Best Management Practices for Drill-Interseeding Cover Crops into Corn
2022-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Participants will learn how management practices and environmental conditions impact the performance of cover crops that are drill-interseeded into corn early in the growing season.
Participate in this training to learn how cover crop species selection, interseeding timing, corn management, herbicide selection and application timing impact performance of interseeded cover crops. Emphasis will be placed on how to adjust management practices based on conservation goals for interseeeding cover crops.
Info here.

The Wisconsin Shoreline Stabilization Outreach Project
2022-04-12 13:00 - 14:00
An Introduction to the WI Shoreline Stabilization Outreach Project. This webinar will discuss the process and participants involved with creating the publication as well as the background leading up to its development. We will introduce the publication, discuss the four levels or categories of stabilization and the appropriate site conditions for each practice.
Info here.

Integrated Weed Management in Cropping Systems
2022-04-12 13:00 - 14:00
Marty Williams, Ecologist at the Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit in Urbana, IL
USDA – ARS and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) are co-hosting 10 webinars on weed science and research.
Info here.

Mechanization of Reduced Tillage Systems at Aurora Del Camp Farm, Spain
2022-04-12 15:00 - 16:00
Gilad Buzi of Aurora Del Camp Farm with discuss mechanization for his no-till peri-urban farm. His system uses compost, ramial wood chips, and a high degree of mechanization. In Europe, Gilad has access to a different range of small scale tools, which can make organic no-till more efficient, and gives those of us in the US plenty to think about.
Info here.

Modeling Lake Ecosystem Change in Socio-environmental Systems to Improve Water Resources Management
2022-04-12 16:00 - 17:00
Speaker: Nicole Ward, Water Resources Ecologist, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Info here.

Wisconsin Sedimentation & Erosion Control Inspector (WISECI) Best Management Practices
2022-04-13 - 2022-04-14
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.

Stormwater Workshop
2022-04-13 - 2022-04-14
This two-morning webinar offers stormwater professionals a chance to hear experts from around the state share their experiences in: Separating basements from groundwater; TMDL compliance plans; Leaf management; Road salt minimization; BMP cost estimate; Dewatering; BMP inspection; Designing green infrastructure. Also, included are some updates to DNR stormwater BMP technical standards, Endangered Resources review, streambank stabilization, dredging streams, and more. Only individuals registered will be eligible for PDH credits.
Info here.

Clean Lakes 101: Lake Mendota – The Good, The Bad, The Present
2022-04-13 08:00 - 09:00
Lake Mendota is a beloved resource for thousands of people, but many don’t know that it has a rich history of testing scientific hypotheses. Often cited as the most studied lake in the world, it has been researched extensively since the 1880’s. This talk will chronologically cover how Lake Mendota has undergone large shifts in its food web and water quality over the last several decades. It will also incorporate current research to better understand the current state of the lake in anticipation for what the future might hold.
Info here.

Farming Native Seed for the Future: Considering Evolutionary Potential and Ecological Function
2022-04-13 09:00 - 10:00
Agricultural seed production is needed to meet ambitious restoration goals, which will require more seeds than can be harvested from wild populations. However, there may be direct conflicts between traits that are favorable in conventional agriculture and those that are adaptive in restoration settings, which could have long-lasting impacts on restored communities. Here, we review some of these evolutionary and ecological conflicts and suggest research directions needed to meld the needs of agriculturalists and restoration practitioners. Partnerships between ecologists, engineers, breeders, and growers are essential to develop best practices for providing seeds for successful native species restoration.
Info here.

Should I be planting soybeans first, planting green? Pros and cons and a calculator to compare the economics of conventional vs soil health field practices
2022-04-13 12:30 - 13:30
The Badger Crop Connect series provides agronomists, crop consultants and farmers timely crop updates for Wisconsin.
Info here.

Source Water Protection
2022-04-13 14:00 - 15:00
We all deserve to have safe clean drinking water that we can trust. In order to do that, we need to ensure we are protecting water at the source – whether that is groundwater or surface water. Tune in this month’s edition of The Current Webinar as we focus on this important topic. We will hear about the Source Water Collaborative, learn how Kansas is working to protect drinking water through improved soil health, and hear how extension is working with communities on source water protection planning. Join us!
Info here.

Wetlands, Flooding, and the Clean Water Act
2022-04-13 14:00 - 15:00
The National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) offers a Hot Topics Webinar Series that focuses on timely issues and studies such as new and emerging wetland policy and law, innovative tools and technology and state-of-the-art practices. These webinars are advertised through our website, newsletters, social media and emails.
Info here.

The Northeast Drought Early Warning System
2022-04-13 15:00 - 16:00
A four year (2022 – 2026) strategic action plan for the Northeast, the Drought Early Warning System will soon be released by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). This plan identifies outcomes and activities that will move national and regional drought response from a reactive posture to a more proactive posture. Within NIDIS, a regional Drought Early Warning System utilizes new and existing networks of federal, tribal, state, local, and academic partnerships to make climate and drought science accessible and useful for decision makers and stakeholders. This webinar will highlight touchpoints with the mission of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. These touchpoints include eco-drought research and drought monitoring, work with indigenous peoples on climate adaptation, improving stream flow forecasts to enhance water management and much more. As a part of the “whole of government” approach to climate resilience, our agencies can leverage these touchpoints to address drought impacts both in the Northeast and across the nation.
Info here.

Introduction to Insecticides
2022-04-13 16:30 - 17:30
Insecticides are an integral part of pest management in modern agriculture, but are also commonly the focus of public scrutiny over human health and environmental safety concerns. This seminar will broadly cover the history of the development of different major types of insecticides, and highlight the trends in insecticide technology and use through time. We will cover how the major groups of insecticides kill insect pests, and what potential risks they each carry for human and environmental health.
Info here.

CBCW Virtual Training - Oneida County & Vilas County
2022-04-13 18:00 - 19:00
This Clean Boats, Clean Waters training is for those who have never performed watercraft inspections and conversed with boaters at the landing, but is also a refresher for those who would like a reminder and some practice before heading out to the landings this summer.
Info here.

Optimizing Ecosystem Service Provisioning through Tree Planting Strategies that account for Community Health and Demographics
2022-04-14 10:30 - 11:30
Increasing relevance of ecosystem services in decision-making requires interdisciplinary efforts that are grounded in community needs. The City of Cincinnati has over 300,000 residents and would like to implement tree planting to promote resilience. To ensure resilience goals are pursued in an equitable and socially just manner, the City of Cincinnati engaged in an interdisciplinary partnership where planners, foresters, GIS specialists and environmental justice scholars determined neighborhoods to prioritize for tree planting based on need for flood prevention, heat mitigation, and air purification. The assessment accounted for access, susceptibility, and equity patterns, and integrated tree canopy, demographic, health, and risk data to assess community need.
Info here.

What is Clean Water Worth? Values, Threats, Tradeoffs, and Equity Implications
2022-04-14 18:00 - 19:00
The topic will be “What is clean water worth? Value, threats, tradeoffs, and equity implications.” Her interdisciplinary approach highlights connections among perceptions of value, the use of environmental resources, and social justice.
Bonnie Keeler, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Co-Director Center for Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, University of Minnesota. Dr. Keeler’s work focuses on the communication of water management and policy, and the intersection of sustainability science and environmental economics. Her interdisciplinary approach highlights connections among percepts of value, the use of environmental resources, and social justice. This free lecture will be of interest for those who are interested in environmental studies, natural sciences, social justice, sustainable business and public policy.
Info here.

Apple Grafting Workshop
2022-04-15 - 2022-04-16
There was a time in America when the ability to increase apple trees through grafting was common knowledge. Imagine a time when friends and neighbors shared their favorite trees freely with each other. And, if you had a tree that was truly wonderful, you could simply graft 10 or 20 more for your own orchard. Through the apple grafting workshop offered by Seed Savers Exchange, those days can return. With a good knife and some practice, anyone can graft new trees.
Info here.

Whooping crane conservation in Wisconsin
2022-04-15 10:30 - 11:30
Join Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator Stephanie Schmidt to learn about the International Crane Foundation’s whooping crane reintroduction and community building efforts in Wisconsin and beyond. The whooping crane is a charismatic wetland species and a large white bird around 5 feet tall, making it the tallest bird in North America. In the 1940s the population reached an all-time low of around 20 birds, but through federal protections and collaborative efforts, this population is now around 800 individuals in the wild and in captivity. The International Crane Foundation is also working with communities in the Whooping crane’s flyways to create stewardship and guardianship for these incredible birds.
Info here.

Threats and Opportunities for Conservation - Bumble Bee Short Course for Community Scientists
2022-04-15 12:00 - 13:30
Free, weekly webinars to build skills of community scientists interested in bumble bee biodiversity, ecology and conservation.
Info here.

Soil Talk 2.0 for Women Farmland Owners
2022-04-15 12:00 - 14:30
Do you need to have better conversations with your farmer? Learn how equipment, weather, and the timing of planting and termination can impact your soil health journey. Learn how better soil health is like insurance for your topsoil. We’ll dig into cover crops, strip-till or no-till, new types of soil testing, and how you can discuss them with your farmer. A surprise guest will help you test your skills!
Info here.

Nutrient Management Program Sharing Session
2022-04-19 10:00 - 11:30
This webinar will give conservation staff the opportunity to discuss nutrient management and share tips and tricks. During registration we will ask that you submit questions and/or discussion topics to help guide our conversation. 1.5 Nutrient Management CEUs will be offered.
Info here.

The Policy Context for Bioenergy
2022-04-19 10:30 - 11:30
A comprehensive discussion of relevant policies for forest bioenergy must include the entire life cycle of the material, including land use and feedstock production (i.e., harvesting woody biomass) as well as energy production. The use of the residuals of wood product manufacturing has a long history as a sustainable thermal bioenergy source, but new bioenergy processes (e.g., the use of wood pellets) have emerged. To achieve deep decarbonization, providing alternatives to fossil fuel use as well as promoting carbon sequestration will be necessary. The net benefit of forest bioenergy as an alternative to fossil fuel use has generated controversy, not least of which is how the carbon flows through the life cycle. Policy vehicles that address land use issues, carbon accounting, Federal vs state-based oversight and the positioning of forest bioenergy as a renewable fuel will be explored.
Info here.

Value Chains - Regenerative Grazing Marketplace
2022-04-19 11:00 - 12:30
Join the Embarras Grazing Partnership for a two-part series examining value chains and the profitability potential of pasture-based livestock production!
In Part 1, we will discuss value chains for pasture-based livestock. Jodee Smith, Assistant Director of the IU Food Institute, will share the top ways producers can develop or join a market-based food system. We’ll also get a first-hand account from grazier Joseph Fischer of Fischer Farms. Joseph will discuss their operation and how they have found their place in the value chain.
Info here.

Climate Adaptation for Forest-Dependent Wildlife Webinar Series
2022-04-19 12:00 - 13:00
This 12-part series tells a story about climate change and its impacts on forest ecosystems and forest dependent wildlife species. We will examine forest ecosystems and their composition and structure under a changing climate, and the influence on wildlife populations and carbon dynamics. We will also share tools and management approaches to help facilitate forest and wildlife climate adaptation at both landscape and stand scales.
Info here.

Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad: A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu
2022-04-19 13:00 - 14:00
Climate change has impacted and will continue to impact indigenous peoples, their lifeways and culture, and the natural world upon which they rely, in unpredictable and potentially devastating ways. Many climate adaptation planning tools fail to address the unique needs, values, and cultures of indigenous communities. This Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu, which was developed by a diverse group of collaborators representing tribal, academic, intertribal, and government entities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, provides a framework to integrate indigenous and traditional knowledge, culture, language, and history into the climate adaptation planning process. The Menu is an extensive collection of climate change adaptation actions for natural resource management, organized into tiers of general and more specific ideas. It also includes a companion Guiding Principles document, which describes detailed considerations for working with tribal communities. Primarily developed for the use of indigenous communities, tribal natural resource agencies, and their non-indigenous partners, this Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu may be useful in bridging communication barriers for non-tribal persons or organizations interested in indigenous approaches to climate adaptation and the needs and values of tribal communities.
Info here.

Non-Crop Systems: Advancements in Weed Biocontrol Tools
2022-04-19 13:00 - 14:00
Melissa Smith, Research Ecologist at the Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, FL
USDA – ARS and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) are co-hosting 10 webinars on weed science and research.
Info here.

Microirrigation for Small Vegetable Farms
2022-04-19 13:00 - 14:00
Join us as we discuss the basics of microirrigation terminology, layout, components, planning and design considerations with emphasis on small vegetable farms within the context of NRCS Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) Code 441 (Irrigation Systems, Microirrigation) and its criteria.
Microirrigation is defined as frequent application of small quantities of water as drops or miniature streams and spray through emitters or applicators placed along a water delivery pipeline. Micro, or more specifically drip, irrigation is the most preferred method of irrigating vegetables in urban and rural settings. Small vegetable farms in rural and peri-urban settings typically range from a fraction of an acre to a few acres in size that may also include low and high tunnels. In urban settings, it is used to irrigate a host of backyard small containers and raise beds, rooftop plots, and larger community gardens to name a few. Regardless of the size, microirrigation systems must be planned, designed, installed, and maintained properly or the system will perform poorly or even fail. The focus in this webinar is on small vegetable farms in rural settings with limited discussion on the unique challenges faced by irrigating in inner-city and urban environments. Access to capital, reliable water with acceptable quality, and initial design and installation are a few of the challenges facing adoption of microirrigation in small vegetable farms. Proper operation and maintenance are equally important. Observations suggest there is a lack of desire on the part of most third-party designers to engage small settings and a need for enhancing farmers’ technical knowledge of micro systems. This webinar is intended to enhance in-house awareness of key planning and design considerations for microirrigation in small vegetable farms with participants also exposed to design tools, templates, example design, and other information resources, handouts, and factsheets.
Info here.

Gardening in Community Gardens - Get Ready and Grow
2022-04-19 17:30 - 18:30
Gardening in community gardens or small spaces can have challenges in addition to those that every gardener faces. In this program, we will talk about soil health, proper planting techniques, and weed control so you can improve the health and productivity of your garden plot for the upcoming growing season. This is a free and in-person program. No pre-registration required, please arrive on time.
Info here.

Conservation Districts Delivering Conservation Programs & Services When Not Co-located in a USDA Service Center
2022-04-20 09:00 - 10:00
Join us for a webinar on Conservation Districts delivering effective conservation programs & services when not co-located in a USDA Service Center. Participants will receive examples, tips and recommendations from across the nation from conservation district leaders that have been operating their districts in their facilities separated from NRCS.
Info here.
