On 1^st April, 2010, Beth Middleton, research ecologist from National Wetlands Research Center, USGS, carried out a two months visit as visiting professorship for senior international scientists in NEIGAE. Director He Xingyuan met with her in person, introduced the history and discipline of NEIGAE with great detail. It is hoped that USGS and NEIGAE would increase understanding and strengthen the academic communication through Professor Middleton’s visit. Professor Middleton also visited key laboratory of wetland science, Analysis and Testing Center, Chinese Wetland Herbarium and so on. She took great interest in the special focus of wetland study and laboratory equipment in NEIGAE and appreciated the monitoring network in field stations very much.　

On 9th April, Professor Middleton gave a talk entitled Climate change and flood pulsing in wetlands in the NO.3 meeting room in NEIGAE, which took about one hour. There are above 70 researchers and students attended the lecture. She first of all introduced her research on flood pulse’s impact on swamp biodiversity in Keoladeo National Park, Indian, and then explained her idea on climate change would alter drawdown/flooding, biodiversity patterns will shift, at last, she talked about reconnection of migration pathways and whether it is possible to move southern species northward. During the talk, Professor Middleton discussed about the humidity effect on the wetland plants under the background of global climate change and seed germination of clone plant and other hot issues. 

This talk is just a beginning of Professor Middleton’s two month visit in NEIGAE; she would also carry out research with Dr Jiang Ming on the restorability of formerly farmed areas from the perspective of re-establishing native vegetation, and biogeochemical function，develop seed bank study to examine the potential of seed banks of farmed areas to regenerate wetland vegetation. She would also give a series of talks on wetland restoration and English thesis writing.　　

　　Beth Middleton conducted long-time research on Wetland Ecology, Landscape Ecology and plant Ecology. Up until now, she has published two books and hundreds of papers. She was once worked as Secretary-General of the Society of Wetland Scientists（2002-2006）,associate chief-editor of wetlands, she now works as the United Status’s representative of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the International Society of Wetland Scientists Committee and editors for  a number of magazine. She was awarded as Fulbright Senior Specialist Candidate, (2006-2011), Society of Wetland Scientist Merit Award, (2004), Science Excellence Award, USGS, Central Region, (2004), STAR Award, USGS, President’s Service Award, International Society of Wetland Scientists, etc.