The Society of Wetland Scientists has held annual meetings since 1980 when Clearwater, Florida was selected to be the first host city. Since then, 23 of the United States have played host with Louisiana being the only state that has hosted three times. The first annual SWS meeting outside the United States was held in June 1993 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Canada also hosted the second meeting outside the U.S.; in Québec as a joint meeting with INTECOL Wetlands Conference, International Peat Society and International Mire Conservation Group. In 2006, the Australian Chapter hosted the meeting in Cairns, Queensland.
The history of the SWS European Chapter is young as compared to the chapters in the U.S. Despite the fact that serious wetland research has been carried out in Europe for at least five decades, the Chapter was formed only in 2005 with the first meeting held in Bangor, Wales in January 2006. In 2007, the European Chapter meeting was held in Třeboň, Czech Republic and in 2008, the meeting took place at Kuressaare on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. In 2009, the meeting was organized in Erkner near Berlin, Germany and in 2009, the meeting was held in Tramore, Ireland.
The conference WETPOL (Wetland Pollutant Dynamics and Control) was initiated at the University of Ghent, Belgium where the first meeting was held in 2005. In 2007, the second WETPOL conference was organized in Tartu, Estonia and, in 2009, Barcelona, Spain hosted the third meeting.
The Wetland Biogeochemistry Symposium was first organized at the Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge in February 1991 to promote advanced research and application on biogeochemical processes that regulate elemental cycling in wetlands. During the 10th symposium held in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2007. After this meeting, the participants agreed to develop stronger ties with SWS and in February 2008, Wetland Biogeochemistry became an official section of SWS.
I am very pleased and honored that the SWS-Europe and the Czech Republic had a chance to host the joint conference of SWS, WETPOL and Wetland Biogeochemistry Symposium. The meeting brought together many researchers, scientists, regulators, decision-makers and other professionals from around the world who shared their knowledge on a variety of topics pertaining to natural and constructed wetlands.
Jan Vymazal
Chair of SWS-Europe
