Call for Proposals: 2026 National Marine Educators Association Conference

We’re excited to share that the Women’s Aquatic Network is serving as an Affiliate Organization for NMEA 2026: Meeting of the Waters, taking place July 12–16, 2026 in Cambridge, Maryland. As part of this partnership, our members are encouraged to submit session proposals for a dedicated WAN Track of Sessions within the conference program. This track will highlight innovative programs, research, professional learning, and community-based approaches led by our community. Proposals are submitted through NMEA’s standard Call for Proposals process, and submissions from our members will receive priority consideration during review. NMEA’s national conference brings together educators, researchers, and practitioners from across the country to advance ocean and aquatic literacy through learning, collaboration, and connection.

Call for Proposals are open: January 1–February 28, 2026

Learn more and submit a proposal: https://www.marine-ed.org/2026

POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

Due to snow and icy sidewalk conditions, we’re postponing the Women’s Aquatic Network 2026 Kickoff Happy Hour originally scheduled for Thursday, January 29th. The event will now take place one week later on Thursday, February 5th.

Celebrate the start of the year with a WAN community happy hour. Swing by McGinty's Public House in Silver Spring for networking and good conversation. All are welcome!

RSVP here to let us know if you’ll be dropping by.

We warmly invite you to join us for an evening of holiday cheer as we celebrate this significant milestone in WAN’s history!

WAN member ticket | $35

Non-member ticket | $60

Bundle: Ticket + 2026 Student Membership | $65

Bundle: Ticket + 2026 Professional Membership | $75

WAN holiday ornament | $10

Register here

Join Executive Board member Michelle Levano for a virtual LinkedIn workshop. Come with questions - this is your time to focus on your online outreach and networking though LinkedIn!

WAN members | FREE

Non-members | $10

Register here

This event continues the Reservoir Center Careers for Change series that empowers professionals to harness their skills and energy to have a positive impact on the world around them.

As the climate crisis intensifies, we must confront the realities of what’s at stake while holding fast to the belief that change is possible. Join a community dedicated to building a sustainable future by putting their skills, energy, and passion to work. Share what drives you and connect with others who are turning climate anxiety into climate action.

Doors open at 5:30. Event will start promptly at 6:15. Light bites and drinks will be served.

RSVP here

*Thanks to our sponsors, we've been able to reduce the cost of the limited remaining tickets!

Join us and the National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board on Wednesday, October 22nd for our annual Speed Mentoring event. This event provides an opportunity to connect across different professional levels within the DC aquatic community. Much like “speed dating,” speed mentoring allows individuals to meet one-on-one for a short period of time to gain advice and feedback for career growth and opportunities before moving to the next person in the queue.

$20 for WAN members* | $35 for non-members (registration includes food and non-alcoholic drinks)

Register here

*WAN memberships purchased after October 1, 2025 also cover the 2026 calendar year.

Register for the event here

In turbulent times, finding ways to cultivate inner calm can feel daunting. It's easy to get swept up in the current of schedule and routine as we move through busy days, distracted and distressed. Thankfully, there are ways to invite more ease and clarity, both individually, and with the support of community. For many, spending time outdoors relaxes the nervous system and reminds us that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. This workshop, rescheduled from June, will bring mindful awareness to the sense of peace our natural environment provides and invite slow, sustained attention to calm our inner energetic waters. Working alongside Rock Creek, we'll take guidance from the water's movement as we contemplate how our own emotions move and flow within us.

Nature journaling is one method to disrupt the regular current of daily life and access a flow more in sync with the natural rhythms around us. Nature journaling is an ancient practice which combines elements of scientific inquiry, drawing, writing and mindfulness to connect with the wonders of the natural world around us. Tapping into curiosity and deep, sustained attention, participants will use the tools of journaling to practice judgement-free observation using all 5 senses. Through community reflection and sharing, we will build upon the ideas of one another to foster a deeper sense of place, groundedness, and support. Mindful awareness will be practiced through guided meditation and applied within each journaling exercise.

This workshop will be led by seasoned educator and environmental education researcher, Lindi Shepard. Whether you are brand new to the practice of nature journaling or a long-time practitioner, every participant will find new lenses to frame their experience, expand their practice, and reflect on the wonders of the more-than-human world. 

Journals and basic writing implements will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies. 

In case of rain, this event will be rescheduled for the following week, Saturday, September 27th at the same time.

Lindi Shepard is the Teaching Fellowship Director at Words in the Wild, an organization dedicated to improving early literacy through joyful, nature-based experiences. She is working towards a Ph.D. in Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she conducts research on how people learn in and about the natural world at the Social Psychology in Education and the Environment (SPiEE) Lab. Lindi developed a keen interest in the learning sciences as a classroom teacher, inspired by watching children play and co-construct knowledge in community. She is particularly interested in how we learn in collaboration with the more-than-human world, leveraging curiosity and play to build place-based connection and an ethos of collective stewardship. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Join the Women’s Aquatic Network and DC EcoWomen at the Reservoir Center for an engaging evening focused on the unique journeys of women working in the water sector. Through candid conversations and interactive breakout discussions, we’ll explore how professionals have navigated career shifts—whether moving between sectors, stepping into leadership roles, or shifting into new specialties—while building cross-sector impact in water. This event offers insight, inspiration, and connections for attendees at all stages of their water careers.

Event Schedule

5:30 pm Doors Open / Happy Hour

6:00 pm Welcome

6:05 pm Panel - Cross-Sector Impact in Water

Rabia Chaudhry, PhD, PE, Director of Water Supply Resilience, DC Water

Dr. Miriam Goldstein, Executive Director, National Ocean Protection Coalition

Tosca Lichtenheld, Head of Federal & Defense, Sofar Ocean

Moderator: Bria Jamison, DC EcoWomen

6:45 pm Transition into “Knowledge Cafes” (breakouts - knowledge sharing)

7:15 pm Thank you and closing

RSVP here

Subscribe to the DC EcoWomen newsletter

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Spend a day outdoors with WAN! We'll be going on a 4-mile hike in Sky Meadows State Park and then meeting for apple picking at Hollins Farm. Join us for one or both activities, and kids are welcome! We will be reaching out to registered attendees to discuss potential carpooling.

RSVP for one or both activities here

Join the Reservoir Center for an inspiring and insightful event celebrating the journeys of water and environmental professionals who have transitioned from federal service to roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  During the evening, you’ll hear former federal leaders share their experiences, lessons learned, and the opportunities that lie beyond government service.

Whether you’re considering your next career move or simply curious about the evolving landscape of water and environmental jobs in DC, this is a unique opportunity to connect and be inspired. This is not a hiring fair, you can expect candid conversations about career transitions and will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and build community.

If you need a refresh of your LinkedIn profile picture, there will be a headshot station. Dress is business casual. Light bites and drinks will be served. Doors open at 5:15.

This event is geared towards current and former federal employees and contractors, students, and anyone interested in exploring environmental and water career opportunities in the DC metro area that are outside of the Federal Sector.

Learn more and RSVP here

Dive into a flowing fusion of strength and serenity! Join us for this special Ocean Month barre class at Barre3 Bethesda where we'll move like kelp swaying in underwater currents while building ocean-strong muscles.

Come ready to sway, strengthen, and make waves with your fellow ocean lovers. All levels welcome – prepare to feel as fluid and powerful as the sea itself! Class starts at 5:45PM, please plan to show up 10-15 minutes prior to class.

NOTE: Registration will close June 13th in order to have time to get information to the studio. Please purchase your ticket before then!

Register here

Register for event here

In turbulent times, finding ways to cultivate inner calm can feel daunting. It's easy to get swept up in the current of schedule and routine as we move through busy days, distracted and distressed. Thankfully, there are ways to invite more ease and clarity, both individually, and with the support of community. For many, spending time outdoors relaxes the nervous system and reminds us that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. This workshop will bring mindful awareness to the sense of peace our natural environment provides and invite slow, sustained attention to calm our inner energetic waters. Working alongside Rock Creek, we'll take guidance from the water's movement as we contemplate how our own emotions move and flow within us.

Nature journaling is one method to disrupt the regular current of daily life and access a flow more in sync with the natural rhythms around us. Nature journaling is an ancient practice which combines elements of scientific inquiry, drawing, writing and mindfulness to connect with the wonders of the natural world around us. Tapping into curiosity and deep, sustained attention, participants will use the tools of journaling to practice judgement-free observation using all 5 senses. Through community reflection and sharing, we will build upon the ideas of one another to foster a deeper sense of place, groundedness, and support. Mindful awareness will be practiced through guided meditation and applied within each journaling exercise.

This workshop will be led by seasoned educator and environmental education researcher, Lindi Shepard. Whether you are brand new to the practice of nature journaling or a long-time practitioner, every participant will find new lenses to frame their experience, expand their practice, and reflect on the wonders of the more-than-human world. 

Journals and basic writing implements will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies. 

In case of rain, this event will be rescheduled for the following week, Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at the same time.

Lindi Shepard is the Teaching Fellowship Director at Words in the Wild, an organization dedicated to improving early literacy through joyful, nature-based experiences. She is working towards a Ph.D. in Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she conducts research on how people learn in and about the natural world at the Social Psychology in Education and the Environment (SPiEE) Lab. Lindi developed a keen interest in the learning sciences as a classroom teacher, inspired by watching children play and co-construct knowledge in community. She is particularly interested in how we learn in collaboration with the more-than-human world, leveraging curiosity and play to build place-based connection and an ethos of collective stewardship. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Join the Women's Aquatic Network and Surfrider DC for a World Ocean Month happy hour to kick off Capitol Hill Ocean Week!

All are welcome. Let us know if you're planning to stop by.

This 60-minute session will cover what to expect with today's interview processes and will give you best practices for telling your professional story, getting into the right mindset for interviews, how to answer tough behavioral questions, using AI for interview prep, and using interviews to ensure the employer and job are aligned with your career goals.

Stephanie Mansueto is a Senior Corporate Recruiter and Job Hunt Coach that helps mid and senior social impact professionals land jobs with mission-driven organizations. She has recruited professionals in the areas of global health, health systems strengthening, conservation, agricultural development, natural resource management, food security, and climate change. She's worked with medium and large global for-profit companies and non-profits in marketing, talent acquisition, operations, program management, and business development giving her a strong understanding of corporate dynamics and operations. She helps job seekers develop and implement all aspects of a modern, strategic job search including identifying target employers and jobs, resume and LinkedIn optimization, networking, interview prep, and compensation negotiations. Based outside of Philadelphia, Stephanie enjoys all things outdoors from hiking to canyoneering to whitewater rafting.

Register here

If you are interested in the event, but cost is prohibitive to your attendance, please email us at contact@womensaquatic.org for options.

Get on the water this spring! Join the Women's Aquatic Network and the Reservoir Center for a group boat tour hosted by the Anacostia River Explorers. The tour will discuss topics like the history of the Anacostia and its surrounding communities, environmental threats, river wildlife, infrastructure along the river, and anything else you’d want to know.

After the tour, join us for ice cream at Ice Cream Jubilee to discuss what we saw. Spaces are limited, so register today!

Register here

Join the Reservoir Center for the next event in the Careers for Change series!

How resilient is your community? What empowers a community to greater resilience for all? 

Connected communities are at the core of resilience.  Communities are the crucial social fabric that allow us to survive, adapt, and thrive together.

Building resilient communities today is essential, especially for those protecting the environment and human health. Connect with a community of professionals using their careers to reimagine how we can address the world’s biggest challenges. Share what drives you and connect with others – peers and seasoned pros – striving to have a positive impact on the world.

This event continues the Reservoir Center Careers for Change series that empowers young people to harness their skills and energy to have a positive impact on the world around them.  

Everyone is welcome – college students, early and late career professionals, and folks simply looking for a supportive community. Free food and refreshments. Doors open at 5:30 PM and the event will begin at 6:30 PM. Keynote and Speakers will be listed soon.

Register here

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Closing Night: Out of Plain Sight

From Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia and Academy Award®-winning L.A. Times Studios, OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT is a cinematic exposé of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California.

Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most-advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills. The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Los Angeles Times journalist Rosanna Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean – and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Shorts: Protecting Local Waterways

The flowing waters of the Potomac and the Anacostia Rivers touch the lives of millions of people. At the confluence of these key waterways stands Washington, DC. In these two locally produced films, Potomac Protector and Reviving the Forgotten River, a complicated environmental history is investigated, and current restoration efforts are discussed from an action-oriented perspective.

Program will feature a conversation with filmmakers and experts.

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Pristine Seas: Filmmaking for Impact

Join the filmmaking team from National Geographic Pristine Seas, who are helping to protect the ocean’s vital places.

They’ll discuss their approach to storytelling for impact, using real world examples and stunning footage, from conception to protection. Pristine Seas' scientific researchers and filmmakers have contributed to the establishment of 29 of the largest marine protected areas in the world, covering more than 6.8 million square kilometers of ocean.

Q&A will include Scott Ressler (Executive Producer), Alex Verville (Senior Producer), Steve Spence (Producer), and Brian Newell (Senior Editor).

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

An Evening with Wendy Benchley

A Special Presentation by Wendy Benchley Reflecting on Ocean Conservation and the 50th Anniversary of Jaws

From uproarious stories of the early days of Jaws and filming on Martha’s Vineyard with a young, unknown director named Steven Spielberg, to working behind the scenes with multiple organizations and policy makers to help create more marine protected areas across the globe and stopping the practice of illegal fishing and shark finning, Wendy brings the ocean and the urgent need to protect it to life for audiences in a uniquely entertaining and engaging way.

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Upstream, Downriver: Uniting For Water Justice

Takes viewers into the heart of the battle for water justice. Powerful stories with frontline community activists are interwoven with historical context about landmark regulations that significantly reduced water pollution in the U.S. but failed to serve disadvantaged communities that are hardest hit by today’s climate crisis. 

Thinking about the stock market can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. The best way to break this down is to start talking about it! This Investing 101 seminar will cover three basic principles of investing: planning, timing, and rebalancing. Join Alexis Roth, a Sr. Client Relationship Specialist at Charles Schwab to explore how you can start to demystify the market and take ownership of your financial future.

Register here

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Fatal Watch

FATAL WATCH is a feature-length documentary exploring the mysterious disappearances of four marine observers, and what their fate reveals about the true cost of industrial over-fishing.

Part murder mystery and part ocean odyssey, FATAL WATCH features the work of a diverse group of international investigators working around the world to expose the true level of criminality at sea. The documentary team traveled from Fiji to Panama, Ghana to the Marshall Islands, Spain and the US to illustrate how tuna has become a prized commodity while human lives are sacrificed and evidence of environmental damage mounts. The film dives deep to expose how fish gets from the sea to our plate, and what we need to do to protect those who protect us on the ocean. Combining exclusive footage and critical access to key investigations, FATAL WATCH captures the powerful stories of marine observers who are literally dying to tell the truth.

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Drowned Land

In the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Kiamichi River is a bastion of eco-diversity. A Texas corporation seeks to dam and build a hydroelectric plant on the small river. For a group of locals, theirs is a generations-long struggle with resource extraction and displacement that began with the Trail of Tears. The story follows the river as its main character as the director also explores the effects of her Choctaw grandfather’s work for the Army Corps of Engineers - damming rivers throughout tribal land in Oklahoma. Interwoven are the stories of the river’s advocates—residents, Choctaw culture-keepers and scientists—who have come together to protect the river.

This year is the 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival! We’re bringing you a curated list of aquatic film options throughout the festival. As members of the WAN community, use discount code DCECOORG for 25% off paid programs. Explore the full DC Environmental Film Festival schedule here.

Chesapeake Rhythms + A Passion for Oysters

This film chronicles the essential rhythms of Chesapeake Bay: wind, tides, migrations of tundra swans, Monarch butterflies, shorebirds and eels.

These ancient migrations, annual rituals repeated repeated for millennia, weave a tapestry that enriches our lives and oblige Chesapeake dwellers to maintain our hugely important way station in this vaster scheme of comings and goings. The film will convey the beauties and mysteries of the fundamental, elemental Chesapeake.

The Waterfront Alliance, is offering their Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines training free to federal employees impacted by the change in administration. Spend an hour with Tom Klein, Waterfront Planning and Design Advisor for an overview of the program and have your questions answered.

If your work engages with waterfronts - such as coastal resilience, waterfront design, resilience planning, ports, offshore wind, marine biology, transportation and infrastructure, this course is for you!

This session is virtual and is open to all. Please share with your colleagues who might be interested.

Register here