Delaware Wetlands Conference Registration

The 2026 Delaware Wetlands Conference offers two days of exploration into a plethora of wetland and natural resources presentations, networking opportunities, and hands-on activities.

Conference Registration
(Pay by Credit Card) Conference Registration
(Pay by Check)

Registration is available for both days of the conference or for one or the other of the two days. Registration rates differ by type (General, Student or Presenter) and by registration date — Early Bird (By Nov. 9, 2025), Regular (By Dec. 28, 2025) or Late (By Jan. 21, 2026).

Registration is now open. It closes on Jan. 21, 2026.

Registration Rates

Two Days	General Admission	Student or Presenter
Early Bird	$220	$180
Regular	$235	$185
Late	$260	$195
One-Day	General Admission	Student or Presenter
Early Bird	$175	$155
Regular	$200	$160
Late	$225	$170

Three smiling women pose in front of a wood panel.

Presenter registration must be pre-approved by DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program. Students must have a valid Student ID that will be requested at check-in.

Any cancellations will be refunded less a $75 processing fee before Jan. 9, 2026. After this date DNREC will not offer refunds. Registrations can be transferred at 1:1 until Jan. 21, 2026. To cancel or transfer a registration, please contact Olivia Allread at 302-739-9939.

The Conference Agenda

A detailed conference agenda for the 2026 Delaware Wetlands Conference is now ready for download. An overview of the conference days is shown below.

Day 1 – Tuesday, January 27

8:15 a.m.	Registration and Refreshments
9:45 – 10:15 a.m.	Opening Remarks and Welcome DNREC Secretary Gregory Patterson
10:20 – 11:55 a.m.	Morning Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)
Noon – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch Meetings Open to All
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.	Afternoon Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)
2:45 – 3 p.m.	Break and Refreshments
3 – 3:45 p.m.	Afternoon Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)
4:15 – 6 p.m.	Eat, Drink, and Connect: A Networking Event

Day 2 – Wednesday, January 28

8:15 a.m.	Registration and Refreshments
9:15 – 9:45 a.m.	Opening Remarks and Student Poster Awards
9:45 – 10:15 a.m.	Plenary Talk: Marla Stelk, National Association of Wetland Managers
10:20 – 11:55 a.m.	Morning Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)
Noon – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch Meetings Open to All
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.	Afternoon Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)
2:45 – 3 p.m.	Break and Refreshments
3 – 3:45 p.m.	Afternoon Breakout Sessions (3 Program Tracks)

Each breakout session presentation will be 15 minutes. The audience will have an additional five minutes to ask questions followed by a five-minute lapse to leave time to move between sessions.

Additional Information

The Delaware Wetlands Conference will include collaborative group meetings. The Society of Ecological Restoration Mid-Atlantic Chapter and Mid-Atlantic Wetlands Work Group will host meetings during the lunch hours of the conference.

The conference will feature field trips on both days, filled on a first-come-first-served basis. Join project partners from the City of Wilmington, Delaware Nature Society, RK&K and BrightFields, Inc. for a guided tour of the Southbridge Wilmington Wetlands Park. Registration is now open.

Professional credits and certificates of attendance are available for conference attendees. This event has been preapproved for 0.5 renewal credits under the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner Program and 9.5 credits under the National Association of Floodplain Managers Certified Floodplain Manager Program.

Dr. Robert Brooks Student Scholarship

Applications are now closed for the Dr. Robert Brooks Student Scholarship. Winners have been determined and will be recognized during the 2026 event.

Established in 2024, the Dr. Robert Brooks Student Scholarship is given to an outstanding college or high school student showing exemplary interest in wetlands and other aquatic resources.

This scholarship is given biennially to support student(s) to attend and encourage networking at the Delaware Wetlands Conference.

The scholarship fund is supported by a silent auction coordinated by the conference planning team.

Interested in donating an item to the Silent Auction in support of the scholarship fund? Please contact Gabriella Vailati at 302-739-9939.

Accommodations

There are a variety of hotels within walking distance or a short drive from the event venue, The Chase Center on the Riverfront. There will be rooms blocked for event attendees at a nearby hotel, within walking distance.

Hotel Block Information

The Westin Wilmington
+1-800-325-3589
Book rooms for the conference

Homewood Suites by Hilton Wilmington Downtown
+1 302-565-2100
Book rooms for the conference

Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront
+1 302-803-5888
Make reservations at hyattplace.com. Choose ‘Corporate or Group Code’ in the Special Rates box and enter “G-ADWC” or by call and mention the “Delaware Wetlands Conference” block.

Visiting Wilmington, Delaware

The City of Wilmington is easy to get to. It is located off I-95 and I-495, includes a nearby Amtrak/SEPTA station and is within 30 minutes of an international airport.

Parking at the conference venue is free, and The Wilmington Riverfront offers a variety of restaurants, hotels and local attractions.

Wilmington is a couple hours’ drive from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and is within a day’s drive of most of the eastern seaboard.

It is a small, easy-to-navigate city. The Delaware Wetlands Conference is centrally located and accessible to thousands.

Related Topics: conference, registration, watershed, wetlands