W3 Seminar: A whirlwind tour of wetland work in water management

Details

Speaker: Kimberli Ponzio, Senior Professional Wetland Scientist, St. Johns River Water Management District

Abstract: At the St. Johns River Water Management District (District) we have four core missions: flood protection, water supply, water quality, and natural systems. During my 35-year career at the District, I have had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of projects that focus on the natural systems component of our mission, specifically in wetland ecosystems. My work is aimed at better understanding wetland ecosystem processes that serve as a basis for implementing science-based management strategies. I will introduce the group to several projects including: the establishment of environmental hydrologic criteria for restoring and conserving wetlands; management of invasive Carolina willow with mechanical and chemical treatments; restoration of wetlands from former agricultural lands using a phased approach; planting wetland plants for shoreline stabilization; and using GIS and machine learning to track plant community changes. Hopefully, students will gain an understanding of the variety of work that the District is engaged in and will realize the skills sets that they can potentially offer to help the District fulfill its mission.

Bio: Kimberli Ponzio has over 37 years of experience working in Florida wetlands. She got her education at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida, switching from a pre-med major to graduate studies in Wetland Ecology (Go Gators!). For 35 years, she has worked as an Environmental Scientist for the St. Johns River Water Management District. Kim has been certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist for 25+ years and has been involved in the Society of Wetland Scientists leadership since 2007. She was SWS President in 2015, SWS Professional Certification Program President in 2020, and currently serves on the SWSPCP Board of Directors as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Co-Chair.