WEBVTT

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(bright upbeat music)

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- Hi, my name name is, Faye Healy.

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I'm a senior ecologist,

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I'm with the St. Paul District.

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Today, we are doing what we're calling,

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our delineation short course.

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So it's the second day

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it's a follow-up for our DA interns

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to learn a little bit more
about practical application

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of wetland delineation.

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- Basically as project managers,

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we're approving permits
for impacts to wetlands

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and we need to make sure when
we're talking about this,

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that we're talking about the correct areas

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and the size of the
wetlands really matters.

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So having those boundaries for the wetland

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is really important.

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So we've been out here today,

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kind of learning more about
how we can do our best

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to accurately determine what
those wetland boundaries are.

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- That is important because
we work in regulatory.

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So we're working to find that boundary

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between the wetland and the upland,

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and that helps us issue permits

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and make sure that we're
doing the correct thing

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for moving forward.

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The thing I find most valuable

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about doing this kind of
training is that it really helps

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with that communication and collaboration,

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but it also just makes sure

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that everybody's on the same page.

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When we see a delineation
come across our desk,

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there's a lot of different
ways to review 'em

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but at least we're all
looking at the same things

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and finding the same
outcome time and time again.

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- For me, I got really excited

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about doing this soil digging.

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I don't have much of a soils background.

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I spend a lot of time with the plants,

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they're above ground,
it's what everyone sees,

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but it's definitely exciting to get in

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and get in the dirt and see
that there are different stories

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being told by the soils and learning

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that the different colors and textures

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all mean something different

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and that some of them indicate

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that you might be in a wetland

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and some of them say that
you are not in a wetland.

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So learning to tell
what the soil has to say

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about wetland delineation was exciting.

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- But when you have the staff

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that's been doing this a long time,

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there's a lot of institutional knowledge.

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And a lot of times they've
actually helped develop

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the delineation manuals themselves.

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And so, they give you some
background and knowledge

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that you never previously could have found

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that really helps bring
that next generation

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of project managers up into their roles.

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Minnesota and Wisconsin
have a lot of water

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and a lot of organic soils.

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So it's a lot different
than other parts of the U.S

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and other parts of the world.

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So you come in here and you're working

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in a lot more wetlands
than most areas have,

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and it makes it a lot more challenging,

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but also a lot more rewarding.

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(bright upbeat music)