The WRRI 2020 Annual Conference moved online.

Select conference sessions moved to a virtual format and are archived here.

WRRI 2020 Virtual Annual Conference Session 3 – June 19

Awareness, Engagement and Action Around Water

NC WRRI’s third Virtual Annual Conference session discusses recent projects to engage local communities. Speakers present economic development via outdoor recreation, connection with the environment through group cleanups, and education of future community leaders about local watersheds.

Moderator: Christy Perrin, NC WRRI & North Carolina Sea Grant

Speakers:

• Rachel Taylor, UNC-Chapel Hill: The French Broad River: Leveraging river recreation to promote economic development
• Tatiana Height, UNC-Greensboro: Fostering environmental behavior change in the Cottage Grove neighborhood through community-engaged education, outreach, citizen science and riparian cleanup to enhance stormwater quality and strive for environmental equity.
• Christy Perrin: Watershed Wisdom: A lesson plan from NC Watershed Stewardship Network and UNC-TV Science for advancing watershed literacy and action.

Our thanks to McAdams Co. for generously sponsoring this Virtual Annual Conference session.

Thanks also to YSI, a Xylem Brand, for their generous continuing support of the Virtual Annual Conference series.

WRRI 2020 Virtual Annual Conference Session 2 – May 19

In honor of American Wetlands Month, WRRI presents a session on wetlands:

Wetlands Research in North Carolina

Carolina Wetlands Association and NC WRRI hosted a Virtual Annual Conference session on wetlands research in North Carolina. The webinar offered updates on ongoing studies, as well as news on how wetlands are gaining further protections so they can continue to provide valuable ecosystems services.

Moderator: Kim Matthews, Carolina Wetlands Association

Speakers:

• Michael Burchell, NC State University, Removing detritus to rehabilitate older constructed wetlands used in wastewater treatment
• Brock Kamrath, NC State University, Preliminary assessment of nitrogen treatment in a tertiary constructed wetland following detritus removal
• Melinda Martinez, NC State University, Greenhouse gas emissions from standing dead trees in coastal forested wetlands

Our thanks to Carolina Wetlands Association for generously sponsoring this session.

Thanks also to YSI, a Xylem Brand, for their generous continuing support of the Virtual Annual Conference series.

WRRI 2020 Virtual Annual Conference Session 1 – April 23

Wastewater Treatment Along North Carolina’s Changing Coastlines

Jane Harrison of North Carolina Sea Grant leads an expert panel from East Carolina University, NC State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina Wilmington in a discussion about the effectiveness of wastewater treatment technologies and processes in the coastal environment.

Climate change threatens the effectiveness of wastewater infrastructure, particularly in coastal communities. High-tide flooding and extreme precipitation events, as well as sea level rise, result in immediate and long-term losses of system functionality. These systems are at risk with impaired ability to process contaminants, which may lead to human illness, ecosystem damage and, ultimately, the un-livability of communities that depend on them.

Researchers from East Carolina, NC State, UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Wilmington explain their recent findings on these topics and discuss possible solutions.

Moderator: Jane Harrison, Coastal Economics Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant

Speakers:

• Michael O’Driscoll, East Carolina University: Does more groundwater mean less treatment? The influence of sea level rise and coastal storms on septic systems
• Eric Edwards, NC State University: The economics of improving coastal wastewater treatment under a changing climate
• Lindsay Dubbs, UNC Coastal Studies Institute: People, water, and septic: A coastal case study in Nags Head, NC
• Lawrence Cahoon, UNC-Wilmington: Climate change is challenging our waste treatment infrastructure

Our thanks to YSI, a Xylem Brand, for generously sponsoring this opportunity to share Annual Conference content with the public.

Our thanks to YSI, a Xylem Brand, for generously sponsoring the Virtual Annual Conference series, making it possible to share this important content with the public.

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