Welcome to the May 2009 issue of the SWS E-newsletter. Please scroll down for pithy and important SWS announcements.

Membership Renewal is Easy!

If you haven't already, now is the time to renew your SWS membership!. Renew online NOW!.

New - SWS Presidential Election - Vote NOW!

Your vote for President Elect will influence the future of SWS at a time when the Board is developing an ambitious agenda for change. Please read the candidate's background and goals online, then cast your vote. The deadline is June 4, 2009. Online Voting: Click here to be taken directly to the online voting site. You will need your MEMBER ID:

Registration now open for 2009 Joint Meeting

Registration is now open for the 2009 Joint Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, and the Wetland Biogeochemistry Symposium. FRIDAY is the deadline for "regular" registration rates! Based upon registrations already received, we're expecting to meet or surpass prior meeting attendance records. Register online or download and print a registration form. Visit the conference website for detailed conference information.

SWS 2009 Annual Meeting abstracts are going "green" in Madison, Wisconsin. Please note that as part of our efforts to "green" this conference, abstracts will not be printed in the conference program. Visit the online searchable program before you come to Madison. Use the "Personal Scheduler" feature to select the talks you want to attend and print out your personalized schedule.

Workshops during the Annual Meeting

The meeting Planning Team is pleased to offer five workshops during the Annual Meeting. Workshop topics include wetland poetry, field indicators of hydric soils, mobile GIS and GPS implementation, ArcPad and field data collection, and the Northcentral and Northeast Regional Supplement to the 1987 manual. Additional details can be found on the meeting web site.

Silent Auction Opportunities Available - Annual Meeting

Silent auction items include original artwork or photography, signed and unsigned books, outdoor gear and clothing, specialty food items, and wetland- or outdoor-themed items. All donated items will be displayed with literature that you provide about your organization. Detailed information may be found here. If you have additional questions or would like to donate an item, please contact Becky Abel at 608-250-9971 or becky.abel@wisconsinwetlands.org

New - CERF 2009: Estuaries and Coasts in a Changing World

SWS is partnering with CERF to host "Estuaries and Coasts in a Changing World", CERF's 20th Biennial Conference. The event is scheduled for 1-5 November 2009 in Portland, Oregon. More information about the conference is available on the CERF conference website.

Significant Changes Coming to the SWS Bulletin!

The SWS Bulletin is changing. The new Bulletin, Wetland Science and Practice, will be published in hard copy beginning this summer. We invite contributed articles from our membership on research & application, policy, education and more. Link to announcement.

Useful and Important links

Renewal Page: http://www.sws.org/membership/index.mgi#joining

SWS Bulletin: http://www.sws.org/bulletin/index.mgi

WETLANDS CD Archive: http://www.sws.org/wetlands/CD/index.mgi

Member Database / Corrections: http://www.sws.org/membership/addresschange.mgi

SWS Business Office Secretariat - David A. Drupa: ddrupa@burkinc.com

SWS Joint Meeting Exhibit Opportunities: http://www.sws.org/2009_meeting/exhibitors.mgi#22