Conservation Professional Training Program

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
2021-10-05 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Hazel Thornton, Programme Officer for the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2021 marks the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – a ten-year effort to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Join us as we explore the how, what, where, when, and why of this global movement that aims to tackle poverty, combat climate change, and prevent mass extinctions through the restoration of degraded ecosystems.
Details here.

2021 Invasive Species Research Conference – Turning Science into Action
2021-10-06 - 2021-10-07
The 2021 Invasive Species Research Conference will take place virtually in an online event portal. Learn about current and published research from over 40 presenters in a variety of themed sessions. The event will also facilitate connections between invasive species researchers and practitioners in the Pacific Northwest.
Details here.

Climate Policy Forum
2021-10-06
The La Follette Forum: Climate Policy will feature morning and evening keynote addresses and six breakout sessions. The in-person event will feature several networking opportunities for participants, including an evening reception.
“We have an exciting agenda, top-notch panelists, and high expectations for engaging conversations about innovative solutions to one of our most challenging policy issues,” said Professor Greg Nemet, who is leading the conference with Assistant Professor Morgan Edwards.
Participants may watch the presentations in real-time or online after the conference. Breakout sessions will focus on:

Climate Science, Risk and Resilience
Climate Communication and Youth Mobilization
Agriculture and Negative Emissions
Utilities, Regulation, and Electricity
National and International Climate Policy
State and Local Climate Policy

Timber Marking for Wildlife
2021-10-06 09:00 - 15:30
More often than not landowners own their properties for aesthetic and wildlife purposes. In this workshop, we will explore in-field examples of how white-tailed deer and turkey habitat components can be incorporated into forest management plans. Specifically, while touring our recently developed Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Areas we will cover:

habitat considerations of white-tailed deer and wild turkey,
how to incorporate habitat components into MFL plans,
how to use silvicultural techniques (shelterwood, coppice, reserve islands, etc.) to create cover and forage, and
how to incorporate divergent goals (aesthetics, wildlife habitat, age class diversity, etc.) into management.

Details here.

Brine 101
2021-10-06 12:00 - 13:00
Looking for a primer on how to incorporate salt brine into your winter maintenance toolbelt? Matt Wittum, Town of Linn Highway Superintendent, is your man. Matt helped design and lead the smart salting training program in northern Illinois before jumping across the border. He has published several articles on brine use and is eager to assist others in any way he can.
Details here.

Grant-writing 101 and Grant Programs for Farmers
2021-10-06 12:00 - 13:30
Learn about grant programs for farmers and tips for putting together a successful grant project in this 2 day webinar series.
On October 6th Margaret Krome from the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute will cover basic principles of grant-writing, including how to design a sound project, when applying for a grant does or does not make sense, and how to find potential funding sources.
On October 7th a panel of grant program staff from USDA and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, and a farmer who has successfully applied for grants will cover some of the ins and outs of applying for specific grants.
You can register for just one day, but we encourage you to attend both days!
Details here.

Challenges Getting There in Relation to Production and Conservation
2021-10-07 10:30 - 11:30
A part of the Yale Forest Forum: The Future of Wood Building Products in a Changing Climate
Wood is a renewable resource that has wide material applications in many industries. Wood products sourced from sustainably managed forests store carbon and can play an important role in combating climate change. Recent innovations in the use of wood have led to the development of new products that can replace traditional fossil-based carbon-intensive materials, particularly in the construction and energy sectors. Understanding the potential environmental impacts and societal implications of increases in both conventional and emerging wood products across their respective life cycles, as well as their possible reuse in a circular construction economy, is critical in assessing the climate mitigation potential of wood vs. other materials.
What is the future role of forest products in addressing climate, resources, societal, and environmental challenges? What are the environmental, economic, and societal implications for using more forest products? Hear from speakers representing forestry, industrial ecology, architecture, conservation, and academia.
Details here.

PaddockTrac: A Web-Based Mobile Application for Managed Grazing Systems
2021-10-07 12:30 - 14:00
Join us for this webinar in which we will discuss a new wireless sensor, tethered to a smartphone and GIS-based web application, built to improve the efficiency of measuring/monitoring/managing forage systems.
Our presentation explains background information about the ecological and economic reasons to invest in measuring pasture productivity. We describe how PaddockTrac improves the process of measuring/monitoring/managing pasture systems. We highlight the infrastructure built to automate the data collection process and the tools to facilitate easier data interpretation. Our information provides producers the ability to be more proactive rather than reactive in managing forage systems.
Details here.

North East Workshop: Establish a Conservation Plan for your Land
2021-10-07 13:00 - 15:00
What’s the first and the most important step to stewarding your land for generations to come? Developing a conservation plan specific to your property that blends tested strategies with the unique nature of your land and your goals for it. Join us for an intensive session with a team of conservation experts and Conservation Coaches to identify tools, resources and funding opportunities to create your unique land conservation plan. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and network with other women landowners in your area.
Details here.

Road-Stream Crossing Tour
2021-10-13 08:30 - 17:00
Join us for a one-day road-stream crossing tour in Hayward. The tour will stop at several road-stream crossings in the Hayward area and the National Forest to showcase common signs of problems at crossings and on-the-ground designs that were used to address these problems. The tour will provide ample opportunity to discuss design techniques, short-term and long-term cost benefits of installing flood resilient structures, who can help you, and the planning and construction process involved with properly designed structures.
Register using this link by September 24 at https://conta.cc/3Ag3aVL
5 PDHs will be provided.
While we are hopeful we can safely host the event (a) there will likely be safety precaution measures along with a waiver of liability that all attendees must follow, and that information will be shared prior to the event; (b) there may be last minute changes to the structure of the event; and (c) the event could be cancelled if cases continue to rise. Your patience is appreciated while we navigate the difficult nature around hosting an in-person event during COVID.
Details here.

Multi-Discharger Variance in BITS, pt. II: Annual Reports
2021-10-14 09:00 - 10:30
We’ll talk about the reporting phase of your MDV projects: how to document implemented practices and submit a report to the DNR. We’ll cover common questions and advice for submitting the most meaningful data.
Intended audience: Counties participating in the MDV program, counties considering participating in the future, or any conservation staff interested in learning more about BITS
If you cannot attend this webinar, the recording will be posted on the UW-Extension’s DNR webinar YouTube page in the weeks following the session.
Info here.

Wood Products as Sustainable Materials
2021-10-14 10:30 - 11:30
A part of the Yale Forest Forum: The Future of Wood Building Products in a Changing Climate
Wood is a renewable resource that has wide material applications in many industries. Wood products sourced from sustainably managed forests store carbon and can play an important role in combating climate change. Recent innovations in the use of wood have led to the development of new products that can replace traditional fossil-based carbon-intensive materials, particularly in the construction and energy sectors. Understanding the potential environmental impacts and societal implications of increases in both conventional and emerging wood products across their respective life cycles, as well as their possible reuse in a circular construction economy, is critical in assessing the climate mitigation potential of wood vs. other materials.
What is the future role of forest products in addressing climate, resources, societal, and environmental challenges? What are the environmental, economic, and societal implications for using more forest products? Hear from speakers representing forestry, industrial ecology, architecture, conservation, and academia.
Info here.

How Climate Adaptation Helps to Manage Organizational Risk
2021-10-14 12:00 - 13:00
Climate action is a planetary necessity and also a strategic organizational imperative. If progress doesn’t measure up, organizations can face consequences, including investor, employee and community activism — as well as increased operational and financial risk.
Sustainability professionals are developing and operationalizing resilience and adaptation strategies that are scientifically valid, technically feasible and commercially viable. Yet, too often, these plans don’t sufficiently address potential operational risks. At the same time, enterprise risk management (ERM) teams often work from “back-casted” models that can lack a robust, updated view of rapidly evolving climate risks and the potential impact on the organization and its value chain.
Info here.

Climate Ghosts: Migratory Species in the Anthropocene
2021-10-14 16:00 - 17:30
Environmental historian Nancy Langston explores how climate change and the legacies of settler colonialism threaten the future of wildlife in the Anthropocene. She focuses on three “ghost species” in the Great Lakes watershed—woodland caribou, common loons, and lake sturgeon. Ghost species are those that have not gone completely extinct, although they may be extirpated from a particular area.
Info here.

2021-10-14 16:00 - 18:00
What’s the first and the most important step to stewarding your land for generations to come? Developing a conservation plan specific to your property that blends tested strategies with the unique nature of your land and your goals for it. Join us for an intensive session with a team of conservation experts and Conservation Coaches to identify tools, resources and funding opportunities to create your unique land conservation plan. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet and network with other women landowners in your area.
Info here.

Optimization in Energy and Environmental Systems
2021-10-14 16:15 - 17:15
Prof. Michael Ferris (Computer Sciences Department, UW–Madison) will discuss: Power grids across the world depend on optimization models that capture interactions between producers, transmission and consumers. The recent explosion of renewable supply such as wind, solar and hydro has led to increased volatility at different time scales. We develop optimization models that consider investment and fuel costs, emissions, electricity prices, and lost-load.
Info here.

Wisconsin Bison Producers Association (WBPA) Fall Conference
2021-10-15 - 2021-10-17
Info here.

Wetland Butterflies in Wisconsin
2021-10-15 10:30 - 11:30
Mike Reese is a self-taught insect enthusiast. Now retired, he has been a cook, botanist, high school math teacher, golf and basketball coach, and high school librarian. While he says he’s no Lepidoptera expert (just a guy who “spent lots of time wandering around, getting my feet wet and looking for whatever happens to be flying by”), others might disagree. He first started learning about butterflies with his son by exploring every nook and cranny of the prairies, swamps, and other nature near their home in Wautoma. He’s actively involved in the North American Butterfly Association, for which he moderates the national butterfly sighting pages, as well as the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association. As a photographer, he’s captured images of butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, tiger beetles, and robber flies.
Info here.

Life Hacks over Lunch: A Meet-up Series for Watershed Professionals
2021-10-15 11:30 - 12:30
This free, virtual meet-up series is a peer-learning opportunity for watershed professionals to share ideas and advice for solving real-life challenges of watershed projects.
If you work with farmers and communities on watershed-scale projects to improve water quality and have ever found yourself thinking, “I don’t want to recreate the wheel,” this meet-up series is for you.
In each meet-up, one person will kick things off by presenting a challenge or issue to the group to “hack.” Conversation, collaboration, and commiseration will ensue.
Join us for these informal gatherings of peers who share a passion for watershed work – and bring your lunch!
Info here.

Black Sustainability Summit
2021-10-16
​We are unapologetically committed to Sustainable, Liberated, Lifelong Learning Communities for people of Afrikan Descent. We envision Afrikan people living in sovereign communities dedicated to returning to the ways of our Ancestors living in harmony with nature, growing our own food and using the natural energies of air, fire, water and the earth to thrive.
We invite you to support our mission to mobilize committed people to exchange knowledge, implement skills and pool our resources to build sustainable communities throughout the Afrikan diaspora and the continent.
Our goal is to create interrelationships between Afrikans working across sustainability field and/or living in sustainable communities with those novices willing and ready to make the necessary sacrifice to create or become a part of a sustainable community.
Let’s collectively bridge the communication gap between those already working in sustainable communities globally.
Info here.

Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) Annual Conference
2021-10-18 - 2021-10-20
ASDWA Conference Exhibitors are public and private corporations, trade associations, and assistance providers to the water community. The focus of their exhibits includes treatment technologies, especially technologies appropriate for small systems and alternative technologies; water security technologies; and equipment such as membrane filtration, corrosion control, and disinfection. Also welcome are exhibitors that provide information and services on regulatory compliance; educational, training and assistance programs; and data management services and products.
Info here.

Minnesota Water Resources Conference
2021-10-19 - 2021-10-20
Immerse yourself in innovative, practical, and applied water resource engineering solutions, management techniques, and current research about Minnesota’s water resources. The Minnesota Water Resources Conference is an opportunity to address:

lessons learned from the implementation of engineering projects.
best practices discovered in the design and application of water resource management techniques.
implications of water policy decisions.
research into current and emerging issues.

Info here.

Esri Imagery Summit
2021-10-19 - 2021-10-20
As imagery and remote sensing continue to proliferate and diversify, your peers are developing software systems, tools, and analytical methods to harness their power. Join the remote sensing community at the 2021 Esri Imagery Summit and learn how you can use ArcGIS and geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) to extract meaningful information from your imagery and lidar faster than ever. Take control of your growing imagery collection. Network with your colleagues in person. Together we can secure and analyze aerial, stereo, oblique, and ground imagery, lidar, and terrain data to drive policy and make better business decisions.
Info here.

Commodity Super-Cycle Update
2021-10-19 10:00 - 11:00
The size of the 2021 crops is largely known as harvest progresses, with a much better handle on Chinese demand as well. What does that mean for crop fundamentals over the coming year, and how will the continued flow of fiscal and monetary stimulus impact how this money-rich market manages supply and demand in the months ahead? What have we learned about U.S. / China relations in the first year of the Biden Administration and how that might impact future demand for U.S. crops and meat products?
Info here.

Life from the Ashes: Exploring the Impact of Prescribed & Natural Fire on Insects and Other Invertebrates
2021-10-19 10:00 - 16:00
Ecosystems throughout North America evolved with wildfire. Today, prescribed fire is an important tool for managing habitat by maintaining open, early seral landscapes. Fire can greatly improve the value of habitat for insects and other invertebrates, often increasing species abundance and diversity, however, fire (both natural and prescribed) in the wrong place, at the wrong scale, or at the wrong time can have the opposite effect – negatively impacting invertebrate communities and their habitat.
Life from the Ashes will explore the positive and negative impacts of prescribed and natural fire related to insects and other invertebrates in landscapes across North America. The symposium will provide research and practical insights to inform natural areas professionals as they manage landscapes with fire.
Info here.

2021-10-19 12:00 - 13:00
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forest Ecology Working Group (FEWG) and NCTC, working in collaboration with many FWS programs and partners, have developed a monthly lecture series to address the 50-year decline of 3 billion birds through partnerships, conservation science and forest management. The series tells a compelling story about forest bird population declines, partnership opportunities, and forest management actions that can support bird population recovery and sustainability.
Info here.

4-part Digital Dialogue: What are healthy agroecosystems?
2021-10-19 12:00 - 13:30
Grassland 2.0 is hosting a 4-part Digital Dialogue focusing on the question – What are healthy agroecosystems? The digital dialogues will be held on the third Tuesday of the month from 12:00 – 1:30 PM CT this fall with the following schedule:
Tuesday, September 21st – Dan Smith
Tuesday, October 19th – Stephan van Vliet
Tuesday, November 16th – Thelma Heidel-Baker
Tuesday, December 7th – Adam Abel
The format will be a 45-minute presentation followed by a facilitated questions and answer session.

Create your spark: How to cultivate an innovative team
2021-10-19 13:00 - 14:00
Innovation is a term that is thrown around a lot.
We want our government agencies to be innovative, to be creative, to think outside the box, but agencies are also tasked with incredibly important missions that need stable and constant attention in order for them to be successful.
Join us online to learn how you can instill small-scale innovation like process improvements, and creative rethinking of outdated practices into your work to add a spark of creativity while still achieving the mission of your agency.
Info here.

Understanding patterns of fish kill events in Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes
2021-10-19 13:00 - 14:00
Fish kill events can serve as indicators of a changing environment, disease emergence, or stressors. Recent reviews of fish kill events in Minnesota and Wisconsin have revealed predictable patterns, which forecast an increased frequency of fish kill events as the climate warms. It is important that we improve the investigation and reporting of fish kill events, understand the underlying drivers, and develop management strategies to limit the impacts to protect ecosystem health.
Info here.

Wisconsin Sedimentation & Erosion Control Inspector (WISECI) Best Management Practices
2021-10-20 - 2021-10-21
Learn techniques to manage construction site stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and eliminate problems before they cause higher costs and slowdowns for your project. Save time and money by avoiding erosion and sediment releases. Learn about Wisconsin regulations and requirements for construction site inspection, EPA SWPPP requirements for inspections, proper documentation procedures, how to recognize poorly managed erosion and sediment control BMPs on construction sites, and guidance for keeping your projects in compliance with local, state and federal requirements. With this training, you’ll join the team of professionals with EPA SWPPP training and the Wisconsin-specific credentials of Wisconsin Sedimentation & Erosion Control Inspector (WISECI), as well as the Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services – Soil Erosion Inspector.
Info here.
