosistémico de regulación hídrica en los humedales altoandinos de Yuracmayo, Perú
- Lorena Chavarro Chaux: Effects of Livestock Production on the Stream Health, Water Quality and Function of a Small Tributary in Mississippi
Youth Engaged in Wetlands (YEW) meeting in Tokyo in January 2020
The International chapter co-chair, Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, attended the Youth Engaged in Wetlands (YEW) meeting in Tokyo (January 16-21, 2020). The event was hosted by the Youth Ramsar Japan and was an important moment to work on the creation of an international network for wetland professionals and scientists.
XXI Mexican Botanical Society meeting 2019
The International Chapter is very proud to announce the top presenters at the Aquatic Plants Symposium hosted by the XXI Mexican Botanical Society meeting. The winners were Dr. Nelly Jiménez and MSc. Ricardo Wong, both of them get a 1-year of free membership at the SWS. The International chapter Co-Chair, Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, was invited as a speaker at the Symposium. Additionally, she had the opportunity to introduce to the SBM committee the potential SWS/SBM affiliation.
South African National Wetlands Indaba
The International Chapter is proud to announce the top presenters at this year’s South African National Wetlands Indaba. The winners were: Nardus Bosman, Denisha Anand, Faith Mamphoka, Mthombeni Tinyiko Salome. They were awarded 1-year free membership to SWS. International Co-Chair Ian Bredin was the keynote speaker to talk about the SWS/SAWS affiliation.
Volunteers
We are proud to introduce our SWS LAC volunteer student from Peru. Karol will help us to build a wetland database in the Latin America & Caribbean region. She is doing 30 hours of volunteer work under the mentorship of Dr. Héctor Aponte and Dr. Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães.
Karol Salazar Navarro, Lima, Peru
Karol is a Peruvian Environmental Engineer from UNTELS University. She developed her undergraduate research focused on carbon capture in a coastal wetland of Lima. Karol is interested in the fields of climate change, coastal marine ecosystems, blue carbon, and environmental education linked with the latter subjects.
Are you interested in doing volunteer work at the SWS International chapter? Please, contact chapter co-chairs.
2019 International Chapter Meeting
2019 Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting, Baltimore, USA. We met some International Chapter members and shared awesome ideas and experiences with these fantastic people!
2019 International Wetlands of Distinction
We are very proud of having a Latin American wetland nominated as new potential Wetlands of Distinction, representing the International hCapter! Congratulations Cayambe Coca, Quito, Ecuador!
2018 National Wetlands Indaba: South Africa
The South African National Wetlands Indaba was held in Kimberley, Northern Cape, October 8-11, 2018. The Society of Wetland Scientists sponsored the awards for the best presentations at the conference. The outgoing President of the SWS, Arnold van der Valk, presented the awards at the Gala Dinner. We would like to congratulate the award winners:
- Ms. Jacolette Adam, Exigent, Richards Bay, South Africa.
- Ms. Mandy Carolissen, Geography Department, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Dr. Michael Grenfell, Environmental and Water Science Unit, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Ms. Margaret Lowies, Aurecon SA (Pty) Ltd, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
L to R: Margaret Lowies, Michael Grenfell, outgoing SWS President Arnold va der Valk, and Jacolette Adam. Absent: Mandy Carolissen
I Congreso Internacional y II Congreso Nacional de Ríos y Humedales: Colombia
October 27, 2017
The SWS International Chapter - Latin America and Caribbean region, is pleased to award three memberships to outstanding participants at the I Congreso Internacional y II Congreso Nacional de Ríos y Humedales, October 23 - 27, 2017, in Neiva, Colombia.
Best Poster
Premio a mejor Poster
Autores: Josué López, Eduardo Chica, Patricio Campo, Ana E. Ochoa, Iván Belesaca, Andrea Maza, Ximena Palomeque, Universidad de Cuenca (Ecuador)
Efecto del estrés hídrico sobre el crecimiento y supervivencia de dos especies nativas altoandinas en el Parque Nacional Cajas
Best Student Talk
Premio a mejor Ponencia de Estudiantes
Autor: Jacobo Campuzano, Universidad de Antioquia
Implementación de áreas y estrategias prioritarias para rehabilitación ecológica en el sistema cenagoso de Ayapel Córdoba
Best Wetland Picture
Premio a mejor Fotografía
Klaudia Cárdenas, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Alexander von Humboldt
Nombre de la foto: Pescador en Ciénaga de Palo
The International Chapter - Latin and Caribben region is also pleased to provide a presentation recording from I Congreso Internacional y II Congreso Nacional de Ríos y Humedales. Classification of macrohabitats: a powerful tool for comparative studies, sustainable development and environmental impact analysis in wetlands was presented by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang J. Junk (wjj@evolbio.mpg.de) from the National Institute for Science and Technology in Wetlands (INCT-INAU), Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) in Cuiabá, Brazil.
View the presentation:
Without subtitles: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5603423902788522753
With subtitles: http://sws.ontrapages.com/youtuberegistration
A Wetland Declaration was signed by over 550 participants at the conference. Read the Declaration.
2016 National Wetlands Indaba: South Africa
November 11, 2016 -
South Africa’s annual National Wetlands Indaba (NWI) was held at the Swadini Resort in Mpumalanga Province over the period 25 to 28 October 2016, with 200 delegates attending the meeting from all over the country. The word “indaba” is a Zulu word referring to important conferences held by traditional tribal leaders to discuss important matters. The word today has widespread usage in South Africa to refer to a “gathering” or “meeting”. Attendees at these meetings include wetland scientists, practitioners, decision-makers, NGO’s and other interested parties who gather to talk about wetland matters in the country. Continue reading here.
For the program and presentations, please visit http://nwi16.wetlands.web.za/programme.htm. Click here to see more images from the 2017 Indaba.
EVENTS
SWS President Max Finlayson and the co-chair of the SWS International Chapter, Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, will attend the International Wetlands Symposium in Cuba, Ciénaga de Matanzas, November 2019. They have been invited to present talks and participate in other activities. Additionally, Tatiana will promote a contest, awarding outstanding presenters with 5 free 1-year SWS membership.
The co-chair of the SWS International Chapter, Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, will attend the Symposium of Aquatic Plants in Mexico: Advances and perspectives at the Mexican Botany Society Meeting, Aguascalientes, Mexico, October 2019. Tatiana has been invited to present on a talk about aquatic plants and connectivity and she will use this opportunity to introduce SWS to Mexican Botany Society members and invite them to become SWS affiliated members. Tatiana will promote a contest, awarding an outstanding presenter with a free 1-year SWS membership.
https://www.socbot.mx/congreso/
The co-chair of the SWS International Chapter, Ian Bredin, will attend the South African National Wetland Indaba October 7-11, 2019, in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Ian has been invited to present on the opportunity for South African Wetland Society members to become SWS affiliated members.
XII Simposio International "Humedales 2019" 4 al 8 de noviembre del 2019 Cuba
Information HERE
Programa II Copeju ICA 2019 - HERE
Primer Annuncio XII Simposio International Humedales 2019 - HERE
II Congreso Peruano de Humedales
- Chapter Bylaws
- Latin America and Caribbean region Facebook page
- African region Facebook page
- SWS webinar series in Spanish.
- SWS Student Mentoring Program for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Wetlands Interviews
- YouTube