Announcements 2026.4.14

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Webinar - Spreading Positivity: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Success Stories -- April 15, 2026
2.) Webinar: Design with Native Plants -- April 16, 2026
3.) Webinar: What Is Wild and Why It Matters -- April 28, 2026
4.) 2026 Commonwealth Coastal & Marine Policy Fellowship -- Application Deadline: May 1, 2026
5.) Native American Fish and Wildlife Society National Conference -- May 4-7, 2026 
6.) Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) and International Society of Limnology (SIL) Joint Meeting -- May 12-17, 2026
7.) Notice of Public Comment: Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund Draft Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) -- Comments Due: May 15, 2026
8.) Workshop: Virginia Backyard Streambank Repair -- May 22, 2026
9.) Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) Developers Conference -- May 27-29, 2026
10.) Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) 2026 Annual Conference -- June 8-10, 2026
11.) Professional Learning Opportunities with the James River Association (JRA) – Various Dates, Starting: June 10, 2026
12.) Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN) News
   ++ Call for Case Study Partners: Climate-Adjusted IDF Curves for Stormwater Planning
   ++ Webinar Recordings
13.) Water Center Jobs Board – https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/
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See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu.  Thank you to Julia Porter, VWMC intern, for developing and organizing this week’s set of VWMC announcements.
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1.) Webinar - Spreading Positivity: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Success Stories -- April 15, 2026 (12-1pm) -- This webinar will discuss how a stream restoration project helped transform a local waterway into a large-scale oyster restoration effort across Maryland and Virginia. For more information and to register, see https://chesapeake.org/crc-roundtable/. Organized by the Chesapeake Research Consortium.
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2.) Webinar: Design with Native Plants -- April 16, 2026 (12pm) – Part of a webinar series, “Landscapes That Last.” Experts will share practical strategies ranging from choosing salt tolerant plants and conserving trees to improving stormwater ponds and sourcing eco-friendly plants. The series is crafted for property owners, HOAs, landscapers, local governments, and nurseries – to build shared knowledge and healthier coastal communities. Learn more, view recordings of past webinars, and register for upcoming webinars at https://ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/landscapes-that-last/. For questions about the series contact Gloria Putnam (gloria...@ncsu.edu, 919-999-7469). Offered by North Carolina Sea Grant and the Coastal Landscapes Initiative.
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3.) Webinar: What Is Wild and Why It Matters -- April 28, 2026 (11am-1pm) -- Rick Darke will cover how to design with landscape dynamics rather than against them. It will include real examples from residential design and a framework for creating landscapes that are both functional and livable. This event is a fundraiser for Homegrown National Park and Wild Ones. For more information and to register, see https://wildones.org/category/wild-ones-presents/. Organized by Wild Ones.
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4.) 2026 Commonwealth Coastal & Marine Policy Fellowship -- Application Deadline: May 1, 2026 -- This fellowship provides recent graduates with immersive, on-the-job professional training while advancing the stewardship, resilience, and sustainable use of the Commonwealth’s coastal and marine resources. Fellows are placed within state or local government agencies. The start date is October 1, 2026.  For more information and to apply, see https://vaseagrant.org/commonwealth-fellowship-home/. Sponsored by Virginia Sea Grant, the Virginia Environmental Endowment, and the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program.
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5.) Native American Fish and Wildlife Society National Conference -- May 4-7, 2026 -- Verona, NY -- Theme: “From Ancestral Knowledge to Emerging Technology: Sustaining Native Fish & Wildlife” -- This conference will feature Conservation Law Enforcement Officer Events and other various workshops revolving around invasive species, wildlife health surveillance and management, practical skills, and more. For more information and to register, see https://nafws.org/product/2026-annual-national-conference/. Organized by the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society and hosted by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York.
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6.) Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) and International Society of Limnology (SIL) Joint Meeting -- May 12-17, 2026 -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- This congress will bring together scientists from freshwater and marine realms to exchange methodical approaches and learning across scales. The focal point of the event will be how these environments intersect. This meeting also aims to evoke connections among scientists as well as with stakeholders and indigenous knowledge keepers in the spirit of codesign to address society’s greatest issues around aquatic habitats and water resources. For more information and to register, see https://www.aslo.org/aslo-sil-2026/. Organized by ASLO and SIL.
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7.) Notice of Public Comment: Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund Draft Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) -- Comments Due: May 15, 2026 -- This funding opportunity will support projects that improve flood resilience and recovery. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is accepting comments on a draft NOFO and will finalize the NOFO no later than June 1, 2026. For more information, see https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewNotice.cfm?GNID=3350.
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8.) Workshop: Virginia Backyard Streambank Repair -- May 22, 2026 (9:30am-4pm) -- Fredericksburg, VA -- This workshop is for individuals who work with the general public on soil conservation and water quality improvement projects, including staff from Soil and Water Conservation Districts, local governments, and non-governmental environmental organizations (NGOs), as well as Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) agents, Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, and Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals. Its goal is to provide information on simple streambank erosion control techniques that landowners can implement to stabilize eroding streambanks along small streams. For more information and to register, see https://pears.io/events/vce/5143/. Organized by Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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9.) Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) Developers Conference -- May 27-29, 2026 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- The conference will focus on topics relating to hydrological forecasting, particularly extreme events. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the CIROH community and its federal partners, learn about recent research and development activities, and get hands-on training on emerging models, tools, and services. For more information and to register, see https://ciroh.ua.edu/devconference/. Organized by CIROH.
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10.) Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) 2026 Annual Conference -- June 8-10, 2026 -- San Antonio, TX – This conference will focus on collaborations and transdisciplinary solutions to complex water resources challenges. Early-bird rates apply through April 24, 2026.  For more information and to register, see https://ucowr.org/conference/. Organized by UCOWR.
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11.) Professional Learning Opportunities with the James River Association (JRA) – Inviting educators to learn about the James River. These workshops are designed to empower teachers with hands-on, immersive experiences. More information about these events and others is available at https://thejamesriver.org/students-of-the-james/students-of-the-james-professional-development/.
   ++ Green Infrastructure & Problem-Based Learning -- Elementary School Teachers: June 10-12, 2026; Middle School Teachers: June 24-26, 2026; High School Teachers: July 15-17, 2026
   ++ Mussel Power! -- June 16, 2026 – Lynchburg, VA -- Canoe the Upper James to explore freshwater mussel habitats.
   ++ Canoe Paddle Skills and Ecology -- June 30-July 1, 2026 – Henrico, VA
   ++ Citizen Science with JRA -- July 7-9, 2026 – Richmond, VA
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12.) Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN) News
   ++ Call for Case Study Partners: Climate-Adjusted IDF Curves for Stormwater Planning – Seeking stormwater utility, local government, or watershed organizations grappling with how to incorporate climate change into infrastructure design or stormwater policy to share their experience with using the intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curve tool and/or partner with a team on developing new case studies. Selected partners will work with the team to apply the IDF change factors and use the guidance to identify appropriate climate projections. For more information and to participate, contact Michelle Miro (mm...@rand.org) or Krista Romita Grocholski (kris...@rand.org) for a Google Docs link. Organized by the Chesapeake Stormwater Network and Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA)
   ++ Webinar Recordings -- Recordings of previous CSN webinars are available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@ChesapeakeStormwaterNetwork.
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13.) Water Center Jobs Board – View a listing of current job opportunities and employment resources on the Jobs Board at https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/. Developed by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center).
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The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center with funding from the U.S. Geological Survey. Thank you to our sponsors!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.