Announcements 2026.1.6

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Volunteers Sought: Remove Derelict Crab Traps
2.) Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Internship Virtual Open House -- January 7, 2026
3.) Nature-Based Teacher Certification – Level 1: January 13-February 19, 2026; Level II: January 20-February 26, 2026
4.) Women Advancing River Research Seminar Series (virtual) – Various Dates, Starting: January 15, 2026
5.) Pooled Monitoring Initiative’s Restoration Research Award Program -- Applications Due: January 29, 2026
6.) Art Contest: 2026 Science Without Borders Challenge -- Deadline: March 2, 2026
7.) Resilient River Star Schools Program -- Application Deadline: May 8, 2026
8.) Revised: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement (Bay Agreement)
9.) Updated Statewide Land Use/Land Cover Data
10.) Stream, Wetland, and Nutrient (SWaN) Exchange
11.) Revised: Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook  
12.) New Phone Number: VDEM Situational Awareness Unit (SAU) -- 804-750-8845
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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.) Volunteers Sought: Remove Derelict Crab Traps – Yearly: January-March -- Volunteers receive training on the use the Crab Trap App and the protocol required by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to remove derelict blue crab traps.  Learn more and register to participate at https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/research/marine_debris/solutions/removal/app/index.php.
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2.) Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Internship Virtual Open House -- January 7, 2026 (1-3pm) -- This virtual information session will provide insight on DEQ's 2026 Summer Internship Program for current college sophomores and juniors. Locations of the internships are Abingdon, Glen Allen, Harrisonburg, Salem, Virginia Beach, and Woodbridge VA. For more information and to register, see https://www.deq.virginia.gov/news-info/jobs. Organized by the Virginia DEQ.
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3.) Nature-Based Teacher Certification – Level 1: January 13-February 19, 2026; Level II: January 20-February 26, 2026 (meets 2-3/week) – The Level I program will provide in-depth study of best practices in nature-based early childhood education, preparing teachers for meaningful outdoor experiences. The Level 2 intermediate course is designed for participants who have already completed the intro credential.  For more information and to register, see https://erafans.wildapricot.org/Teacher-Certification. Offered by the Association for Nature-Based Education.
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4.) Women Advancing River Research Seminar Series (virtual) – Monthly, 3rd Thursday (11am) – Learn more and register at https://www.cee.psu.edu/events/women-advancing-river-research.aspx.  Co-hosted by University College Dublin; Caltech; Trent University, Canada; University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Penn State. 
   ++ January 15, 2026 -- Navigating funding uncertainties (Laura Lautz + Kathleen Boomer)
   ++ February 19, 2026 -- Troubled waters: hidden challenges for water quality (Carolin Winter + Ashley Helton)
   ++ March 19, 2026 -- Climate impacts on weathering and flow (Sara Warix + Jennifer McIntosh)
   ++ April 16, 2026 -- Water at the top of the world (Joanmarie Del Vecchio + Anastasia Piliouras)
   ++ April 30, 2026 -- Managing for water scarcity in the western U.S. (Debra Perrone + Elizabeth Koebele)
   ++ May 21, 2026 -- Carbon transport & processing across land-ocean continuum (Suzanne Tank + Nuria Catalan)
   ++ June 18, 2026 -- Water quality and water scarcity (Michelle T.H. van Vliet + Maryna Strokal)
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5.) Pooled Monitoring Initiative’s Restoration Research Award Program -- Applications Due: January 29, 2026 -- Open to not-for-profit entities (academic institutions, non-profit organizations) and for-profit entities. Organizations need not be based in Maryland, but the work must be relevant to Maryland’s restoration, regulatory, and/or practitioner communities. The goal of this research program is to answer restoration questions that are a barrier to watershed restoration project implementation. Learn more and apply at https://cbtrust.org/grants/restoration-research/. Funding provided through the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
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6.) Art Contest: 2026 Science Without Borders Challenge -- Deadline: March 2, 2026 -- Theme: “Microscopic Marine Life” -- This art contest is open to students ages 11-19 enrolled in primary or secondary school (or homeschool equivalent). For more information and to apply, see https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/science-without-borders-challenge/. Organized by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.
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7.) Resilient River Star Schools Program -- Application Deadline: May 8, 2026 -- Schools near the Elizabeth River can apply for funding and support for Youth Resilience Projects like planting natives, raising oysters, and designing climate-smart landscapes. Includes support for field trips, teacher training, and classroom resources. For more information and to apply, see https://elizabethriver.org/youth-projects-resilience-expo/. Offered by the Elizabeth River Project.
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8.) Revised: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement (Bay Agreement) -- On Dec. 2, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) approved a revised Bay Agreement that outlines the CBP partnership’s commitments through 2040 to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The original 10 goals have been condensed into four overarching goals: (1) Thriving Habitats, Fisheries, and Wildlife; (2) Clean Water; (3) Healthy Landscapes; and (4) Engaged Communities, and the 31 outcomes listed in the 2014 Bay Agreement have been revised into 21 outcomes.  Available at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/documents/CBWA-2025-IV-Final-Facing.pdf.  Published by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
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9.) Updated Statewide Land Use/Land Cover Data -- This dataset includes 56 distinct land use categories at a 1-meter resolution, derived from 2021 imagery. The data are hosted by the Virginia Geographic Information Network, https://vgin.vdem.virginia.gov. Developed as a collaborative effort between Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chesapeake Conservancy, University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory, and Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
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10.) Stream, Wetland, and Nutrient (SWaN) Exchange -- SWaN provides an open, public marketplace for stream, wetland, and nutrient mitigation credits. Learn more at https://swan.waterledger.com/.  Offered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Water Ledger.
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11.) Revised: Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook (VSMH) (Version 1.2) – Published: December 18, 2025 -- Posted at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/stormwater/stormwater-construction/handbooks and https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewGDoc.cfm?gdid=7941.  Revisions in Version 1.2 include the correction of errors or typos and the incorporation of regulatory amendments and policies that came into effect since the adoption of Version 1.1 in August 2024.
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12.) New Phone Number: VDEM Situational Awareness Unit (SAU) -- 804-750-8845 -- Operates 24/7 as the primary hub for monitoring disasters, coordinating emergency responses, and issuing alerts across Virginia. The 24-hour phone number: 804-750-8845, replaces the previous number (804-274-2400) and the 1-800 TDD line. Learn more here and see https://www.vaemergency.gov/contact. Offered through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).
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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. 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.