2012 field school & learning fair · managing invasive species using ecological principles and...
TRANSCRIPT
Thank you for your interest in the 2012 Ecologically-based Invasive Plant
Management (EBIPM) Field School. We are excited to show you the ins and outs of
implementing EBIPM on your land for sustained successful management of invasive
plants, especially annual grasses such
as cheatgrass and medusahead.
This registration packet should
answer questions you may have about
the field school, agenda, logistics and
exactly how to prepare for a great
learning experience.
Signs will be posted to direct you to
our meeting site in Reno, look for
them as you arrive. We’re looking
forward to your participation.
Learning Effective Invasive Weed Management in the Field!
Field School Objectives
EBIPM is a step-by-step systems approach to
managing invasive species using ecological
principles and strategies to stop treating
the symptoms and start repairing the
underlying causes of invasive plant
infestations. Adopting EBIPM promotes
a more complete understanding of
sustainable weed management, a
more efficient use of funds, and the
solutions for reducing invasive plant
infestations.
The EBIPM Field School experience is
designed to provide you with all the
necessary information to begin applying
EBIPM in a ‘learn-by-doing’ in-the-field setting.
This education format is geared to providing
you a complete understanding of EBIPM to
begin using the process when you return
home.
August 28-29, 2012 Ecologically-based Invasive Plant Management
2012 Field School & Learning Fair
Inside this packet:
Field School Location & Maps
2
Lodging Information
3
How to Prepare, Food, Handbook & Materials & Continuing Ed Credits
4
About the Instructors
5
Expanded Agenda
6-7
The Area-wide Project & Park History
8
Need More Info? 8
Invasion by
cheatgrass and
medusahead is having
a multi-dimensional,
catastrophic effect
on the Great Basin
and surrounding
ecosystems. So far,
our efforts of
control have merely
been treating the
symptoms. This
pattern must be
reversed. This is
among the primary
goals of EBIPM.
Rancho San Rafael Park Reno, Nevada
Page 2 EBIPM Field School Registration Packet
The 2012 EBIPM Field
School and Learning
Fair is at the Rancho
San Rafael Park in
Reno, Nevada. We
really put the “field”
into field school and
to provide the best
field experience, we’ll
be spending much of
our time in the field.
Several of the
presentations and the
majority of activities
will take place at
various field sites
around the park. Most
of the presentations
will be indoors at the
May Museum and in
the Peavine Pavilion.
“Home Base” will be
set up for checking in,
getting the course
materials and meeting
each day to begin our
activities. To help you
find our field school
Field School Location and Maps
After the field school and learning fair, you will have:
knowledge of how to apply EBIPM in a step-by-step process,
methods to assess ecological processes in need of repair,
knowledge of how to use ecological principles to formulate,
management strategies for more effective weed management,
a technique that allows you to adjust strategies and identify best
management practices as management progresses, and
helpful user guidelines and a resource book to enhance EBIPM
adoption.
“I really enjoyed the materials,
presentations, thought-
provoking discussions...best
training workshop I’ve been to
in several years.”
-2011 participant
What you’ll gain by attending
Page 3 Ecologically-based Invasive Plant Management 2011 Field School
“Everyone involved in putting on this workshop did an outstanding
job. An amazing amount of information and hands-on experiences
were presented in the 4 days and I heard many participants talk
about how valuable it had been for them to attend….we left with
new enthusiasm and energy for not just treating the weed symptom,
but for working to recognize and resolve the bigger picture
problems that favor noxious weeds.”
- 2010 field school participant
home base, we have provided a number of links. Clicking on any of
the “Miles from…” links below will take you to our directions page
on ebipm.org where you can enter the location you’ll be traveling
from and get directions to Reno. Clicking on the map at left will take
you to our map page on ebipm.org which will allow you to zoom in
or out, print directions and get a better idea of how to get to Reno.
Miles from…
Elko, Nevada to Reno
(approximately 289 miles & 4 hours 35 minutes)
Sacramento, California to Reno
(approximately 132 miles & 2 hours 23 minutes)
Salt Lake City, Utah to Reno
(approximately 519 miles & 8 hours 2 minutes)
A number of hotels are available in the Reno area
and because the Rancho San Rafael Park is less than
2 miles from downtown Reno, travel time from the
field school site to your hotel can be minimal. We’ve
listed a few recommended options below and
www.travelnevada.com provides a complete list of
hotels in Reno.
John Ascuaga’s Nugget
(800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300
1100 Nugget Avenue, Sparks, NV 89431
5 miles & 11 minutes from Rancho San Rafael
free wireless internet
shuttle to and from Reno Tahoe Int’l Airport
atrium pool & fitness center
*JA’s Nugget has offered a special rate for Field
School attendees *And August 29-September 3, 2012: Best in the
West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, free rib festival!
Lodging Information Peppermill Resort Casino
(866) 821-9996 or (775) 689-7270 2707 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502
4.5 miles & 12 minutes from Rancho San
Rafael
Atlantis Casino, Resort & Spa
(800) 723-6500 or (775) 825-4700 3800 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502
5 miles & 12 minutes from Rancho San
Rafael
El Dorado Hotel & Casino
(800) 879-8879 or (775) 786-5700
345 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89501 2 miles & 7 minutes from Rancho San Rafael
Silver Legacy Resort & Casino
(800) 687-8733 or (775) 325-7401
407 N Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89501
2 miles & 7 minutes from Rancho San Rafael
“The hands-on environment
was great. Much better than
sitting in a room looking at
slides. It provided a better real-
world application.”
-2009 participant
Continuing Education Credits:
The EBIPM Field School has been approved for 13 hours of continuing
education hours for Certified Professional in Rangeland Management.
Recertification Credits for pesticide applicators have also been applied for
from the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the California DPR.
Food
The $75 registration fee provides 3 meals,
plus snacks and drinks during the course of
the field school. The meals included are a
boxed lunch both days (Tuesday and
Wednesday, August 28th and 29th) and a
BBQ dinner Tuesday evening that will take
place in conjunction with the Learning Fair and Reception in the Peavine Picnic Pavilion.
Participants will need to take care of their own
breakfast each day before arriving at the field school
and any other meals during their stay in Reno.
It’s a good idea to bring a water bottle or other
container for keeping liquids with you. Water and
other beverages will be available throughout the two
days and snacks will be offered during breaks in the
schedule (outlined on pages 6 and 7 of this registration
packet).
How to Prepare
We expect hot weather with daily high temperatures in
the upper 80’s to low 90’s with lots of sun, a slight
possibility of rain, and overnight lows around 50. Please
dress for hot weather and be prepared to spend several
hours in areas with little to no shade.
Also, please prepare for the possibility of changing conditions...hot and dry to cool and rainy or windy.
Since most of our activities will be in the field, expect to
do some hiking and field work activities as well.
We will not have seating prepared at our field site
locations so prepare to stand or sit on the ground. Many
participants in the past have carried camping chairs for
sitting during presentations.
Page 4 EBIPM Field School Registration Packet
Handbook & Materials
Each participant will receive
an EBIPM Resource
Handbook which includes all
of the EBIPM guidelines,
bulletins, videos and other
materials, as well as a CD of
related scientific journal
articles.
“Applying the principles of EBIPM out in the
field was the most useful. The handbook and
materials are great to have as references. I will
rely on them a lot. Thanks, a great course.”
-2011 participant
A list of publications of interest is also available online at
www.ebipm.org/scientific-literature and we recommend, you take the
time, prior to the field school and learning fair,
to read through at least the following guidelines:
Applying Ecologically-based Invasive Plant
Management: An introduction and overview
and
Principles of Ecologically-based Invasive
Plant Management.
“[I] loved being in the
field and having the
opportunity to apply
ideas on-site.”
-2009 participant
Page 5 Ecologically-based Invasive Plant Management 2011 Field School
About your field school instructors
Roger Sheley-As a Rangeland Ecologist at
USDA-ARS in Burns, OR, Dr.
Sheley’s research focus is on the
development of EBIPM principles.
He has extensive research and
practical experience in managing
invasive species.
Tom Monaco-Tom has been an Ecologist with
the USDA-ARS, Forage and Range
Research Lab. in Logan, UT since
2000. He works closely with Utah
State University and rangeland
users and managers to improve the
productivity and sustainability of agriculture in the semi-arid Intermountain West.
His research emphasizes plant-soil relationships
on rangelands, invasive plant physiology &
ecology, and developing management strategies
to improve rangeland productivity in salt desert
and sagebrush ecosystems invaded by invasive
annual grasses.
Stuart Hardegree- Stuart Hardegree is a Plant
Physiologist at the USDA-ARS
Northwest Watershed Research
Center in Boise, ID. His research
objectives are to develop weather,
climate and microclimatic decision-
support tools that will enhance
successful rehabilitation and restoration of
rangelands that have been degraded by introduced
annual weeds.
Jeremy James- Dr. James is a Plant Physiologist
with USDA-ARS in Burns, OR. The
central focus of his research is on
understanding the physiological and
demographic mechanisms central to
the restoration and conservation of
rangeland.
Ed Vasquez- Ed is currently a rangeland
ecologist for Wyoming Wildlife
Consultants (WWC), working
primarily on sage grouse habitat
requirements and will be
instructing range science courses at
Humboldt State University
beginning this fall 2012. Prior to joining WWC,
he worked for USDA-ARS in Burns, OR
researching and demonstrating EBIPM for
invasive annual grasses. His experiences in the
field and in research give him important
perspectives on the management challenges of
invasive species.
Chad Boyd- Dr. Boyd is a Rangeland Scientist
with USDA-ARS in Burns, OR. His
current research interests are focused
on sage grouse, riparian and meadow
grazing ecology, stream temperature
and willow monitoring.
Joe DiTomaso- Dr. DiTomaso earned his PhD
from UC Davis and now is on the
faculty in the Department of Plant
Sciences there. He is also the Director
of the Weed Research and Information
Center. His primary focus is on
understanding various biological and
ecological aspects of non-crop weeds, and to use
this information to develop effective control
strategies. His major emphasis is on invasive
species of wildlands and rangelands.
Alex Boehm- Alex is a Bioscience Technician at
the USDA-ARS Northwest Watershed
Research Center (NWRC) in Boise,
ID. His primary focus is to facilitate
scientific field research and data
collection for the scientists at NWRC.
In addition, he is working to develop
linkages between ecologic site descriptions and
microclimate models for practical utilization by
land managers for restoration objectives.
Brenda Smith– A weed scientist by training,
Dr. Smith is currently the
outreach and education
coordinator for the EBIPM Area-
wide project. She has farmed for a
number of years and has also
taught weed science courses and
recognizes the importance of developing
educational opportunities that provide land
managers with useful take home information.
2012 EBIPM Field School Agenda
Day One: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 Schedule | 8 am–4 pm/ Learning Fair 4:30-7:30 pm
Morning
Sessions
Meet at the May Museum
Successfully Managing Invasive Annual Grasses:
What is EBIPM? How can you use it for better management of invasive plants? Recognizing Plant Community Change and how succession is important to managing invasive
plants.
Morning Break
Morning
Sessions
EBIPM Step 1: How to conduct a Rangeland Health Assessment and why this information will
help guide how to determine the best tools and strategies to employ for managing invasives.
EBIPM Step 2: Identifying Causes of Invasion and Ecological Processes in Disrepair Using the
EBIPM Assessment Worksheet— Recognizing what is creating weed invasions—the symptom
of underlying ecological processes breaking down.
EBIPM Step 3: Linking Processes to Principles to Practices The nuts and bolts of applying EBIPM, an introduction on how to use ecological principles to
determine the best practices to meet your land management goals.
Lunch @ Peavine Picnic Pavilion
EBIPM Step 4: How to decide on Tools and strategies based on the ecological principles
Afternoon
Session
Process: Disturbance Principles and practices to
favor desired species with
disturbance.
Practices will focus on
seedbed preparation
techniques.
Principles and practices
to create safe sites for
desired species. Practices will focus on
creating patchwork
disturbances to
encourage establishment
of desired plants.
Processes:
Dispersal & Reproduction Principles and practices to
prevent dispersal of invasives. Practices will focus on
preventing weed invasion and
expansion.
Principles and practices to
increase establishment of desired
plants. Practices will focus on timing of
seeding and seeding rates in
restoration.
Principles and practices to
Control Seed production of
undesired species. Practices will focus on
integrating herbicides in
management.
Processes: Resource Availability &
Response to Environment Principles and practices to manage
environments for low resource
availability to favor desired plants.
Practices will focus on litter and soil C
management and choosing species to
maximize growth traits.
Process – Stress Principles and practices to stress
invasives and favor desired plants.
Practices will focus on using grazing and
bio-control to impact invasives.
Process- Interference Principles and practices associated with
plant competition. Practices will focus on choosing seeding
mixes and plant selections.
Early Evening Learning Fair and BBQ @ Peavine Picnic Pavilion
Learn the latest and greatest from folks in the region who are researching and
working to manage invasive annual grasses. See what they’re doing and what’s
working for them and learn more about the current research in:
Cultivation History, Economics, Curriculum, Weed
Prevention Areas, Successful Demonstrations of
EBIPM, and more!
All in a relaxed setting.
Morning
Sessions
The “How-To Session” for Finishing an EBIPM Management Plan—Prioritizing your
management
EBIPM Step 5: Adaptive Management and Landscape Goals - What does this mean and how
to incorporate adaptive management for the most successful EBIPM Plan. Making sure you
know how to take EBIPM concepts and apply them for your situation.
Morning Break
Morning
Sessions Finalize developing an EBIPM plan using the 5-step process
Lunch Peavine Pavilion
Final Afternoon
session
Group Management Plan Presentations: groups will present their plans for their field sites at
Rancho San Rafael
2012 EBIPM Field School Agenda
Day Two: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Schedule 8 am-4:30 pm
Tuesday, August 28th 4:30-7:30 @ the Peavine Picnic Pavilion
Rancho San Rafael was originally a working ranch, a cattle
operation initiated in the 1890’s by the Pincolini brothers.
The brothers used the land only for grazing and sold the
property in 1920 to Russel C. Jensen and his wife. The
Jensens built the first buildings on the ranch, one of which
was referred to as the ranch manager’s house and is now
the building used by the park as the Ranger offices.
The Jensens operated a sheep ranch until 1935 when it
was sold to Dr. Raphael Herman, his brother Norman,
and sister-in-law Marianna Herman. The Hermans
developed much of what many people remember about
the ranch and it’s current name includes a variation of Dr.
Herman’s name, Rafael. The Hermans built the main ranch
house as well as many barns, sheds, corrals and other
outbuildings but all that remains is the main ranch house
and the original ranch house built by the Jensens.
After Raphael and Norman passed away, the property was
put up for sale and then became part of the Washoe
County park system in the late 1970’s. Rancho San Rafael
Regional Park is currently at 570 acres of parkland,
pastureland and natural open
spaces. Managing invasive plants is
a priority on a property such as
Rancho San Rafael. A number of
invasive species are challenging to
manage on the property and the
site offers an ideal educational
environment for learning how to
apply a systems approach such as
EBIPM.
The EBIPM Area-wide Project Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
Page 8 EBIPM Field School Registration Packet
A regional project funded by the USDA
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in 2008,
this program is a collaborative effort in the 5-
state region of the Great Basin. The Area-
wide team is made up of ARS scientists,
university scientists, private producers and
public land managers. These folks have been
working to fully develop the EBIPM systematic
framework to improve management of
extensive infestations of annual grasses that
devastate high desert rangeland systems and
greatly increase threat of catastrophic wildfire.
What makes EBIPM unique from other models
is it pulls together ecological theories and
principles into a single unified framework that
managers can practically apply. Combined with
managers’ experience, the model provides a
road map they can use to develop effective
programs in a way that blends ecology and
integrated pest management strategies
together to manage invasive species. Even
though this model has been developed to help
manage invasive
species, it is
applicable in a wide
variety of range and
wildland situations.
We invite you to
join us for more
successful weed
management!
Need More Information?
Visit: www.ebipm.org/
Email: [email protected]
Or call 541-573-4084