2026 SER Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference

Registration

The registration deadline for the 2026 SER Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference has been EXTENDED to Friday, September 11, 2026! Please complete this Google Form to register! Registration rates are listed in the table below. There is no additional fee to attend conference field trips.

Registration Rates

Member	$ 150.00
Non-Member	$ 200.00
Student	$ 50.00

Conference Schedule

Day 1 – Thursday, September 24, 2026: Presentations

8:00 – 8:40: Check-In
8:40 – 8:50: Greeting/Introduction – Nathan Heavers, Associate Professor and Graduate Director of Landscape Architecture at Temple University
8:50 – 9:50: Keynote Speaker – Beth Styler Barry, Director of Freshwater Programs at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey
9:50 – 10:00: Break
10:00 – 12:00: Plenary Session 1
- 10:00 – 10:20: From Urban Fill to Tidal Wetland: Restoring Ecological Function at FDR Park – Mike Trumbauer
- 10:20 – 10:40: Use of Stage 0 Design Approach in Remediation of the Good Spring Abandoned Mine Reclamation Floodplain Reconnection Project – David Goerman
- 10:40 – 11:00: From Watershed Action to Floodplain Restoration: Advancing Ecological Recovery in the Goose Creek Watershed – Ben Uhler and Michael Dunn
- 11:00 – 11:20: Lessons Learned: Restoration of the John A. Roebling Memorial Park, the Northernmost Freshwater Tidal Marsh on the Delaware River – Mark Gallagher
- 11:20 – 11:40: eDNA, a Biodiversity Monitoring Tool to Evaluate Macroinvertebrate Response to Environmental Restoration – Kathryn Bartling
- 11:40 – 12:00: Beyond the Public Meeting: How Stakeholder Engagement Improves Ecological Restoration Outcomes – Dana Patterson Grear
12:00 – 12:30: Lunch
12:30 – 1:30: Ecological Restoration Career Path Panel / Campus Nursery Tour
1:30 – 2:50: Plenary Session 2
- 1:30 – 1:50: Variation in Initial Site Conditions Affects the Structural and Compositional Outcomes of Temperate Reforestation Treatments – Christian Stoltz and Jessica Schedlbauer
- 1:50 – 2:10: Urban Silviculture and Fragmentary Forestry: Restoring Ecological Function in the Developed Landscapes of the Delaware River Watershed – Michael Dunn
- 2:10 – 2:30: The Pennsylvania Priority Grasslands Project – Emma Keele and Alexa Kennel
- 2:30 – 2:50: Partnering for Revitalization: Bringing Green Infrastructure Strategies to Brownfield & Infrastructure Projects to Promote Community Resilience – Martin McHugh
2:50 – 3:00: Break
3:00 – 4:00: Keynote Speaker – Ray Hinkle, Senior Technical Director for AKRF Inc.
4:00 – 5:00: Poster Session
5:30 – 7:00: Chapter Social/Happy Hour – Location TBD

Day 2 – Friday, September 25, 2026: Field Trips

8:00 am to 5:00 pm (See field trip locations and summaries listed on our Conference Field Trips page).

Abstracts

We are now accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations on Day 1 of the conference. Please complete this Google Form to submit an abstract. Abstracts are due on Friday, August 7, 2026. Abstracts related to the conference theme, Delaware Valley Restoration, will be prioritized for oral presentation. Poster presentations may include any restoration topic relevant to the Mid-Atlantic region. Abstract acceptance will be provided by Friday, August 14, 2026.

Hotel Accommodations

A group rate has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia/Ft. Washington hotel (530 Pennsylvania Avenue, Ft. Washington, PA 19034) for the nights of September 23 and September 24. Please use this booking link and the group code of 509 to book your room under our group rate. The deadline to book your room under this group rate is Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The pick-up/drop-off location for the field trip bus will be at this hotel’s parking lot.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities are summarized below. Please contact Robert Wachter at robert.wachter@wsp.com to secure your sponsorship by August 28, 2026. Sponsor tables will be available for members to view during the conference check in, break/lunch sessions, and the poster session.

Level	Cost	# Available	Sponsor Benefits
Non-Profit/Community*	$150	Unlimited	1 free registration and sponsor table. *Eligible for organizations with < $2 million annual budget.
Student	$300	2	1 free registration and sponsor table. Covers the conference registration fee for 6 students.
Supporter	$500	8	1 free registration, logo on conference materials, and sponsor table.
Champion	$1,000	4	2 free registrations, logo on conference materials, and sponsor table.