The Soil and Water Conservation Society reserves the right to cancel any workshop. You must be registered as a conference attendee to attend all workshops. All technical workshops will be held on Sunday. The appropriate CCA and CEU’s information for each workshop will be posted on and updated up until the conference on this website. Additional information on CCA and CEUs can be found under this link.
Leadership development (Click here for workshop agenda)
Obtaining CEUs for meetings, conferences and workshops—Participants will learn and practice the process for working with professional organizations to obtain CEU credits for chapter meetings, conferences and workshops.
Choice of One BreakOut Session:
1) Budgeting for Conferences or Meetings – Hands-on exercise in the use of a spreadsheet useful for setting up the budget and determining appropriate fees for workshops, conferences and meetings
2) Leading Change – Learn and use skills in identifying and adapting to changes affecting your Chapter. Understand how to use coaching, facilitating, and systems thinking to lead change for your organization.
3) Collaboration – Discover and practice tools in building and maintaining collaboration within your Chapter and with other organizations.
Nitrogen management using NLEAP computer simulation mode
Due to the high cost of nitrogen fertilizer sources and the expected shortfall, this four hour workshop will expose the students to nitrogen best management practices, discuss nitrogen rate, timing, form, and application alternatives. Students will become familiar with the new updated Microsoft Windows stand-alone version of the USDA nitrogen computer simulation model – Nitrogen Loss and Environmental Assessment Package (NLEAP). In class demonstrations and hands on use of the model will center around livestock farm case scenarios, building alternative scenarios to reduce nitrogen losses. Participants will run the NLEAP model on their own laptops. A copy of the computer simulation model will be provided to participants.
Instructors: Chris Gross, Jerry Lemunyon, and Bill Kuenstler, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
RUSLE2
With hands-on instruction, participants will develop basic skills to operate the RUSLE program and manage databases. The model is land-use independent, and the extensive database will allow users to apply RUSLE2 to a wide variety of land uses in the United States. RUSLE2 can operate in either U.S. customary units or SI units, making it much easier to use for those who work with metric units. It is being used as a guide for conservation planning with the USDA farm bill and has the most extensive supporting database ever assembled for users of an erosion prediction model. The instructors have experience in developing, implementing, and applying RUSLE and RUSLE2, building databases, and training RUSLE2 users. Participants must bring their own laptop computers. RUSLE2 runs on Win95, Win98, WinNT and XP.
Additional information on CCA and CEUs can be found under this link.
NRCS field office business and technical tools
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to develop a suite of electronic field office business and technical tools to streamline and facilitate conservation delivery at the Service Center level. These tools enhance such common activities as conservation planning, resource assessment, contracting, progress reporting and other related functions. This workshop will include discussions and demonstrations of the functionality of the different applications, how they relate to and link with each other, and the benefits of seamless integration to the field. The workshop will include discussions on the new Toolkit for Conservation Planning, Program Contract Systems, or ProTracts, for contract development and management, and a Programs Ranking Tool for more consistent program applicant ranking. In addition, newly developed technical tools will be available for demonstration.
Instructors: James (Chip) Ramsey, Cheryl Simmons, and Lillian Woods, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Concepts of watershed hydrology
If you use the word “watershed,” you will be interested in and benefit from a very affordable animated and narrated short course entitled “Concepts of Watershed Hydrology.” This ecological material is not (presently) provided in most formal courses in earth sciences, hydrology, geology, geography, ecology, or ground water hydrology. The course was created for current, continuing, and life-long students; practicing professionals; the lay public and members of NGOs; managers; regulators; elected officials, and anyone interested in meaningful participation in water and related land resources management. It contains no unexplained jargon. Technical terms are seen, heard, defined and shown graphically when needed. Color and repetition are useful tools in presenting the information. Participants will receive course materials on CD in PowerPoint® (three versions) accompanied by a 29-page 8x11” flat-opening workbook that contains 72 of the animated (color), implications, and 24 brain challenging study question slides (other illustration slides include photos from around the globe).
Instructor: Peter E. Black, PhD, AIH-Certified Hydrologist; NAEP-Certified Environmental Professional; Distinguished Teaching Professor of Water and Related Land Resources, Emeritus, SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
Targeting riparian buffer placement & design
How can riparian buffers be placed to provide the greatest impact? Riparian buffers can provide water quality benefits, but not all those benefits can be achieved at every buffer location. If buffer function varies depending on location, then managers need techniques to identify locations where buffers will give the greatest water quality benefit. The workshop will address effective riparian buffer placement and design. Potential assessment techniques to locate riparian buffers from watershed to site scale will be described. Once the optimum location is identified, an effective design is needed. The workshop will include planning tools and hands-on exercises for designing riparian buffers for multiple objectives.
Instructors: Bruce Wight and Lyn Townsend, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Mike Dosskey and Gary Bentrup, USDA Forest Service.
Communicate your ideas visually: Photo-realistic simulations for conservation planning
This workshop will provide an introduction to CanVis Image Editing Software, a Microsoft Windows compatible program (provided and used during the workshop). To gain the most from the workshop, participants are encouraged to bring a laptop computer equipped with a CD reader, Microsoft Windows, mouse, and battery (there are limited electrical outlets). If you do not have a laptop, the computer applications will be documented in the workshop notebook. Photo image editing software, digital image library, and workshop notebook are included in the registration fee. If needed, the CanVis CCE approved software can be provided prior to the workshop to be loaded on laptops by system administrators.
Instructors: Gary W. Wells, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Gary Bentrup, USDA Forest Service.
Using environmental management systems in agriculture
Environmental management systems have been used throughout the world and could provide significant benefits to U.S. agriculture. While the management process closely resembles the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s conservation planning process, it has additional benefits in terms of farm ownership and risk and liability reduction. This workshop will introduce participants to the concepts behind environmental management systems. Workshop participants will receive a guidebook and training to assist producers with developing and implementing environmental management systems on livestock farms, and discuss the benefits of various implementation strategies.
Instructors: Mark Risse, University of Georgia
Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS)
Wind erosion is a serious problem in many parts of the world. This half day workshop will give participants an overview of WEPS and its utility for conservation planning and policy development. The workshop will include: 1) soil, water, and air quality as influenced by wind erosion; 2) development of wind erosion technology; 3) overview and demonstration of WEPS; 4) Use of WEPS for conservation planning; 5) soil erosion by wind and its control (video); and 6) discussion.
Instructors: Ed Skidmore, Larry Wagner, and John Tatarko, USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Additional information on CCA and CEUs can be found under this link.
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