Wetland Delineation Certificate Program

Main Content

Wetland Delineation Certificate Program Overview

Meet the demand for qualified wetland delineators! Developers, consultants, preservationists, and regulatory agencies all require skilled professionals who are able to identify the vegetation, soils, and hydrology that define wetlands. Delineators also need to have the practical field training, regulatory background, and other experience to support their findings. The US Army Corps of Engineers does not currently offer a Wetland Delineation Certification, but Rutgers University’s nationally-recognized Wetland Delineation Certificate will teach you how to accurately delineate wetlands and provide you with the necessary qualifications.

---

Wetland Delineation Certificate Program Requirements

The Wetland Delineation Certificate is awarded to participants who:

• attend and successfully complete assignments for the following three (3) training courses;
• complete an online exam with a score of 70% or better.

NOTE: When you enroll in the series, you should complete the Vegetation Identification for Delineating Wetlands (North or South) and Hydric Soils courses prior to the Methodology for Delineating Wetlands course. If you are not familiar with wetlands, hydrology, or vegetation, we strongly recommend that you complete Introduction to Wetland Identification prior to enrolling in the Certificate Series courses.

Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation

Develop the ability to identify wetland plants and distinguish between upland and wetland plant species, an essential step in the wetland delineation process. You may take either the North OR the South session.

• Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation: North – Next offering is scheduled for May 1 & 2, 2025 – Register now!
• Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation: South – Join our email list to be notified when the next offering of this course is scheduled!

Methodology for Delineating Wetlands

Learn how to recognize key indicators of wetlands (hydrophytic vegetation and other signs of wetland hydrology) and how to use them in combination with hydric soil indicators to follow the delineation methods outlined in the Federal Interagency Wetland Delineation Manual.

Next offering is scheduled for June 5 and June 9-12, 2025 – Register now!

---

Wetland Delineation Certificate Program Instructors

Deborah Henson, PhD, CPSS

Deborah Henson, PhD, CPSS (She/her). Deborah is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist, with a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Plant & Soil Sciences, specializing in wetland soil pedology and plant-soil interactions in wetland environments. Deb has more than thirty years of experience as a wetland scientist. She started her career as an environmental professional working for environmental consulting firms in New Jersey in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After completing her doctoral studies at UMass Amherst, she was hired there as full-time faculty; and since 2011 she has been managing the interdepartmental Environmental Science Program. Her campus teaching includes full-semester courses in “Wetland Soils,” “Environmental Soil Science,” and “Soil Science & Management.” She also teaches a wide assortment of wetland science and soil science short courses and workshops for UMASS Extension and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. She is co-author of the recently updated Massachusetts Handbook for Delineating Bordering Vegetated Wetlands.

Ralph Tiner, M.S., M.P.A., SWS Fellow

Ralph Tiner has more than 40 years of practical experience in wetland delineation and is a nationally recognized authority in the field. He recently retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service where he directed wetland mapping in the Northeast United States as part of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory (NWI). He is a nationally recognized expert on wetland delineation and has been actively involved in improving wetland delineation techniques for decades. In addition, he was compiler and principal author of the Federal Interagency Wetland Delineation Manual, which was published in 1989 and is the standard for identifying and delineating wetlands in New Jersey.

---

Student Reviews

---

Who Should Attend the Wetland Delineation Certificate Program?

This program is recommended for professionals who want to master the three critical components of identifying wetland areas: evidence of wetland hydrology, a predominance of hydrophytic vegetation, and presence of hydric soils. Individuals from a range of professional backgrounds have completed this certificate in the past, including:

---