NEON Citizen Science Academy

NEON Citizen Science Academy
Registration is Open NOW for the Fall Session

http://www.citizenscienceacademy.org/registration

Would you like your students to become Citizen Scientists and learn about phenology and climate issues? Learn how with NEON’s Citizen Science Academy.

The NEON Citizen Science Academy offers facilitated self-paced online courses for K-12 Formal and Informal educators wanting to incorporate citizen science into their educational programs. Courses run approximately 1 month.

CSA 501/551 “Introduction to Project BudBurst for Educators”
Provides an overview to support implementation of Project BudBurst in a variety of educational venues. CSA 501 is geared for Formal (K-12) and community college educators. CSA 551 is intended for Informal Educators.

CSA 502 “Working with Project BudBurst Data in an Informal/Formal Education Setting”
The follow-up course in which educators learn how to use the new National Geographic Field Scope tools to visualize and analyze Project BudBurst data through a user-friendly, web-based interface. It will also cover plant adaptations to a changing climate, and links between Project BudBurst data and other broadscale data sets. This course is offered in one section that considers both formal and informal educational objectives.

Fall Term (September 17 – October 16, 2003)
* CSA 501/551: Introduction to Project BudBurst (Formal / Informal Educators)
* CSA 502: Working with Project BudBurst Data in an Informal / Formal Education Setting

Course fee: $35
Each course is limited to 50 participants.

For those interested in teacher re-certification, all of our courses can be taken for 2 optional, graduate level continuing education credits from Colorado School of Mines. The fee for 2 optional credits is $90.

Questions? Email: CSAregistrar@neoninc.org
Register at http://www.citizenscienceacademy.org/registration

Hydrilla Hunt!

Hydrilla Hunt! program solicits help of lake and river enthusiasts to discover invasive aquatic plant.

GLENCOE, Ill. (June 17, 2013) – Boaters, anglers, swimmers, and others who enjoy Illinois’ lakes and rivers are keeping their eyes peeled this summer for an aquatic “superweed.” Through the Hydrilla Hunt! program, citizen volunteers are on the lookout for a highly invasive aquatic plant named Hydrilla verticillata, or simply “hydrilla.”

Recognized as one of the world’s worst weeds, hydrilla can grow an inch per day and form dense mats of vegetation at the water surface. Within the past few years, hydrilla has been discovered in Wisconsin and Indiana and it is expected to arrive in Illinois very soon. Our desirable native aquatic plants, sport fishing, native wildlife, waterfront property values, and recreational uses might all be seriously impacted.

“Early detection of hydrilla could save Illinois millions of dollars in control costs,” noted Cathy McGlynn, coordinator for the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP). “Experience from other states shows that once a waterway becomes infested with hydrilla, it’s nearly impossible to control. Our hope in Illinois is to identify the plant at a very early stage when populations are still small enough to eradicate and manage,” added McGlynn.

The strain of hydrilla that has been found in the northern United States is believed to have originated in Korea. It grows on mucky as well as sandy bottoms of lakes and rivers, and from very shallow water to depths of 20 feet or more. It can be spotted snagged on fishing lines or on boat anchors, or by noting plants seen while boating or growing along the sides of a pier. Hydrilla spreads quickly, since just a small stem fragment of hydrilla can sprout roots and grow into a whole new plant.

Anyone can participate in the Hydrilla Hunt! program. Volunteers are encouraged to take a more detailed look at aquatic plants they encounter while out and about on Illinois’ waterways. A Hydrilla Identification Sheet (available for download at the program’s website, see below) can be used to differentiate hydrilla from look-alike plants such as Brazilian elodea and American elodea. Volunteers who suspect they may have found hydrilla are asked to take several digital photographs and email them to the Hydrilla Hunt! program for verification.

For more information, including how to become a Hydrilla Hunt! volunteer, a Hydrilla Identification Sheet, fact sheets, and other resources, visit www.niipp.net/hydrilla. The Hydrilla Hunt! program is coordinated by the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Lake County Health Department-Lakes Management Unit. Funding support has been provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

Thank you for your help spreading the word!

Cathy McGlynn

Cooperative Weed Management Seminar Recording Online

A recording of last week’s webinar entitled, “Introduction to Cooperative Weed Management Areas: What Are They and What Can They Do For You?” is now available on the Invasive Platn Control, Inc. website (www.invasiveplantcontrol.com). Click on “ipcwebsolutions” and then “ipcoutreach” to access the recording.

The Great Lakes Early Detection Network makes reporting invasive species even easier with new smartphone app.

The Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) in collaboration with the Early Detection Distribution and Mapping System (EDDMapS) has developed a smartphone app for the iPhone and Android operating systems. This app allows users to report invasive species found in the Midwest to GLEDN and EDDMapS from their phones or tablets.

The app uses the device’s GPS and camera capabilities to geo-locate the reported species and allow the device’s operator to provide a photo of the reported species. Pictures allow verifiers to quickly confirm observations. Once confirmed, observations will be visible on maps found on GLEDN (www.gledn.org ) and EDDMaps (www.eddmaps.org ) websites and sent to land managers through each group’s early alert system. Using this technology we hope to enhance the ability of groups’ to respond to these new pests as they are emerging.

You can download the free app from this site: http://apps.bugwood.org/mobile/gledn.html.

Join others in contributing to a growing regional database of invasive species locations. Your contributions help agency staff, scientists, and policy makers in efforts to curb the threat from invasive species and help raise public awareness.

For more information about this new technology please contact:

Brendon Panke (GLEDN Coordinator): (608) 262-9570; bjpanke@wisc.edu
Kate Howe (MIPN Coordinator): (317) 829 3812; howek@purdue.edu

Mark Renz: President of MIPN and Director of GLEDN

GLEDN is an online database that allows users to enter invasive species reports without requiring a log-in. All reports entered into GLEDN are verified by experts. The database offers more tools for those who choose to create a log-in, including new invasive location alerts, mapping, and data downloading. Visit the site at http://www.gledn.org.

Funding for the development of this app was provided by the Ohio State University and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Citizen Science Monitoring program.

Cleveland Metroparks Hydrilla Workshop

Hydrilla Workshop: Early Detection & Rapid Response in the Lake Erie Watershed
Tuesday, April 23, 2013   9:00am to 3:00pm

 North Chagrin Reservation
North Chagrin Nature Center
3037 SOM Center Road, Willoughby Hills, Ohio 44094
(follow signs to Nature Center) 440-473-3370
http://maps.clevelandmetroparks.com

 This workshop is intended to encourage regional surveys for hydrilla and to develop connections among diverse organizations with an interest in preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species. Ample time will be given to introductions and side conversations to spark collaborations among water resource and plant professionals. Live specimens of hydrilla will be presented for identification.

 Agenda

9:00     Welcome and Introductions

9:15     Hydrilla verticillata ecology – Jennifer Hillmer, Cleveland Metroparks

10:00   Identification and vouchering of hydrilla and submersed aquatics – John Reinier, Cleveland Metroparks

10:45   Break

11:00   Detection of hydrilla – field survey methods, monitoring methods – Claire Weldon, Cleveland Metroparks

11:45   Lunch (on your own, brown bag lunch is suggested)

1:00     Invasive Plant Prevention and Control: EDDMaps and Citizen Engagement, Nate Drag, Great Lakes United, Buffalo, New York

1:45     Aquatic Interstate Surveillance, Gregory Sargis, The Nature Conservancy, Central & Western New York

2:00     Control and management of hydrilla

2:30     Wrap-up

To register (free) or for questions, contact

Jennifer Hillmer, Invasive Plant Coordinator
Division of Natural Resources
jah@clevelandmetroparks.com
440-213-2542 (cell)

Sponsors

Cleveland Metroparks
Crooked River CWMA
Great Lakes United
Ohio Invasive Plants Council

Hydrilla Workshop Agenda_Directions

Equipment Available for Citizen-based Monitoring Projects in Wisconsin

The Equipment Lending Program is designed to save you money on projects involving citizen monitors, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. You will be able to

1. Browse through the catalog of supplies and equipment.
2. Select the items needed for your project.
3. Request those items for the upcoming field season.

Items will be available for pickup in the spring and must be returned at the end of the approved lending period. You can also donate unused equipment to the program. For more information contact

Matthew Schumaker:
Matthew.Schumaker@Wisconsin.gov
(608) 267-2109

Owen Boyle:
Owen.Boyle@Wisconsin.gov
(608) 261-6449

CBM Lend Brochure

Get up to $5,000 for your Citizen-based Monitoring Project in Wisconsin

Since 2004 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Citizen-based Monitoring Network have sought to expand citizen and volunteer participation in natural resource monitoring by providing funding and assistance to high priority projects. Qualifying topics include monitoring of aquatic and terrestrial species, natural communities, and environmental components such as water, weather, and soil. $100,000 of Partnership Program funding is available for the 2014 state fiscal year (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014). Funding proposals are limited to $5,000.

Applications are due by April 26th.

Application Guidelines

Application