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Course Details
Course Name: Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation: North
Course Code: EH0501WA25
Date: May 1 & 2, 2025
Time: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm EDT (Log in time: 7:45 am EDT)
Location: Online
Format: Live, instructor-led
Registration Fee: $950 per person
Wetland Certificate Series Discount Fee: $850 per person (must also register for Methodology for Delineating Wetlands and Hydric Soils)
Registration closes: April 30, 2025
Paying with a check, money order, or purchase order?
Payments should be made out to: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Checks and money orders should be mailed to: Office of Continuing Professional Education, Attn: Registration Dept., 102 Ryders Ln, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Purchase Orders can be mailed to the address above or electronically sent to registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.
Course Overview
This class is part of the Wetland Delineation Certificate Program.
Wetland plants, also known as hydrophytes or hydrophytic vegetation, have adaptations that enable them to grow and reproduce with their roots in water or saturated soil for at least part of the year. In contrast, plants that cannot survive in saturated conditions are commonly referred to as upland plants.
Along with hydric soils and hydrology, the presence of wetland plants is one of the primary factors involved in the identification of wetland areas and the delineation of wetland boundaries. Therefore, the ability to identify wetland plants and distinguish between upland and wetland plant species is an essential step in the wetland delineation process.
Through instructor-led online lectures and virtual tours of various wetland sites, you will learn how to identify plant species frequently encountered by wetland delineators in Northern and Central New Jersey, as well as neighboring New York and Pennsylvania. By the end of the course, you will be able to quickly and confidently identify the wetland plant species that are important in determining if an area meets the hydrophytic vegetation criterion for wetland delineation.
NOTE: If you are planning to earn the Wetland Delineation Certificate, we require that you complete the Vegetation Identification and Hydric Soils courses prior to attending Methodology for Delineating Wetlands.
Featured Topics
- Introduction to Plant Identification and Wetland Plant Indicator Statuses
- Use of Plant Identification Keys in the Field
- Plant Names, Plant Groups, General Plant Morphology
- Basic Botanical Terminology
- Woody Plant Morphology
- Grass Morphology
- Sedge/Rush Morphology
Who Should Attend?
This wetland vegetation identification course is designed for anyone who wants to gain experience identifying wetland plants. Past participants have included:
- Arborists and Forestry Technicians
- Biologists and Ecologists
- Engineers
- Environmental Scientists and Consultants
- Geologists and Hydrogeologists
- GIS Specialists
- Landscape Architects and Landscape Designers
- Land Surveyors
- Land Use Professionals
- Natural Resources Specialists
- Park Naturalists
- Planners
- Wetlands Specialists and Wetland Scientists
- Wildlife Field Technicians
Required Textbooks
There are two required textbooks for this course:
- Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide [ISBN 0316604429] by Lawrence Newcomb – $28
- You may purchase this book on your own or through our office with your registration.
- Field Guide to Nontidal Wetland Identification by Ralph W. Tiner – $65
- This book is only available through our office.
Meet Your Instructor
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.
Read More About Ralph Tiner
Ralph has written extensively on the subject of wetlands and is the author of several field guides including: Field Guide to Non-tidal Wetland Identification, Maine Wetlands and Their Boundaries, A Field Guide to Coastal Wetland Plants of the Northeastern United States, and In Search of Swampland, as well as an update of the Wetland Indicators book entitled Wetland Indicators: A Guide to Wetland Formation, Identification, Delineation, Classification, and Mapping. His most recent books are: Tidal Wetlands Primer: An Introduction to Their Ecology, Natural History, Status, and Conservation and Remote Sensing of Wetlands: Applications and Advances (for which he is senior editor and authored several chapters).
In addition to writing about wetlands, he has been teaching wetland identification and delineation courses through the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education Office since the mid-1980s.
Student Reviews
“Great course! I’ve really learned a ton so far and have already applied this newly acquired information out in the field. The books and resources provided are so helpful.”
– Past Participant
“Ralph Tiner was extremely knowledgeable and ensured that he spent adequate time reviewing and detailing the appropriate methods to utilize while identifying vegetation.”
– Past Participant
“I’m now comfortable identifying a number of plants covered in the class, as well as becoming proficient at using the plant guides. The process of identifying plants on my own was a valuable learning experience and a good way to put the knowledge gained in the class to use quickly.”
– Past Participant
Continuing Education Credits
The Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation: North course is approved for 1.5 Rutgers CEUs (15 contact hours), as well as the following credits from professional organizations.
New Jersey
NJ Certified Public Works Managers (CPWM): 3 Technical and 3 Management Contact Hours
NJ Health Officers and Registered Environmental Health Specialists (HO/REHS): Rutgers University, NJAES, Office of Continuing Professional Education has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Health as a provider of NJ Public Health Continuing Education Contact Hours (CEs). Participants who complete this education program will be awarded 12.0 NJ Public Health Continuing Education Contact Hours (CEs).
NJ Land Surveyors (NJLS): 12 credits
NJ Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRP): 6 Professional Development CECs (Course No. 2024-052)
NJ Professional Engineers: 12 Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) credits
New York
NY Landscape Architects: 4 hours CL; 10 hours EA
NY Professional Engineers/Land Surveyors: 12 hours
National
Society of American Foresters: 12.5 CFEs in Category 1
Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program (SWSPCP): 0.8 equivalent semester hours
Course Requirements and Policies
Technology Requirements
This online course will be delivered through Zoom via the Rutgers Canvas learning management system. Registrants will receive an email with a link to access the course shortly before the start date.
Please log into Zoom 15 minutes before the course start time to allow for any Zoom software updates. The course will start promptly at 8:00 am.
Equipment you will need to access this training:
- Laptop or desktop computers are required for this class.
- Speakers and microphone are not necessary as a call-in option is available.
Email Requirement
A unique email address is required for each registrant to register and access our courses.
- If this is your first time registering with us, please provide your own unique email address when registering; do not provide an email address that you share with co-workers.
- If you have previously taken classes with us and have used an email address that you share with your co-workers or supervisor, your account must be updated with a unique email address. To do this, please send an email to us at registration@njaes.rutgers.edu stating that your email address needs to be changed and include:
- Your full name
- The shared email address that needs to be changed
- Your unique email address
- A phone number where you can be reached if we have any questions
Photo ID Requirement
Each registrant will be asked provide a photo of him/herself holding their government-issued photo ID. This is required by credit boards so that you may receive credits for participating in this online course.
- You will receive a reminder email prior to the start of the class with further instructions. Wait to receive these instructions before you attempt to upload your ID.
- The photo must be clear enough that we can read your name and verify that the person pictured on the ID is in fact the person holding it.
- After an OCPE staff member reviews the picture and verifies your identity, you will have access to participate in the course when it begins.
Cancellations and Substitutions
A $100 cancellation fee applies for this course. Substitutions are permitted. View our cancellation policy.
Attention U.S. Veterans
This course is approved by the New Jersey State Approving Agency for Veterans Training for educational benefits through the GI Bill®. Learn more.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Program Questions? We’re Here to Help!
If you have any questions about Vegetation Identification for Wetland Delineation: North, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Program Coordinator: Suzanne Hills
848-932-7234
suzanne.hills@rutgers.edu
Administrative Assistant: Amy Smith
848-932-7764
amy.smith70@rutgers.edu
For registration assistance, please contact our Registration Department at 848-932-9271, option 2 or email registration@njaes.rutgers.edu.
